Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

June 5, 2026

Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice – January–June 2026 Report

The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

After reviewing the current PLA Strategic Plan, please tell us:

Describe the current work of this committee and how it supports our strategic goals. Include work accomplished, decisions made, and any recommended follow-up actions.
The EDISJ Committee met monthly from January through June. We took a multi-pronged approach to our work, creating a mix of professional development (conference presentations and webinars), EDISJ resources, listening sessions, and contributed columns to Public Libraries Magazine.

In the past six months, to support PLA’s strategic goals of EDISJ, Transformation, Organizational Excellence, and Professional Growth, we completed:

* Three contributions to Public Libraries Magazine
* Two PLA Conference Presentations:
* Outcomes and Benchmarks for the Rest of Us (w MEAGG): 75 attendees
* Responding to Ice at the Library: Real World Approaches: 600- 700attendees
* Training for library workers: Responding to Ice in the Library – Real World Approaches webinar. Angela Maycock provided the following stats (and was her usual amazing self):
* 2,775 people registered and 1,653 people attended the live webinar, which was available exclusively and at no cost to ALA members.
* An additional 138 people have registered for the free on-demand recording for ALA members (for a total of 2,913 registrants),, and 11 people have registered for paid access to the on-demand recording for non-members. In addition, ALA worked with Massachusetts, California, and Oregon to facilitate state-level bulk purchases of a one-year license, making the on-demand webinar recording available to all librarians in those states.
* Shoutout to Scott Duimstra, Kimberly Knight, and Jocelyne Sansing for presenting, and Angela Maycock and Kathleen Hughes for ensuring everything ran smoothly.
* Two listening sessions at the 2026 PLA Conference (thanks, Oscar Gittemeier, Keturah Cappedonia, and Jaena Rae Cabrera)
* Invited Kevin Strowder to participate/facilitate
* Two listening sessions are scheduled at the 2026 ALA Conference (Thanks, Tanya Finney Estrada, and Nikki Shaw)
* Continued to work on the living document of EDISJ Library Resources by State
* Submitted columns for each issue of Public Libraries Magazine
* Planning a Virtual Listening Session for Fall 2026 (in the works)

As we look ahead to the next year, we would like to:

* Collaborate with others on conference presentations. Topics are TBD, but some ideas include:
* Showcase of EDISJ resources developed by various roundtables (e.g., ALA Rainbow Round Table, ULC EDI Committee, ALA Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table, REFORMA, BCALA, APALA, AILA, and others)
* Internal EDISJ issues, having difficult conversations & conflict resolution
* Plan two webinars (one in the fall, one in the spring)
* Neurodiversity in the Workplace
* TBD
* Continue listening sessions (including virtual)
* Share, maintain, and grow EDISJ resources by state.
* Continue contributions to Public Libraries Magazine.
* Identify existing and create EDISJ training resources for public libraries.
* Host one listening session at the 2026 ARSL Conference (Thanks, Aimee Adams!)
* At least one virtual listening session

Do you see opportunities to better align committee work with those goals?
I think we’ve done a fairly good job aligning our work with strategic goals, but I would love to know if there are places we could collaborate, support, or provide resources to other PLA Committees. It would be great if there were quarterly or twice-a-year meetings of PLA Committee chairs to discuss what we’re doing, ensure that we’re not duplicating work, and see where our work dovetails.

We would also appreciate any feedback from the PLA Executive Board or leadership on whether they would like us to focus on a larger initiative or move in a different direction.

What recommendations do you have for in-coming committee members? Are there particular streams of
work in progress to be carried over into the new committee year? (January–June reporting period only)
This is an active committee with ambitious plans. We’re looking for committee members who are committed to EDISJ and have enough bandwidth to contribute meaningfully to the committee and the profession. We expect new committee members to show up enthusiastically and authentically, ready to pitch in and move this work forward.

Some of next year’s work is maintenance, with (hopefully) minimal additional effort, such as keeping the EDISJ resources up to date by state. We will continue to contribute columns to each issue of Public Libraries Magazine and get feedback from our peers and colleagues through listening sessions. After we pilot the first virtual session, we can decide if it's an effective way to continue the conversation.

Given the response to the Responding to ICE at the Library webinar, there is a clear demand for ongoing EDISJ training. There’s an opportunity to address current topics through webinars and conference presentations. One goal for the coming year is to collaborate with other roundtables and affiliates doing EDISJ work.

The other is to align our work with PLA's broader vision and the work of its other committees.

