The Saskatchewan Health Libraries Association stands in solidarity with Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) and specifically Black and Indigenous communities in Canada, the United States and all over the world who are experiencing racism, police brutality, and the effects of colonialism.
We endorse the statements made by the following groups and associations:
* Visible Minority Librarians of Canada Network (ViMLoC)
* Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA)
We add our voice to theirs in condemning racism, white supremacy, and all systems of oppression.
As a health libraries association, we acknowledge that racism exists in our healthcare system. Our role is to provide information to the healthcare community that reflects the diversity of our province, leading to better care. As health library workers who serve a diverse community we have a duty to take concrete actions when we notice racism in our institutions, practices, and personal lives.
We further acknowledge that racism exists in the library profession. This racism is evident by the underrepresentation of BIPOC library workers in our libraries and library schools. We advocate for all library professional organizations, leaders, staff and schools to acknowledge that this issue exists and to provide equal employment, education, and leadership opportunities to Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.
SHLA is committed to providing opportunities to educate our members on racism in healthcare and librarianship and seeking ways to make a difference in our libraries, institutions, and province. We will continue to actively participate in activities that will increase awareness of the injustices experienced by BIPOC and advocate for change.
November 26, 2020