The Department of Information Science participated as an exhibitor at the 2018 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color. Under the theme “Gathering All Peoples: Embracing Culture & Community”, the 3rd national conference took place on September 26-30, 2018 at the Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico.
“The Joint Conference of Librarians of Color was a truly fantastic meeting”, said Dr. Yvonne Chandler, who represented the department at the exhibit booth.
University of North Texas (UNT) graduates and current students were among the more than 1000 attendees at the conference. It was a particularly memorable occasion for current student, Chantel L. Walker, who received the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) - James “Jim” Neal ALA Presidential Initiative Scholarship. She was honored at the JCLC 2018 Scholarships and Awards GALA, held on Friday, September 28th. Chantel is currently pursuing her Master's degree, and is part of the Northern California Cohort. She is the Assistant Director of County Library Services at the Marin County Free Library.
Alumna, Pambanisha King Whaley, Collections, Assessment, and Resource Management Coordinator at Alabama State University was on a well-received panel, “Using Mindfulness to Cope with Microaggressions and Workplace Stress.” Pambanisha Whaley and Nevada/Utah student, Christina Reyes, also had the pleasure of meeting ALA President, Loida Garcia-Febo.
Several alumni also visited the booth to chat with Dr. Chandler, including alumni from Texas, the Greater Los Angeles and Georgia cohorts.
The Department is a proud supporter of the JCLC and has participated as an exhibitor at prior conferences held in Dallas, TX in 2006 and Kansas City, MO in 2012.
For photos from the conference click here.
About JCLC and the JCLC conference
The Joint Council of Librarians of Color (JCLC, Inc.) is a nonprofit organization formed in June, 2015 that advocates for and addresses the common needs of the American Library Association ethnic affiliates. The organization follows and takes its name from two successful joint conferences. The JCLC conference, held every four to five years, is sponsored by the five ethnic affiliate organizations of ALA: the American Indian Library Association (AILA), the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), and REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking. The conference is open to all library staff, students, influencers, and decision-makers interested in exploring inclusive policies, practices, and issues of diversity in libraries and how they affect the ethnic communities who use the services. The next JCLC conference will be held in 2020.