This post was authored by Future Librarians and Activists for Palestine, a committee of Dominican University's Information Science Student Association.
The desire to remain neutral is often cited as a reason why libraries choose not to get involved in issues of politics or social justice. A common argument is that libraries are supposed to be politically neutral, so they distance themselves from anything that might cause controversy. However, when it comes to issues that are already rooted in an imbalance of power, silence for the sake of neutrality has the unfortunate side effect of affirming the side of the oppressor. It tells the side being oppressed that acknowledging their struggle and elevating their voices isn’t as important as maintaining the status quo—a status quo that is contingent on their continued oppression.
Rather than striving for neutrality by inaction, libraries and library professionals should strive for an active form of neutrality that ensures that all voices are amplified in equitable ways. We should develop our collections to reflect a balance of perspectives so that patrons and users have the opportunity to learn about the issues they are hearing about in the news and form their own informed opinions on these issues. We should uplift the voices of people who are being oppressed and give them the freedom to share their stories. We should make it clear, through our collections, displays, and signage, that all are welcome in our libraries.
When it comes to uplifting the people of Palestine and addressing the decades-long oppression and violence they have faced, there are many things that libraries can do. Many of these actions are an extension of things that libraries are already doing. Collection development librarians can make an effort to include books and materials by Palestinian authors. These books don’t have to be limited to just history or political commentary, instead extending to memoirs, fiction, poetry, and literature for children and young adults that highlight the struggles and pride of being Palestinian. Resources on Palestinian culture, such as cookbooks and embroidery books, can serve as powerful tools to humanize a population that is seldom shown to the broader world outside the context of war journalism.
Librarians and Archivists with Palestine has an extensive Readings and Resources list that includes information sources as well as reading recommendations for nonfiction, fiction, memoirs, poetry, and children’s books for all grade levels. The Palestinian American Research Center also has a great bibliography of books on various topics. Skyline College Library Palestine Research Guide is another great resource for reading recommendations and understanding the art, culture, and history of Palestine. The Palestine Program Toolkit features books and media recommendations as well as tips and ideas for library programming.
Cooking and crafting are already mainstays in library programming, so holding a class on Palestinian cooking or a workshop on Palestinian embroidery (recognized by UNESCO as an important intangible cultural heritage!) can provide opportunities for members of the community to learn about Palestinian culture, especially if the program is led by Palestinian members of the community. Libraries should also make sure that their policies are updated to include protections from harassment based on nationality, ethnicity, and religion, including religious garments like head coverings and veils, and enforce these policies to ensure that all patrons feel safe using the library.
The ALA highlights access, equity, intellectual freedom and privacy, public good, and sustainability as the core values of librarianship. While neutrality is a noble aspiration, too often it is used as a crutch to support the decision to not take action or voice support for social justice issues that tend to elicit complex emotions among patrons, staff, and leadership. Silence that stems from a refusal to speak up contributes to a continued cycle of violence and oppression. Only through an active form of neutrality—one that focuses on equitably uplifting those oppressed voices—can libraries make themselves welcoming to all.
Links:
UNESCO page on the art of embroidery in Palestine as Intangible Cultural Heritage: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/the-art-of-embroidery-in-palestine-practices-skills-knowledge-and-rituals-01722
Librarians and Archivists with Palestine Reading and Resources: https://librarianswithpalestine.org/readings-and-resources/
Palestinian American Research Center Bibliography: https://www.parc-us-pal.org/bibliography-of-books-on-palestine/
Skyline College Library Palestine Research Guide: https://guides.skylinecollege.edu/palestine
Palestine Program Toolkit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1STXQ0JnFR3WZ_AF2SKRot93SEJKW5Ca723ldOk6bsCQ/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.97xnqhi699av
ALA Core Values of Librarianship: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/advocacy/intfreedom/corevalues
This post was written by undergraduate student Talissa Gonzalez for Professor Christine Wilson's ENG 335 assignment, Writing as Social Action. It is part of a “Student Speaks” series on the RCL blog. Pictures were added by the editor.
According to the student body, the Writing Fellows only exist for a couple weeks each semester – around midterms and finals. Other than that, the ASC (Academic Success Center) runs at its usual slow pace. It’s possible that many people don’t know we exist, and if they do, maybe they aren’t aware of all the services we provide. We are not spell-check, Grammarly, or citation machine. We are real human beings, sitting idly in the ASC until we are deemed useful.
This is my second semester tutoring at Dominican, but I’ve been tutoring since high school and it’s not all that different. It's possible students want to avoid burdening someone else with their academic struggles, but the Fellows quite literally set time aside for students to do that. Although our skill and position allow for some authority over our tutee, our tutoring pedagogy invites us to approach our tutees as equals and to learn along with them. Fellows benefit from engaging with forms of writing that are foreign to them, just as students benefit from a listening ear and helpful hand. However, there’s been an apparent lack of such.
Photo taken from Tutoring and Learning Resources | Dominican University
Writing exists in nearly every major, regardless of the degree pursued. Yet the vast majority of our tutees are freshmen from CRWS courses. Why don’t we encounter Philosophy majors who need help brainstorming their approach to a certain phenomenon? Or Communication majors who need a test audience for a presentation? Additionally, why don’t we encounter upperclassmen such as seniors who are spiraling about what to include in their portfolio? A large part of this falls on our faculty’s hands. Most of our appointments are generated from courses that incentivize a visit with a Fellow, whether it’s required for a grade or offered for extra credit. We are grateful for the handful of professors we regularly get students from, but there are plenty of others who could encourage it as well. Professors are here to teach what they specialize in, but they are also here to teach students to utilize all the resources available to them on campus.
Although it can be initially uncomfortable, I love to work with students who bring work that forces me to critically think alongside them. It does me no good to stay within my comfort zone in writing. Not that the appointments are primarily for my benefit, but having a greater diversity in our tutees by working with a larger portion of the student body would be beneficial for the newcomers as well as the tutors. Allowing the Fellows to engage with coursework unfamiliar to them puts them at a more equal pedestal with tutees and allows them to prepare for similar situations in future appointments. We will continue to remain stagnant in trajectory and narrow in audience if our faculty does not aid us in the mission for greater involvement.
Beyond that, greater involvement isn’t exclusively beneficial to the students. While it may seem like I’m selfishly asking for more traffic in the ASC to feel like a better used resource, it’s more than that. Students we interact with are the same students submitting assignments, participating in class discussions, and most importantly (to some), rating instructor effectiveness – not just through the end-of-semester surveys, but by word of mouth. Professors, when students leave your class, can they honestly say that you did everything in your power to support them in their learning? Writing Fellows can obviously help them as a writer, but a bigger part of our job is empowering our peers with confidence and autonomy over their work. Within the 30 minutes I am given with a student, my main goal is not to inform and instruct, but to uplift. In addition to advocating for professors and their rubrics, I help students feel confident in their writing choices and rediscover the “umph” behind writing – a benefit beyond a good grade.
The Writing Fellows have no way of hurting course curriculum but have many ways of helping if we are included. The authority dynamic doesn’t always make professors the easiest to approach with issues or concerns, so it’s important to establish another resource that can offer similar support. It’s imperative that faculty start incentivizing visits to the Writing Center by adding it into their syllabus, not only to make students aware of such resources, but to improve engagement with course material and better achieve course learning goals. Help us, by helping the students, help you.