What specific activities will this committee undertake over the next six months to support that alignment? (July–December reporting period only)

Are there other PLA or ALA committees whose partnership and collaboration would accelerate meeting PLA strategic goals?
There are potential opportunities to partner with REFORMA, BCALA, APALA, AILA, ODLOS, ARSL, the Rainbow Round Table, and others. I’d love to see wider collaboration and improved communication between the different groups focusing on EDISJ.

Is there anything else about your committee experience you’d like to share?
* My experience serving on this committee has been wonderful. We have a core group of committed colleagues who are passionate about this work, great collaborators, and creative thinkers.
* We would love to find a way to strengthen our committee. Several appointees never attended meetings, and a couple had to resign. We know there’s a lot of demand to serve on committees, and if there were a way to remove folks who can’t participate and replace them with those who can, that would be great.
* We have tremendous support from our Padma Polepeddi, Kathleen Hughes, and Angela Maycock. The PLA team has consistently gone above and beyond to support our work, despite already having lots on their plates!

Submitted by Erica Freudenberger & Oscar Gittemeier on 06/05/2026

February 3, 2026

Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice – July–December 2026 Report

The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

After reviewing the current PLA Strategic Plan, please tell us:

Describe the current work of this committee and how it supports our strategic goals. Include work accomplished, decisions made, and any recommended follow-up actions.
The EDISJ Committee continues to advance PLA’s strategic goals by supporting equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice across public library practice, programming, and professional development. During this reporting period, the committee focused on conference programming, listening and engagement opportunities, and resource development. Key efforts include accepted EDISJ-related PLA Conference sessions; planning and facilitation of in-person and virtual EDISJ Listening Sessions at PLA and ALA conferences; development of a living, publicly available EDISJ resource list by state; and ongoing work to curate training resources for library workers. The committee also contributed to PLA programming, including planning the “Managing ICE at Your Library” webinar, which responds directly to current needs in the field.

Do you see opportunities to better align committee work with those goals?
Yes. The committee sees continued opportunity to align its work with PLA’s strategic goals by strengthening feedback loops between member listening sessions and tangible resources, webinars, and guidance for libraries. The Listening Sessions in particular offer a valuable mechanism for grounding future EDISJ initiatives in lived experiences shared by library workers.

What recommendations do you have for in-coming committee members? Are there particular streams of
work in progress to be carried over into the new committee year? (January–June reporting period only)
Incoming committee members are encouraged to build on existing project work, including maintaining and expanding the EDISJ resources-by-state document, supporting ongoing training and professional learning efforts, and continuing to host Listening Sessions at PLA and ALA events. There is also momentum around EDISJ-focused programming and webinars, including follow-up learning opportunities connected to the ICE-related work.

What specific activities will this committee undertake over the next six months to support that alignment? (July–December reporting period only)

Are there other PLA or ALA committees whose partnership and collaboration would accelerate meeting PLA strategic goals?
The committee has benefited from collaboration with other PLA and ALA groups, including MEAAG and other EDI-focused committees and round tables. Continued cross-committee collaboration would strengthen alignment and reduce duplication of effort across the association.

Is there anything else about your committee experience you’d like to share?
The committee remains highly engaged and responsive to emerging issues facing public libraries, particularly those related to equity, safety, and access. Members value the opportunity to connect listening, learning, and action in ways that are practical and supportive of library workers nationwide.

Submitted by Oscar Gittemeier and Erica Freudenberger on 02/03/2026

June 6, 2025

Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice – January–June 2025 Report

The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

After reviewing the current PLA Strategic Plan, please tell us:

Describe the current work of this committee and how it supports our strategic goals. Include work accomplished, decisions made, and any recommended follow-up actions.
The EDISJ Committee has supported PLA’s strategic goals by using consensus based decision making to identify 5 committee projects that support EDISJ work in libraries, including:

Project 1: EDISJ & MEAC conference proposal on PLA Project Outcome & Benchmark
-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ, Professional Growth, Advocacy & Awareness, and Organizational Excellence.

Project 2: Host EDISJ Conference Listening Sessions at ALA & PLA
-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ, Transformation, Professional Growth, Advocacy & Awareness, and Organizational Excellence

Project 3: Create a living document of EDISJ library resources by state, including training resources.
-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ, Transformation, Professional Growth, and Organizational Excellence.

Project 4: Create a document with base level accommodation language that does not require HR/official paperwork, including developing talking points for staff in libraries that celebrate religious observances and how to communicate with supervisors about time off.
-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ and Organizational Excellence.

Project 5: Write regular EDISJ articles for Public Libraries Magazine.
-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ, Transformation, Professional Growth, and Organizational Excellence.

