Librarians Versus the State: Critical Race Theory and Librarianship During Racial Upheaval and Political Unrest

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Seven
  In Roundtable Session: Educators and Graduate Students: Simultaneous Education and Academic Work in Whiteness Environments (Table 11)

Abstract

Context & Purpose
Librarianship is still predominantly white, and libraries are still perceived as unwelcoming places by many patrons of color (Furner, 2007; Gonzalez-Smith, Swanson, & Tanaka, 2014; Pawley, 2006). Likewise, librarians of color find themselves and their experiences out of sync with the “colorblind” values embraced by library information studies (LIS) research, teaching, and practice (Hathcock, 2015). The same goes for education. State education lawmakers are predominantly white and male (Gillborn, 2005), while children of color are quickly becoming more populous in schools across the county, particularly in Florida (Lehmann & Meldrum, 2021). As an LIS graduate student and aspiring librarian who currently works for a state education agency, I care deeply about my research and the work I do on behalf of the state of Florida for its children. In this juxtaposition of professional and academic work, I find that many factors (i.e., race, gender, and the social-emotional well-being of marginalized people) are not rightly taken into consideration when doing education at the state level and fighting racial injustice within libraries. How are BIPOC graduate LIS students whose work intersects directly with state-sanctioned education supposed to “deal” with the stark racialization and quiet violence that happens routinely in our fields?

Theoretical Framing and Analysis
I am grateful to Critical Race Theory (CRT) as it routinely explains my experience as a Black woman raised and living in the United States. CRT analyzes racism and questions long-held beliefs and misconceptions surrounding the treatment of marginalized and disenfranchised people. CRT seeks to remove the oneness of racism from the individual and instead rightfully places the focus on the system at large that allows racism to flourish in a multitude of unchecked ways. CRT has successfully crossed into education (Ladson-Billing, 1998) and LIS (Cooke, 2016). CRT in the LIS field is of particular interest because although research has shown increasing diversity in the United States, the racial climate of libraries, the field of librarianship, and education have not improved. Race is the most centralized and contentious area of diversity, with fields of study such as LIS and education illustrating how race is often understudied and poorly understood.

Scholarly Significance
As a way to highlight the intersectionality between being an educator, student and working for a state agency that promotes “divisive legislature,” I will engage in conversation with my fellow panelists and the audience regarding how I have learned to cope and fight against the regressive and outright racist ideology that is perpetrated by the state and poorly understood within the LIS field. I care deeply about my work as an educator and LIS researcher, which is why I critique so openly, but I would be remiss if I did not link my unique experiences directly to my work. It is my hope that our collective experiences as graduate students and educators reflect a kaleidoscope of research that continues to spark conversations outside of our panel.

Author

• Vashalice Kaaba, Florida State University
  Presenting Author