March Inclusive Services Update

March is Women’s History Month, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s BadgerLink Online Library has a variety of resources to learn, commemorate, and celebrate the impact women have had in American history. Additionally, the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum joined together to provide various resources. This includes resources specifically for educators available here, events throughout the month, and much more. Visit WomensHistoryMonth.gov for more information.

Resources:

• Wisconsin Libraries Talk About Race : Discover what learning gaps exist to better inform future work related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and improve capacity for libraries and library workers in talking about and taking action toward racial equity.

  • Mar 9, 2022 10:00 AM – Engaging in Sensitive Conversations & Handling Pushback

• The Talent Textbook: Why HR shouldn’t ask for ‘preferred’ pronouns and Libraries Respond: Protecting and Supporting Transgender Staff and Patrons

• American Libraries’ special report on digital equity

• ALA stands with the Ukrainian library community

• The Libraries and Veterans National Forum Toolkit : In an effort to help librarians just getting started working with veterans, as well as those looking for new ideas to bring to their libraries, an online toolkit was created to collect the shared knowledge of librarians working with the veteran community. It contains lesson plans, program outlines, collection development policies, best practice documents, and more to help ease the way for those just getting started in this work – and to make it easier for those already engaged to find new ideas and new strategies to increase the success of their programs.

• The women’s rights movement began in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848. Or did it? In honor of Women’s History Month, the National Museum of the American Indian presents a film screening and online discussion: WITHOUT A WHISPER – KONNON: KWE

The seldom-told story of how Indigenous women influenced America’s early suffragists in their fight for freedom and equality. The film follows Mohawk Bear Clan Mother Louise Herne and Professor Sally Roesch Wagner as they seek to correct the historical narrative about the origins of women’s rights in the United States.

Continuing Education:

• UW-Madison iSchool Online Learning Opportunities:

  • Designing Accessible Library Spaces, April 4 – May 15

  • Services to Families Experiencing Homelessness, April 6 & 13

  • The Disability Community in the Library, Jul 11 – Aug 21

• Accessible Social Media 2.0 – 1pm on Tuesday, Mar 15

• Curating & Maintaining Vibrant Collections for Users with Print Disabilities – 9am on Thursday, Mar 17

• Making Your Library’s Accessible Resources More Discoverable – 1pm on Wednesday, Mar 23

• Getting Started with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committees in Your Library – 1pm on Tuesday, Mar 15

• Can You See Me? Collection Development for Marginalized Communities – 10am on Wednesday, Mar 16

• How to be an Ally to Jewish Patrons and Students (Even in a Non-Jewish Neighborhood) – 3pm on Sunday, Mar 20

• (Re)Developing Inclusive & Diverse Library Collections – 3pm on Monday, Mar 21

• Creating Inclusive Spaces Within the Libraries, Parts 1 & 2 – 9am on Monday, Mar 28 and Wednesday, Mar 30

• Bystander Intervention to Stop Harassment Toward the LGBTQIA+ Community – 3pm on Thursday, Mar 31

• Addressing Challenging Behaviors of Adults with Autism in the Library – 10am on Monday, Mar 21

• Registration open for Creating Inclusive Spaces within Libraries : this interactive virtual workshop will explore ways that actionable allyship is practiced in the library environment, as well as practical next steps for encouraging agency and shared accountability for creating inclusive spaces. Part 1: Monday, March 28, 9am-11 am

Part 2: Wednesday, March 30, 9am-11am

Consumables:

• What It’s Like to Ski Nearly Blind : This was a really cool interactive article about a Paralympic skier that I wanted to share to bring awareness to other life experiences.

• Toronto Public Library reveals Indigenous-focused library design 

• How to effectively talk with your team about mental healthcare

• 7-year-old girl pens book on inclusivity, identity

Diverse Holidays in March:

March is National Women’s History Month, celebrating the contributions and achievements women have made to American history. It’s also Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

March 16-17: Purim, a Jewish holiday marking when the Jewish community in Persia was saved from genocide, celbrated by giving charity and feasting.

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday celebrating the patron saint of Ireland.

March 18: Holi, a Hindu and sikh spring festival celebrating spring and new beginnings with bonfires, bright colors, and feasting.

March 20: Ostara, a holiday celebrating the spring equinox observed by Pagans and Wiccans.

March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, declared by the United Nations in 1966 to honor the killing of 69 people at a demonstration against South African apartheid.

March 24: All Women’s Equal Pay Day

March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, declared by the United Nation in 2008 to honor and remember slaves who died.

March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility