Library services for economic justice
Alison Macrina and Myrna Morales submitted the following text to the ALA Committee on Diversity during their request for feedback on a revised policy about library services for people experiencing poverty. We’re publishing it here to share our ideas with the rest of the library community. For the sake of clarity, the original policy is in regular text, the bolded text is the Committee on Diversity’s revisions, and the italicized text is Myrna and Alison’s feedback.
A note on this feedback:
In an age of ever increasing economic injustice and the continued degradation of public services and the social safety net, library services focused on the needs of the poor are among the most important parts of our work. We are encouraged to see that the ALA Council Committee on Diversity is prioritizing these services beginning with revision to the document “Library Services to the Poor”, adopted by ALA Council in 1990. However, we feel that the new draft policy would be improved by addressing the systemic injustices that create class inequality and identifying specific and actionable ways that libraries can work to abolish poverty. Below, we have proposed revisions to the draft that we hope the committee will adopt into their final policy.
Myrna Morales
Alison Macrina
B.8.10 Library Services to the Poor Policy was adopted by ALA Council in June, 1990. The Committee on Diversity is proposing that the language from the original proposal be updated and would like to see the inclusion of 5 new points indicated below as numbers 16–20.
Title Change:
- Original Title: Library Services to the Poor
- Proposed Title: Addressing Poverty, Economic Inequality, and the Responsibilities of Libraries
- Our Proposed Title: Library Services for Economic Justice
Original policy text:
The American Library Association promotes equal access to information for all persons, and recognizes the urgent need to respond to the increasing number of poor children, adults, and families in America. These people are affected by a combination of limitations, including illiteracy, illness, social isolation, homelessness, hunger, and discrimination, which hamper the effectiveness of traditional library services. Therefore it is crucial that libraries recognize their role in enabling poor people to participate fully in a democratic society, by utilizing a wide variety of available resources and strategies. Concrete programs of training and development are needed to sensitize and prepare library staff to identify poor people’s needs and deliver relevant services. And within the American Library Association the coordinating mechanisms of programs and activities dealing with poor people in various divisions, offices, and units should be strengthened, and support for low income liaison activities should be enhanced.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
The American Library Association promotes equal access to information for all persons, and recognizes the urgent need to address barriers to access that stem from economic inequalities and the widening economic gap. Libraries provide free public access to resources that facilitate education and participation in a democratic society. Libraries should maintain adequate training programs to assist staff in delivering relevant and accessible library services across socioeconomic status. Libraries should recognize that poverty and economic inequality is a cause, but may manifest in many symptoms such as homelessness, inadequate access to healthcare, inadequate access to education, and the inability for economic mobility to name a few. All divisions, offices and units within the American Library Association should work together to ensure all are addressing these barriers.
Proposed change from LFP:
The American Library Association recognizes that poverty and increasing income inequality are urgent threats to our communities. Poverty impedes one’s ability to participate in democracy, and this should be of utmost concern to libraries since democracy is one of ALA’s Core Values of Librarianship, named alongside democratic principles like intellectual freedom and social responsibility.
Librarians must recognize that the urgency of understanding and addressing poverty is but one component of facing the reality of the world around us. It is an understatement to say that democracy is in jeopardy. We live in a society built on the enslavement of Africans and the genocide of Native Americans, which is governed today by some of the wealthiest people on the planet. Those people are consolidating their power, tearing away the last shreds of social welfare while hurtling us toward climate collapse. In such cataclysmic times, it is imperative that libraries stand up for democracy and in particular defend the rights of the most marginalized people.
We can begin to do this by affirming the humanity of all people and their right to participate in democracy. We must then prioritize the needs of the people most marginalized by economic injustice and address the unique barriers to access faced by those people. We must continue to provide free public space and access to resources that are most needed by people experiencing poverty. We must involve people experiencing poverty in the operation of libraries, recognizing that in order for these people to meaningfully participate in library governance, they need to be paid. We must also be aware of the myriad and far-reaching ways that poverty impacts a person, from housing insecurity, to hunger, to inadequate access to healthcare, education, and work.
All divisions, offices and units within the American Library Association should work together to help eradicate economic injustice in our communities.
