From talk to action: Truly moving EDIA and Indigenous Initiatives forward
Wednesday May 14, 2025
From 12:15pm to 12:30pm
This presentation will describe the first year of the McGill University Libraries' renewed focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility (EDIA), and reconciliation signaled by the creation of a full-time position to lead these efforts with an explicit mandate to move the organization forward with wide collaboration. One key aspect of the success of this first year is a recognition that even now there is a regrettable lack of knowledge among Canadians about the principles behind EDIA initiatives and the history and sociological factors that drive efforts to address them. As one staff member told our planning team: "There is no reconciliation without truth." The presentation will address how the McGill Libraries in this one year wrote action plans for EDIA and Indigenous Initiatives and launched 24 short term projects designed to simultaneously advance the knowledge base of our move the organization forward in both symbolic and real-world ways. The presentation will end with a report of the current status of the McGill Libraries' equity initiatives and consideration of next steps.
