Identity, Harm, and Hate in Special Collections

LIS studies of diversity, equity, and inclusion frequently separate workplace interpersonal issues from collections issues, divorcing organizational culture from organizational collections, especially in special collections. Weeding harmful or hateful materials from circulating collections can lead to their transfer to special collections, where library and archives workers as well as their users can be impacted. This presentation addresses assumptions of an unmarginalized, neutral, and impervious arbiter in special collections and suggests solutions to give special collections workers and users agency and accommodation in the types of materials they are asked to handle, based in scholarship from BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disabled library workers on resistance, self-preservation, and accommodation