B.8.10.1 Policy Objectives (Old Number 61.1)
The American Library Association shall implement these objectives by:
Original policy text:
- Promoting related efforts concerning minorities and women, since these groups are disproportionately represented among poor people.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
- Acknowledging the disproportionate rate at which poverty affects underserved populations, including but not limited to people of color, LGBTQ+ people, non-Native English speakers, and people with disabilities.
Proposed change from LFP:
- Acknowledging the disproportionate rate at which poverty affects underserved populations, including but not limited to people of color, LGBTQ+ people, non-Native English speakers, and people with disabilities. Provide education and training around how all areas of systemic oppression create, facilitate and compounds economic injustices.
Original policy text:
2. Promoting the removal of barriers to library and information services, particularly fees and overdue charges.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
2. No Change
Proposed change from LFP:
2. Promoting the removal of barriers to library and information services, particularly fees and overdue charges, inaccessible spaces, address requirements, and the presence of law enforcement, and promoting outreach programs to areas where communities are experiencing intense poverty.
Original policy text:
3. Promoting the publication, production, purchase, and ready accessibility of print and non-print materials that honestly address the issues of poverty and homelessness, that deal with poor people in a respectful way, and that are of practical use to low income patrons
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
3. Promoting the publication, production, purchase, and ready accessibility of print and non-print materials that honestly focus on the issues of poverty, that engage people in a respectful way, and practical to low income patrons.
Proposed change from LFP:
3. Promoting the publication, production, purchase, and ready accessibility of print and non-print materials that address the root causes of poverty, homelessness, and displacement, as well as the ways in which poverty inhibits participation in the democratic process. These materials must engage people living in poverty in a respectful way and be of practical use to them.
Original policy text:
4. Promoting full, stable, and ongoing funding for existing legislative programs in support to flow income services and for pro-active library programs that reach beyond traditional service-sites to poor children, adults, and families.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
4. Promoting full, stable, and ongoing funding for existing legislative programs in support to low income services and for pro-active library programs that reach beyond traditional service-sites.
Proposed change from LFP:
4. Promoting full, stable, and ongoing funding for existing legislative programs in support of low income services that seek to eradicate or at least mitigate poverty, and advocating for new legislative efforts to this end.
Original policy text:
5. Promoting training opportunities for librarians, in order to teach effective techniques for generating public funding to upgrade library services to poor people.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
5. Promoting training opportunities for librarians to learn effective techniques in generating public funding to upgrade accessible library services.
Proposed change from LFP:
5. Promoting training opportunities for librarians focused on understanding the root causes of poverty, homelessness, and displacement in order to eradicate these conditions.
Original policy text:
6. Promoting the incorporation of low income programs and services into regular library budgets in all types of libraries, rather than the tendency to support these projects solely with “soft money” like private or federal grants.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
6. No Change
Proposed change from LFP:
6. No Change
Original policy text:
7. Promoting equity in funding adequate library services for poor people in terms of materials, facilities, and equipment.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
7. Promoting economic equity in funding library services including materials, facilities, and equipment.
Proposed change from LFP:
7. Ensure economic justice in funding library services including materials, facilities, equipment, and staff wages.
Original policy text:
8. Promoting supplemental support for library resources for and about low-income populations by urging local, state, and federal governments, and the private sector, to provide adequate funding.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
8. No Change
Proposed change from LFP
8. No Change
Original policy text:
9. Promoting increased public awareness through programs, displays, bibliographies, and publicity of the importance of poverty related library resources and services in all segments of society
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
9. Promoting increased public awareness through programs, displays, bibliographies, and publicity related to libraries’ responsibilities in addressing economic barriers to service.
Proposed change from LFP:
9. Promoting increased public awareness of economic justice through programs, displays, bibliographies, and publicity, and highlight libraries’ responsibilities in eradicating economic injustice as well as libraries’ role in a healthy democracy.
Original policy text:
10. Promoting the determination of output measures through the encouragement of community needs assessments, giving special emphasis to assessing the need so low-income people and involving both anti-poverty advocates and poor people themselves in such assessments.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
10. Promoting the determination of output measures through the active support of community needs assessments, that directly involve community members who are experiencing poverty.