Do you see opportunities to better align committee work with those goals?
The EDISJ Committee could follow the work of other committees more closely to see if there are additional opportunities for collaboration.

What recommendations do you have for in-coming committee members? Are there particular streams of
work in progress to be carried over into the new committee year? (January–June reporting period only)
I recommend new committee members attend the first meeting in July so they can meet the committee members that are offboarding, learn about the succession plans for each project, and if they are unable to attend monthly committee meetings I recommend that they participate by being active on our ALA Connect page. For those attending ALA and PLA I recommend that they attend the EDISJ listening sessions so that they know what PLA members want to see from the EDISJ committee. Lastly, this can be emotionally demanding work, so I recommend that members practice not just self care, but community care within the committee.

What specific activities will this committee undertake over the next six months to support that alignment? (July–December reporting period only)

Are there other PLA or ALA committees whose partnership and collaboration would accelerate meeting PLA strategic goals?
EDISJ is currently collaborating with MEAC, but we could also partner with the Leadership Development Committee to help funnel emerging minority leaders into the EDISJ committee, so that they have an opportunity to build a portfolio that reflects national / association wide projects.

Is there anything else about your committee experience you’d like to share?
The PLA EDISJ committee has provided a space for members to connect and be in community during a very challenging time for library workers. At times like these I am thankful we have organizations like PLA to bring us together. National committee work provides a reminder that even though we come from very different libraries, in various states, we often face similar challenges.

Submitted by Oscar Gittemeier & Lewonda Gipson on 06/06/2025

December 10, 2024

Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice – January–June 2024 Report

The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

After reviewing the current PLA Strategic Plan, please tell us:

Describe the current work of this committee and how it supports our strategic goals. Include work accomplished, decisions made, and any recommended follow-up actions.
The EDISJ Committee has supported PLA’s strategic goals by using consensus-based decision-making to identify 5 committee projects that support EDISJ work in libraries, including:

Project 1: EDISJ & MEAC conference proposal on PLA Project Outcome & Benchmark

-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ, Professional Growth, Advocacy & Awareness, and Organizational Excellence.

Project 2: Host EDISJ Conference Listening Sessions at ALA & PLA

-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ, Transformation, Professional Growth, Advocacy & Awareness, and Organizational Excellence

Project 3: Create a living document of EDISJ library resources by state.

-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ, Transformation, Professional Growth, and Organizational Excellence.

Project 4: Create a document with base-level accommodation language that does not require HR/official paperwork, including developing talking points for staff in libraries that celebrate religious observances and how to communicate with supervisors about time off.

-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ and Organizational Excellence.

Project 5: Basic training series for library workers on EDISJ

-Addresses PLA goals related to EDISJ, Professional Growth, Advocacy & Awareness, and Organizational Excellence.

What specific activities will this committee undertake over the next six months to support that alignment? (July–December reporting period only)

Are there other PLA or ALA committees whose partnership and collaboration would accelerate meeting PLA strategic goals?
EDISJ is already collaborating with MEAC, but we could also partner with the Leadership Development Committee to help funnel emerging minority leaders into the EDISJ committee so that they have an opportunity to build a portfolio that reflects national / association-wide projects.

Is there anything else about your committee experience you’d like to share?
The PLA EDISJ committee has provided a space for members to connect and be in the community during a very challenging political climate.

Submitted by Gittemeier, Oscar, Hutson, Amiya on 12/10/2024

May 29, 2024

Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice – January–June 2024 Report

The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

After reviewing the current PLA Strategic Plan, please tell us:

Describe the current work of this committee and how it supports our strategic goals. Include work accomplished, decisions made, and any recommended follow-up actions.
Between January 2024 and June 2024 the EDISJ committee worked on fulfilling the advocacy and awareness goal of PLA. We did this by regularly meeting to coordinate a PLA Annual 2024 EDISJ program. At PLA 2024 we convened in the member's lounge and spoke to PLA attendees about Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice programming that is offered by PLA. We gave participating members flyers promoting our events. We made a survey asking what they would like to see from EDISJ. We also held four hours of roundtables to discuss members experiences with EDISJ in their city and work place. We will be reviewing the survey results during our June 2024 meeting.

Do you see opportunities to better align committee work with those goals?
Feedback from other ALA participants who were members of similar groups, such as ALA's Committee on Diversity, suggests a duplication of work and efforts. We should think of ways to align.

What specific activities will this committee undertake over the next six months to support that alignment? (July–December reporting period only)

Are there other PLA or ALA committees whose partnership and collaboration would accelerate meeting PLA strategic goals?
All ALA and umbrella committees that work in the diversity sector.

