Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Initiatives Student Librarian
Background
McKenzie Will (she/her) is an MAS/LIS student at the University of British Columbia. Summer 2025 is her sixth term of study. Before coming to UBC, she completed a BUF (Bachelor of Urban Forestry) while working in urban agriculture. When she’s not at the library, McKenzie enjoys working on her various craft projects, playing the harp, camping, and reading.
Current Role & Responsibilities
The EDI Student Librarian supports the development of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Scholars-in-Residence program, along with assisting in other community engagement programming at the IKBLC.
Q&A with McKenzie
Could you tell us more about yourself? Could you share with us some of your experiences working with community? What types of projects are you most proud of?
My name is McKenzie and I use she/her pronouns. I am currently a student in the dual MAS/LIS program at UBC. I am originally from a small beach town in Southern California and I have been living in Vancouver for the past 9 years. I have a number of hobbies, including reading, painting, making stained glass pieces, playing the harp, rock climbing, hiking, and backpacking. My background is quite different than the norm for people who go into library work as my undergraduate degree was in Urban Forestry at UBC and I spent many years working in urban agriculture after completing that program. I decided I wanted a career change after about five years in that field and felt called to the world of libraries and archives.
One aspect I really enjoyed from my farm work was the community and education side of things. Something that sparked my interest in archival work was the mass digitization project of Herbarium specimens through the Kew Botanic Gardens, making specimens freely accessible across the world to aid in climate change research. Through the MAS/LIS program at UBC, I was given the opportunity to work with the Beaty Biodiversity Museum to process and digitize the Huber Moore Collection, a special collection from a local collector, which has been a project I am quite proud to have been a part of.
I have worked with food sovereignty groups to bring low-cost meals to food insecure individuals and worked with community members and students to educate them about sustainable environmental practices. Working with diverse individuals from all walks of life has greatly expanded my outlook and has helped me recognize my privilege in ways I had not previously considered. It has inspired me to prioritize accessibility in my work moving forward, especially in library spaces. I have always seen libraries as safe spaces but have come to realize that they are not seen that way by all.
What is your definition of equity, diversity, and inclusion? How do you encourage people to honour the uniqueness of each individual? How do you challenge stereotypes and promote sensitivity and inclusion?
To reference my predecessor in this role, Celia Hagley, my introduction to the meaning of equity came from a similar image introduced to me in grade school.
(Elliott, 2023)
As the image shows, my idea of equity is that it equals fairness, rather than sameness. Equity means that everyone receives what they need to thrive in our society, and what they need to thrive may be quite different than what someone else needs. It’s important to accommodate these needs to give people the best possible chance of success and happiness.
Bringing EDI to the forefront of library and archival professions is key to upholding the core value of librarianship of equal access to information as well as honoring the uniqueness of the individual’s needs. Equity is deliberate and requires more thoughtful consideration to provide access that makes lives of community members easier. Libraries are sources of information for the public and it is the responsibility of the library to ensure no one gets left behind. Libraries can honor patron’s unique needs in a number of ways, including book delivery services for individuals whose ability to move or travel is restricted; braille, audiobook, and large print collections for visually impaired patrons; accessible website features like keyboard navigation and font choice/size; ramps, elevators, and automatic doors; free wifi, computer, and workspace access, and more.
The way that I can help honor individuals’ needs is by not assuming what is accessible to me is accessible to others. Inclusion is considering the needs of others in the same capacity that I consider my own needs. The way that I can challenge stereotypes lies in education. Educating myself about why I or others may have biases against certain individuals without even having spoken to them. Coming from a place of privilege as a white, able-bodied, cisgender woman, I have certainly had to unlearn a lot of my implicit biases and spent time recognizing and combating automatic thoughts I may have. Leading with kindness and an open mind and assuming good intentions from people has helped me try and challenge my own biases.
Fobazi Ettarh’s “vocational awe” has become a widely read piece of LIS literature and the term has entered the lexicon of the profession. She recently followed up with, ““The Future of Libraries:” Vocational Awe in a “Post-COVID” World” (co-authored with Chris Vidal). What does “vocational awe” mean for you as a graduate student entering a career in library and archives?
Vocational awe is something I have dealt with in other fields as well as librarianship. I come from a background of working in small-scale sustainable agriculture, where businesses often take advantage of the passion of the employee. Employees accept low pay, tough working conditions, job creep, and few benefits that quickly lead to burnout. Entering the field of librarianship, I have noticed similar issues. The people who are drawn to jobs where they want to do good and help people are often the ones that are taken advantage of and rely on their passion for their work and their commitment to helping people.
