The Power of Words: Answering the call to action on inclusion; Library Journal, 6/16/16

Rebecca T. Miller, Library Journal; The Power of Words: Answering the call to action on inclusion:

"“The words that we use can directly affect how we think,” says Dar. Now, she adds, the team is getting better at knowing what red flags to look for. “There aren’t necessarily easy answers,” Dar adds. “Now we have a safe space to surface issues. I hope if we keep doing it we can affect how our readers and reviewers think about the world.” Using this inclusive language, she adds, is a “subtle but important way to bring people into the fold.”

For the community of LJ and SLJ reviewers, Parrott and her team have developed and launched an eight-week online course called “Diversity & Cultural Inclusion in Professional Reviews.”

“We need to articulate better the issues around diversity and cultural literacy in books and media, and we can’t wait for the profession itself to diversify,” says Parrott...

Sometimes biased language is wielded to wound. More often and perhaps harder to recognize is when it is used out of unthinking habit. Habits are hard to break, especially when they are reinforced by acceptance of, for example, guys as a gender-neutral term. Sometimes, being more inclusive is about seeing something afresh.

“Just saying we’re going to become more inclusive isn’t enough. It’s an ongoing process,” says Parrott. “We don’t check off a box and say we’re done. It’s about conversations, and it might slow down some of our work, but it’s worth it.”"