Letter to New People of Color in LIS

Abstract

Dear New Librarian, Library Worker, or Library Student of Color, I’m writing this, not just for me, but for you, every one of you who has no idea or maybe some misconceptions about what you’re about to encounter in this profession. This letter is the letter I wished I had received when I was in library school. When I started my first academic library job, I was hopeful and excited to be in what was then my dream job. I would get to create programs and events for undergraduates that would ease their entry into college and help them find and build community. Although it wasn’t a part of the job description, I purposefully sought to create programs and spaces for students on the margins of campus: first-generation; low-income; students who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, or asexual; and/or students of color. I wanted to be who I, and many others with marginalized voices, needed when I was younger. I still want to do that.