Is there anything else about your committee experience you’d like to share?
We appreciate the support of our staff liaisons Mary Hirsch and Eliana Kleinman.

Submitted by Amiya Hutson, Peggy Tseng (outgoing) on 05/29/2024

January 4, 2024

Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice – July–December 2024 Report

The group met 2-3 times this reporting period.

After reviewing the current PLA Strategic Plan, please tell us:

Describe the current work of this committee and how it supports our strategic goals. Include work accomplished, decisions made, and any recommended follow-up actions.
The current work of the EDISJ committee is as follows:
1. Subcommittee to design website to promote EDISJ activities that are adaptable to all library settings. The next steps are to promote via the PLA website and at the April 2024 conference.
2. Subcommittee for EDISJ policy questions. That subcommittee has stalled.
3. New to the committee is a EDISJ table in the vendor at PLA 2024. The table will be staffed by attending committee members and ALA COD committee members will be invited to participate. Some examples of EDIJS activities – scan QRCode which allows access to the new website, handouts about different diversity issues and sessions, survey attendees on what they would like to see EDISJ accomplish, etc.

Do you see opportunities to better align committee work with those goals?
Yes, partner with other diversity committees in order to share resources and not duplicate efforts.

What recommendations do you have for in-coming committee members? Are there particular streams of
work in progress to be carried over into the new committee year? (January–June reporting period only)
New to the committee is the idea of a EDISJ table in the vendor at PLA 2024. The table will be staffed by attending committee members and ALA COD committee members will be invited to participate.

What specific activities will this committee undertake over the next six months to support that alignment? (July–December reporting period only)

Are there other PLA or ALA committees whose partnership and collaboration would accelerate meeting PLA strategic goals?
Yes, ALA ODLOS.

Is there anything else about your committee experience you’d like to share?
Nothing at this time.

Submitted by Peggy Tseng and Amiya Hutson on 01/04/2024

June 7, 2023

Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice – January–June 2023 Report

The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

After reviewing the current PLA Strategic Plan, please tell us:

Describe the current work of this committee and how it supports our strategic goals. Include work accomplished, decisions made, and any recommended follow-up actions.
The current PLA Strategic Plan includes five goals- 1. Transformation; 2. Leadership; 3. Advocacy and Awareness; 4. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice (EDISJ); and 5. Organizational Excellence. As it has stated in the plan, these strategic goals are neither discrete nor linear. They are interconnected and support one another. The concepts of EDISJ are embedded in the other four goals to ensure public libraries receive adequate supports to bring structural changes. This year, the EDISJ committee are divided into two subcommittees to take on different projects to support PLA to advance its strategic plan.

Subcommittee 1 has been working on a EDISJ policy so that it provides a framework for other libraries to adapt to their own needs. Subcommittee 2 creates a website of EDISJ challenge activities that libraries can be easily utilize for their own public program and advocacy.

At this point, both subcommittees have completed the bulk part of these two projects. After some considerations, both current co-chairs recognize the benefits of having the new committee members come on board in July to provide a fresh perspective on these two projects. Both projects will be wrapped up by the end of 2023.

Do you see opportunities to better align committee work with those goals?
When new committee members come on board in July 2023, co-chairs will conduct one-on-one meeting with newcomers. With both subcommittee projects in mind, co-chairs will review PLA strategic plan with each new members to ensure EDISJ policy and challenge are aligned and will advance PLA strategic goals.

What recommendations do you have for in-coming committee members? Are there particular streams of
work in progress to be carried over into the new committee year? (January–June reporting period only)
It will be very helpful if in-coming committee members review PLA strategic plan and the on-going work of both subcommittees.

Once we welcome in-coming members through the one-on-one meeting, hopefully everyone will hit the ground and finish both projects by the end of 2023.

What specific activities will this committee undertake over the next six months to support that alignment? (July–December reporting period only)

Are there other PLA or ALA committees whose partnership and collaboration would accelerate meeting PLA strategic goals?
Not at this time.

Is there anything else about your committee experience you’d like to share?
I understand EDISJ is a current hot topic and many librarians are very passionate about it. We have a big roster of talented library staff across the country. As we live and work in different time zones, it is difficult to communicate and schedule meetings that suit everyone. We do the best we can. I have to say, I truly enjoy the diversity and the experience that everyone brings to the table. I look forward to working with everyone in the coming year.