Proposed change from LFP:
10. Recruit and employ people living in poverty, in particular those people working to eradicate poverty in their communities, in library governance, decision-making, and needs assessments. This could include hiring people from communities in poverty, appointing community organizers to library boards of directors, and conducting paid needs assessments with community members in poverty.
Original policy text:
11. Promoting direct representation of poor people and anti-poverty advocates through appointment to local boards and creation of local advisory committees on service to low-income people, such appointments to include library paid transportation and stipends.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
11. Promoting direct representation of community members who are experiencing poverty on local boards and advisory committees, such appointments to include library-paid transportation and stipends.
Proposed change from LFP:
11. Promoting direct representation of community members who are experiencing poverty, as well as community organizers working to eradicate poverty, on local boards and advisory committees, such appointments to include library-paid transportation and stipends.
Original policy text:
12. Promoting training to sensitize library staff to issues affecting poor people and to attitudinal and other barriers that hinder poor people’s use of libraries.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
12. Promoting training to sensitize library staff affecting those experiencing poverty and to attitudinal and other barriers that hinder equal access to library services.
Proposed changed from LFP:
12. Promoting training to library staff about the root causes of poverty, the ways that poverty hinders participation in democracy, and how race, gender, ability, citizenship, sexual orientation and other marginalized identities contribute to poverty. Also promoting training about the practical ways that libraries can play a role in the eradication of poverty, as well as sensitivity training to address implicit bias and other barriers to equal access.
Original policy text:
13. Promoting networking and cooperation between libraries and other agencies, organizations, and advocacy groups in order to develop programs and services that effectively reach poor people.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
13. Promoting networking and cooperation between libraries and other agencies, organizations, and advocacy groups to develop programs and services that are useful and relevant for people experiencing poverty.
Proposed change from LFP:
13. Promoting networking and cooperation between libraries at a global scale, paying attention to and supporting libraries where poverty and political instability is highest. Conducting direct outreach and relationship-building with community organizations devoted to the eradication of poverty, and cooperating with them to develop programs and services that meet the needs of people living in poverty.
Original policy text:
14. Promoting the implementation of an expanded federal low-income housing program, national health insurance, full-employment policy, living minimum wage and welfare payments, affordable daycare, and programs likely to reduce, if not eliminate, poverty itself.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
14. Promoting the implementation of an expanded federal programs that address poverty or those living in poverty.
Proposed change from LFP:
14. Promoting the implementation of federal programs aimed at eradicating or at least alleviating poverty, and working with advocates engaged in making these policies real. Such policies could include an expanded federal low-income housing program, comprehensive and free health care for all, a jobs guarantee, living minimum wage, expansion of the social safety net and welfare programs, and free childcare.
Original policy text:
15. Promoting among library staff the collection of food and clothing donations, volunteering personal time to antipoverty activities and contributing money to direct-aid organizations.
Proposed change from the Committee on Diversity:
15. Promoting, supporting and facilitating local community efforts to meet the basic needs of all community members, especially those experiencing poverty.
Proposed change from LFP:
15. Promoting, supporting, facilitating, and institutionalizing local community efforts to meet the basic needs of all community members, especially those experiencing poverty.
The following are additions to the policy [originally proposed by the Committee on Diversity]; not changes:
16. Encouraging the use of respectful, inclusive and person-first language, such as “community members experiencing poverty.”
Proposed change from LFP:
16. Taking the lead from community members experiencing poverty and using the language they use to refer to themselves and their economic conditions, and when in doubt, using respectful, inclusive and person-first language, such as “community members experiencing poverty.”
17. Ensuring a parity of library services, hours and facilities between affluent and low income library neighborhoods.
Proposed change from LFP:
17. Ensuring that libraries use a greater portion of their resources in offering services more frequently utilized by people experiencing poverty.
18. Promoting an attractive and inviting environment in all libraries, especially in low income neighborhoods.
No change from LFP.
19. Acknowledging and address the need to develop collections, programs and services to help bridge the literacy gap for non-English speakers in all libraries, especially in low income neighborhoods.
Proposed change from LFP:
19. Acknowledging and addressing the need to develop collections, programs and services to help bridge the literacy gap for non-English speakers in all libraries, especially in low income neighborhoods.
20. Promoting publications in the native language for Speakers of Other Languages in all libraries, especially in low income neighborhoods.
No change from LFP.
