February 5, 2019
The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) Board of Directors has learned of racist, discriminatory, and harassing behavior at 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, WA. We would like to express our support to those who were harassed and discriminated against during this particular incident and to all those who have lived and worked too long in unsafe environments.
We would also like to renew our commitment to our statement on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and call upon ALA Executive Committee to quickly respond, reassess, and renew its commitment to their fourth strategic direction, through education and advocacy for our colleagues and our patrons.
It is more important than ever that we as RUSA and as librarians and library staff work on addressing the pervasive privilege and bias within our profession and association. It is our responsibility to continue this work so that we can continue to ensure “the right of access to information for people of all identities, backgrounds, ages, and abilities especially with regard to marginalized peoples.”