Being Yourself When Others Want you to Be Someone Else: Responding to Identity Threats in the Library
Description
Library workers of color bring a sense of who they are to the work that they do—a collection of internal labels that describe what it means that they work in a library, that they are members of certain groups, and that they are unique individuals. When they get to work, though, they are confronted with other sets of labels for who they are or who they should be. These are the labels provided by patrons, management, colleagues, and even the technology they use and the spaces they occupy—labels that are informed by events and attitudes in broader society that are increasingly hostile to anyone who doesn’t fit the current version of “normal.” This means that, while workers of color source much of their self-esteem from who they are, they also face a barrage of suggestions that they aren’t as good, valuable, or successful as they think they are. Given the recent uptick in attacks against even the most basic equity, diversity, and inclusion support structures—as well as attacks on the profession itself—library workers are often left to face these recurring identity threats alone.
We propose a participatory workshop that addresses two “grand challenges” as it relates to the identity threats faced by workers of color. The design of the workshop represents the importance of centering and empowering the workers most impacted by these threats in the design of solutions to those threats. We do not offer solutions, but rather a framework for participants to create solutions. First, participants will craft responses to identity threats, considering the burdens and outcomes associated with a variety of potential responses. This is informed by identity theories and research. Second, participants will identify concrete actions that the profession can take to fulfill its responsibility to workers.
Outcomes
- Explain the different elements of workplace identity, including how it’s constructed and how it’s threatened.
- Construct a series of responses that library workers of color can use when confronted with identity threats.
- Develop a concrete and long-term plan for the profession’s increased support for workers of color who face identity threats.
Being Yourself When Others Want you to Be Someone Else: Responding to Identity Threats in the Library
Library workers of color bring a sense of who they are to the work that they do—a collection of internal labels that describe what it means that they work in a library, that they are members of certain groups, and that they are unique individuals. When they get to work, though, they are confronted with other sets of labels for who they are or who they should be. These are the labels provided by patrons, management, colleagues, and even the technology they use and the spaces they occupy—labels that are informed by events and attitudes in broader society that are increasingly hostile to anyone who doesn’t fit the current version of “normal.” This means that, while workers of color source much of their self-esteem from who they are, they also face a barrage of suggestions that they aren’t as good, valuable, or successful as they think they are. Given the recent uptick in attacks against even the most basic equity, diversity, and inclusion support structures—as well as attacks on the profession itself—library workers are often left to face these recurring identity threats alone.
We propose a participatory workshop that addresses two “grand challenges” as it relates to the identity threats faced by workers of color. The design of the workshop represents the importance of centering and empowering the workers most impacted by these threats in the design of solutions to those threats. We do not offer solutions, but rather a framework for participants to create solutions. First, participants will craft responses to identity threats, considering the burdens and outcomes associated with a variety of potential responses. This is informed by identity theories and research. Second, participants will identify concrete actions that the profession can take to fulfill its responsibility to workers.
Outcomes
- Explain the different elements of workplace identity, including how it’s constructed and how it’s threatened.
- Construct a series of responses that library workers of color can use when confronted with identity threats.
- Develop a concrete and long-term plan for the profession’s increased support for workers of color who face identity threats.
