Integrating DEI in Public Library Book Clubs

Abstract

The killing of George Floyd in 2020 propelled the Black Lives Matter movement into the global spotlight, calling attention to the racial inequities still persisting in America. In response, public libraries have hosted anti-racist book clubs as a way to address and discuss pressing issues of social and systemic inequity. These book clubs are often explicitly marketed as “anti-racist” and have been beneficial to the promotion of DEI within their communities. However, regular book clubs hosted by public libraries can and should still integrate DEI within their processes and discussions, even if they do not have an overt anti-racist theme. In this column, I will share the DEI strategies I have successfully embedded in the monthly book club I host at the public library where I work, including how I make title selections and how I have navigated the subsequent discussions. I hope this column is useful for library staff members who are interested in proactively embedding DEI in their libraries’ book club programming.