A grant was awarded to the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Diversity Council that allowed the institution to purchase books and materials that advance racial equity to its collection.
The $1,000 grant from Indiana Humanities allowed the College to purchase 23 titles, which will be housed within the library’s existing collections. Members of the College’s Diversity Council selected the titles from a list of approved titles.
Dee Reed ’08, associate vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, is glad for the new collection, which will be a part of the initiative to work collaboratively with faculty, staff and students on diversity-related issues.
“We are very grateful to Indiana Humanities for their support and for recognizing the important role libraries play in serving the diverse needs for our communities,” Reed said. “With this collection, we hope to inspire our campus community in ongoing reflection and action to support racial equity.”
A display at the Rooney Library service desk highlights selected items from the collection. Titles also have a special note with its record to enable them to be searched and located quickly, said Rusty Tryon, director of the library.
“The addition of these materials to the library’s collection aligns with strategic initiatives in higher education and at the College,” Tryon said.
The program has been made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities with funds from Lilly Endowment Inc.
“Libraries seek to contribute to and support important discussions on these topics by providing access to relevant materials,” Tryon said. The collection includes books, with the majority being multiple copies to enable book discussion groups. Several DVDs were also selected. “The Indiana Humanities Advancing Racial Equity Collection will facilitate the ongoing dialogue on the campus concerning matters of diversity, equity and inclusion.”