Librarianship as a profession that is inherently good, sacred, and beyond critique is a concept I strongly disagree with. Along with many other professions, libraries are rooted in racism, and oppression. While I believe that libraries have the ability to do tremendous amounts of good, it is certainly not inherent and takes a lot of work, education, flexibility, and adaptivity.
While I am passionate about the work, I also prioritize my own wellbeing. In the article, Ettarh discusses “awe” as a weapon used against employees, and that not being able to serve without complaint shows a lack of passion. Burnout is something I have struggled with a lot as a graduate student but is something I hope to avoid during my career. How can librarians be expected to help others thrive if they are not thriving themselves?
How has diversity played a role in shaping how you communicate and interact with others in the workplace and as a student?
I have had much to learn about equity and diversity and the role I play in the workplace and as a student. I am privileged in many ways. I am white and cis-gender, English is my first language, I am university-educated. Broadening my mindset and learning when to an offer an opinion or simply be there to observe and listen has been a learning experience.
I try to approach things with kindness and openness and an understanding that everyone has a unique background that differs from my own, and their different backgrounds shape the way they experience the world. Being mindful of the language I use, the tone I speak in, and reading body language and cues from people has helped me feel more confident communicating with others and hopefully identifying myself as a safe person to interact with. I think oftentimes differences in communication styles can result in unintentional harm and offense, and part of dealing with that is to generally assume positive intent from others and not taking things personally if there is no other evidence of harmful intent.
In your experience, what challenges are faced by members of historically underrepresented groups in the workplace? And in academia?
Historically underrepresented groups may face a wide variety of challenges due to implicit and explicit biases as well as oppression that has persisted through generations. Issues faced may be monetary, related to appearances or names, in workplaces as well as in academia. Many people I have met through my studies are the first in their families to receive higher education and don’t have the support and knowledge from family members of how to navigate the academic world. Financial support while receiving higher education is also a struggle. Though I have had the privilege of receiving financial support from my family throughout my degrees, many people do not have that same support and rely on working full time and taking loans for education. Burnout is already common among university students and balancing work and school will inevitably lead to reduced quality of work and well as mental and physical health issues.
People who come from different cultural backgrounds or countries also may have a harder time adapting to workplaces or academic spaces that have different values than they are used to. Throughout my education, the people who often struggle the most come from different countries where the format of school is incredibly different and therefore a further aspect to adapt to. Adapting to language, format, and social norm differences can make the transition challenging and may not give them the opportunity to do their best work. This is where equity comes into play, as schools and workplaces must provide resources to help their students and employees thrive when conditions are preventing them from doing so.
What does a campus environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and increasingly diverse look like for you?
A good sign that a campus has a real commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as opposed to a performative commitment is that it continuously grows, changes, and adapts to needs based on feedback and research. Seeing mindful and inclusive language on university signage and websites shows me that there is an effort being put into making the campus feel like a safe and inclusive space. Seeing that each faculty has a designated team for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion shows that there is actual work being done to make on the ground changes specific to the different needs of each faculty. When these teams utilise trauma-informed practices in their work in various setting this shows me they are up to date with inclusivity research and are making efforts to grow and adapt to the needs of many. To me, something that shows effort to be diverse and inclusive is bringing underrepresented people to the forefront and funding and showcasing their work and research. People who may not have the resources to thrive in academia need extra support, which a further example of equity over equality.
Another important feature is the visibility of accommodations and support. Making accommodations clearly and readily available for those seeking them is vital as much of the time students may be unaware of the resources they have access to. Advertising them and making them easy to navigate and utilize shows that universities actually want students to take advantage of and benefit from the opportunities they provide.
Are there any recommendations for books or articles that you recommend we learn more about? What are some titles that have shaped who you are?
- Silencing Stories: Challenges to Diverse Books by Emily J.M. Knox [Available at UBC Library]
- Libraries and Gardens: Growing Together by Carrie Scott Banks & Cindy Mediavilla
- Seeking Early Literacy for All: An Investigation of Children’s Librarians and Parents of Young Children with Disabilities’ Experiences at the Public Library by Tess Prendergast [Available at UBC Library]
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [Available at UBC Library]
- Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
- Phoebe Wahl’s Works
- Le Fabuleux Destin D’Amelie Poulain [Available at UBC Library]
References
Elliott, J. (2023, March 15). Equality vs. Equity: A Better Understanding. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/equality-vs-equity-better-understanding-jessie-elliott/