This Diversity & Inclusion ePortfolio (D&I-eP) was developed as part of my coursework for CIS 650: Applying Diversity Leadership Theories & Praxis during the Spring 2025 semester. In this portfolio, I analyze the current communication and information service strategies of the User Services Division at Emory Libraries and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. This section outlines a strategic diversity action plan designed for the collaborating organization, proposing future directions for inclusive growth and the advancement of equitable professional practices.
Reflection & Strategic Alignment
This action plan reflects the “Emory + Atlanta: Rich History, Shared Future” pillar of Emory’s strategic framework and models Rawlsian justice theory by prioritizing equity for the least advantaged. As Jack Hang Tat Leong (2014) argues, academic libraries must be active agents of community connection—not passive knowledge holders. Further, Kim (2015) emphasizes that a structured Community of Practice can drive sustained institutional change through shared learning.
By shifting the User Services unit from a transactional model to a relationship-centered, justice-embedded model, this initiative affirms that libraries are not just about access to information—they are about belonging, empowerment, and transformation.
7.1 Strategic Diversity Action Plan:
Emory Libraries User Services Division
Title: Redefining “Community” through Embedded Justice and Inclusive Public Service
Proposed Mission Statement:
To provide equitable, inclusive, and community-centered access to library services and resources that honor Atlanta’s rich civil rights legacy and reflect Emory’s role as a public good.
To provide equitable, inclusive, and community-centered access to library services and resources that honor Atlanta’s rich civil rights legacy and reflect Emory’s role as a public good.
Proposed Vision Statement:
To transform User Services into a model of embedded diversity leadership and distributive justice, where “community” includes all who seek knowledge—on and beyond campus.
To transform User Services into a model of embedded diversity leadership and distributive justice, where “community” includes all who seek knowledge—on and beyond campus.
Strategic Goals & Objectives
Goal 1: Redefine “Community” to Expand Inclusion Beyond Campus Boundaries
Objective 1.1: Co-develop a working definition of "community" with stakeholders, including staff, students, and community members, by Fall 2025.
Objective 1.2: Incorporate this definition into all customer service philosophy documentation and User Services training modules.
Goal 2: Integrate Community-Engaged Practices into Library Services
Objective 2.1: Collaborate with student organizations and professional librarians to continue the feminine resource bag/period pantry initiative beyond Spring 2025.
Objective 2.2: Facilitate quarterly community engagement events focused on public scholarship, resource access, and feedback loops.
Goal 3: Operationalize Distributive Justice in Service Design
Objective 3.1: Audit existing User Services policies through a distributive justice lens to identify inequities in access by Summer 2025.
Objective 3.2: Implement at least three new access initiatives focused on underserved users (e.g., BIPOC student, first-gen users, international students).
Activities
Strategic Collaborations with Student-Led Organizations
Design a co-learning Community of Practice (CoP) using design thinking to guide collaboration.
Host focus groups with off-campus communities (e.g., local HBCUs, nonprofits) to refine service expectations.
Resources Needed
Grants for student organizations with community service-oriented projects
Support from the DEI Office and Campus Life
Digital tools for community input (e.g., survey platforms, virtual forums)
Timeline
Spring 2025: Launch CoP and period pantry pilot; develop initial “community” definition draft
Summer 2025: Complete policy audit and conduct service access gap analysis
Fall 2025: Finalize and adopt new customer service philosophy and equity-centered training framework
Spring 2026: Host first public community engagement event and expand access initiatives
Evaluation Metrics
Number of staff trained under new philosophy
Community participation levels (event attendance, service use)
Qualitative feedback from marginalized groups via interviews or surveys
References:
Leong, J. H. T. (2014). Community Engagement—Building Bridges between University and Community by Academic Libraries in the 21st Century. Library Journal, 33(6), 83–91.
Kim, J.-A. (2015). Integrating Communities of Practice into Library Services. Collaborative Librarianship, 7(2), Article 2.
Longley, R. (2022). What Is Distributive Justice? ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-distributive-justice-5225377
Emory University. (n.d.). One Emory: Ambition and Heart. https://one.emory.edu/
7.2. Projections
This project forecasts a meaningful shift in how Emory Libraries' User Services Division defines and serves its community. By thinking about the diversity within our student body, and thinking about how we can embed justice into service design and redefining “community,” we aim to dismantle long-standing access barriers. My strategic recommendations are rooted in both theoretical frameworks and practical fieldwork from this semester, including conversations with student organizers and colleagues involved in community-facing services.
The most impactful recommendation is to adopt a distributive justice framework that prioritizes equitable service allocation based on need—not just status or affiliation. As Longley (2022) explains, distributive justice seeks to distribute resources, especially toward those most underserved fairly, and students are included in this framework.
This approach reframes libraries as not just academic spaces but civic institutions. Our initiative to develop a year-round period pantry, for example, embodies Rawls’ principle of fairness by directly addressing resource disparities often overlooked in academic environments.
Ultimately, this project reinforces the idea that inclusion is not just about welcoming more people into existing systems—it’s about redesigning those systems so that everyone, especially the most marginalized, can thrive.