Libraries as Bedrock: Partnering to promote diversity and inclusiveness on campus

To broaden multicultural learning on campus, the University of the Pacific’s University Library partnered with Multicultural Affairs to create book displays tailored to cultural heritage months, as well as events celebrating LGBT and Women’s history. The book displays boasted higher than average circulation rates, 20% - 53%, and promoted the rich co-curricular programming on campus. To assist with the promotion of these physical, in-Library book displays, the Library uses LibraryThing, an online, book-driven, virtual “social space.” LibraryThing beautifully displays book covers and generally provides patrons with a means of easily browsing thematically-grouped collections in an innovative and stimulating 2.0 environment. These displays help advertise diversity-based campus events programming – the Library is a high-traffic, central location on campus – and additionally help enhance student identity formation, while also promoting inclusiveness and engendering numerous opportunities for Pacific students to make their own discoveries and connections regarding the history of both our nation and our world, thus further equipping them with the knowledge needed to be informed and interculturally competent global citizens as called for in Pacific Rising 2008-1015, the University\u27s strategic planning document. As a result of this session, attendees will understand the value of Multicultural Affairs / Library partnerships in promoting cultural understanding (as well as the benefits of student life/ library partnerships generally), and will learn how to create and sustain such partnerships. This session will provide attendees abundant opportunities to reflect, brainstorm and share ideas regarding Library / campus unit partnerships that would promote diversity and inclusiveness at their institutions