Park City Library has a three-year strategic plan that focuses on user experience, inclusivity, community relationships, and lifelong learning. The Library has defined inclusivity as creating an environment in which our differences are celebrated and supported. The goal for this year is to use the data gathered from the diversity and accessibility audit to implement improvements.
To prepare for the following recommendations, the Diversity Audit committee researched literary awards that covered DEI topics and created a resource guide for librarians to identify items to add to our collection through Novelist. While Novelist has diversity resources, we took an in-depth look at search parameters and keywords to formulate searches that target specific DEI categories. Librarians can now find a list of DEI items in Novelist for their collection within seconds.
Purchasing Items
These recommendations were provided to our librarians who purchase materials at the Library to increase the amount of diverse materials in our library.
- Purchase suggested award winners for the past two years for DEI items.
- Utilize the Novelist database for DEI lists and recommendations to purchase.
- Expand purchasing from publishers of color.
- Visit the Under the Umbrella Bookstore and make at least one purchase per collection to increase LGBTQIA+ materials.
Weeding Items
Throughout the diversity audit, we learned the value of keeping DEI items on our shelves longer than non-DEI items to allow for their findability and the growth of DEI authorship in the publishing world. We also recognize the importance of up-to-date information on DEI topics and how quickly terminology can evolve. In our efforts to remove obsolete or inaccurate information or uncirculated older books, we weed our DEI collection through the lens of keeping inclusive DEI materials.
- Retain DEI items from being weeded for longer than non-DEI items
- Weed outdated DEI items by searching for older books included in the DEI report
Accessibility Audit Improvements
The installation of the Stryker evacuation chair is complete. We thank the Community Library Enhancement Fund (CLEF) Payment distributed by Utah State Library for the funds for this purchase. Library staff will soon be trained on the proper use of the Stryker evacuation chair by our regional representative at Stryker.
Park City Municipality approved a capital budget request for the funding of two adult changing tables for the first-floor bathrooms. The women’s accessible stall has been expanded to accommodate the changing table. The men’s accessible stall did not need to be expanded. We are working with a vendor for the installation of the changing tables, and they are on track to be installed soon.