Submitted by Tamara King and Peggy Tseng on 06/07/2023

August 24, 2021

Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice – April–August 2021 Report

The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
EDISJ Matters Column for PLA Magazine: We continued to write our EDISJ Matters column. This platform has enabled us to broaden our reach and more collectively engage PLA members. We've used the column to introduce people, concepts, ideas, and information with an EDISJ focus. Having the standing 'real estate' in the magazine has allowed us and this important work to remain front of mind for PLA members.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

Second Activity
PLA Leadership Lab: Embedding EDI in Library Leaders: This workshop—consisting of six live virtual classroom sessions—explored transformational leadership through the lens of the current social crises, emphasizing equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice (EDISJ) principles and approaches, supplemented by leadership development and asset-based community development tools. Members of the EDISJ Committee acted as both small group moderators, and large group facilitators.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
In the coming months the EDISJ Committee will continue to meet regularly, continue the EDISJ Matters column, develop and present EDISJ-centered trainings and work together to ensure that they continue to address and amplify the need for having difficult, but meaningful conversations around race, racial equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice.

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
We would very much like to find a way to begin our Equity starts with us trainings. While we understand that this may look different than the in-person trainings that we've offered in the past, we know that we have the audience and interest for these training opportunities.

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
N/A

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
As the PLA/ARL/ALA-led Building Competencies for Racial Equity Task Force wraps the development of its Framework for libraries, it would be wonderful if the EDISJ Committee could in some way work collaboratively with them in sharing out this work, perhaps developing a community conversations model that can include public, academic, special, and school libraries.

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
No

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
As always, it was a pleasure working with Scott and Leighann! They were supportive, helpful, and were dynamic allies in our work.

Submitted by Christina Fuller-Gregory on 08/24/2021

August 24, 2020

Task Force on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice – April–August 2020 Report

The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
Twitter Chat Series:
To date, our Task Force has hosted a Twitter Chat series focused on health inequity, diversity in library staffing, and community engagement. We continue to work on additional issue-based chats to present to library workers. The purpose of these chats is to encourage librarians and library staff to begin to consider the significance and importance of these topics through a Post-Covid lens. As each of us begins thinking of how to safely and fully reopen our libraries, we want issues of EDISJ to be a focal point for these upcoming and ongoing conversations.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

Second Activity
PLA Magazine Articles:
The task force has been given the opportunity to contribute a monthly column to the Public Libraries magazine. This column enables us to highlight issues and concerns as they relate to EDISJ.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

Third Activity
PLA Statement and Call to Action for Public Library Workers to Address Racism:
While this may not be considered an activity… our collective work on this statement reflects our commitment to supporting all public library workers in addressing systemic racism. This statement acts as a compass for how we will develop new opportunities to serve the profession.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
We will continue to host our Twitter Chats. This platform has enabled us to build an information sharing network as it relates to EDISJ. Weâve also been able to act as a connector- introducing library workers to others who have shared interests, shared work, and shared ideas.

We look forward to working with and supporting PLA Leadership Academy on a training that centers EDISJ work. The committee will also continue to contribute our monthly column to Public Libraries magazine.

While weâve had to shelve our highly successful, in-person training, with Mia Henry – Social Justice and Public Libraries: Equity Starts with Us, our goal is to identify ways in which we can implement a successful virtual training.

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
As a Task Force we have two concerns:

1) We believe that we have moved beyond the Task Force designation and should become a committee. Task Force work is often targeted, short term and focused on one specific issue. We recognize that our work is long-term, frequently evolving, and requires consistent, on-going effort and attention. To that end, we are asking to become the PLA EDISJ Committee.

2) This work is too big, too important to move forward strictly by committee members who meet once-monthly. Social Justice and equity, diversity, and inclusion are more important than ever before. As hard as we are working on fostering conversations, providing information, and building a network of supportive, engaged, and fully invested librarians and library professionals, we need greater support. We believe that this work could be furthered by a full-time staff member who is dedicated solely to this work.

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
PLA EDISJ Task Force Equity Toolkit. This kit should feature a lexicon, conversation starters, activities, and more.

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
Weâd love to collaborate with BCALA, APALA, AILA, REFORMA, JCLC, CALA, and any other library organizations that amplify the voices of communities of color.

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
No

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
I think it should be said that the EDISJ Task Force wouldnât be able to contribute to the level that we do without PLA staff Leighann Wood and Scott Allen. They absolutely provide tremendous and highly appreciated support to our Task Force. With their continued support and the addition of a staff member who is solely dedicated to moving this important work forward, the PLA EDISJ TF could better meet our desired goals.

Submitted by Christina Fuller-Gregory & Lois Langer Thompson on 08/24/2020