MIT Libraries stand committed to diversity, inclusion, equity & social justice

A statement from the director

MIT Libraries stand committed to diversity, inclusion, equity, social justice, and the pursuit of knowledge.

This has been one of the most divisive elections in recent U.S. history, and the results of our presidential election have left many members of marginalized communities angry, scared, and vulnerable. The MIT Libraries joins the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Society of American Archivists (SAA), and many others in the libraries and archives communities in proudly reaffirming our longstanding commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice.

The MIT Libraries will always strive to be welcoming havens for all members of our communities and to provide service and access to everyone independent of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, national or ethnic origin, or citizenship status. We support freedom of speech and the open exchange of ideas and opinions — but we will not tolerate hate speech, silencing, inflammatory rhetoric, or any other speech or action that threatens the safety or dignity of any member of our community. We believe it is ethically imperative to publicly oppose discrimination, sexism, misogyny, ableism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, religious persecution, and other forms of oppression.

This election has highlighted the urgent need for open, enduring, and equitable access to credible sources of news, data, and knowledge. At the MIT Libraries we will redouble our efforts to provide not only credible sources of information to our communities, but also the expertise, services, collections, tools, and spaces that facilitate and promote the critical assessment of information. We will also continue to document and provide access to the ideas, knowledge, and perspectives of our communities, as we did by archiving the post-election posters containing the immediate reactions of MIT students and community members. In the coming weeks and months, you can expect us to produce resources for our communities to help them understand the implications of this election and to equip them to take action.

Social progress, the expansion of rights and freedoms, and the advancement of our democratic ideals are often achieved when individuals are able to “speak truth to power.” At the MIT Libraries, we are as committed as ever to equipping members of our communities with the resources, expertise, support, and tools to discover truth and to communicate it effectively and safely.

 

Chris Bourg
Director