Inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and social justice
Inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and social justice (IDEAS)
K-State Libraries are for everyone, and we welcome all to use our services and spaces.
Our faculty and staff care about our users. We are committed in our efforts to prioritize inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and social justice initiatives and demonstrate our support in our daily actions.
Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies
First established in 1972 as the Minorities Resource and Research Center, the center was one of the first of its kind in an academic library in the Midwest. Now located on the second floor of Hale Library, the center supports library acquisitions and professional development and provides financial support for multicultural programming to K-State groups or organizations.
Accessibility
K-State Libraries and Information Technology Services offer accessibility services, software and equipment to ensure that all library users have equal access to the Libraries' resources and facilities.
Library spaces
Library spaces have the ability to welcome, support, comfort and inspire. Our libraries are open to everyone, including the general public. We will continue to examine how our spaces can better support these efforts.
Hale Library includes several additions that support IDEAS including:
- New meditation room and Wudu foot bath.
- Six family restrooms: all-gender with changing tables and handicap accessible.
- Lactation room for the public.
- Beautiful new space for the Dow Center on the second floor.
- Restoration of the We Are the Dream mural.
Programming and events
Libraries are ideal spaces to bring people together to learn about various cultures, engage in difficult conversations, explore history and think critically about the world. We support programming that explores these topics outside of the library setting and seek thoughtful and engaging programming for our community.
Examples of past support and programming:
- Muslim Journeys programming.
- The Remnant Trust programming.
- Viewpoint Lecture Series: including topics on immigration, violence against trans women of color and health disparities.
- Annual sponsorships of Indigenous Peoples Day, K-State common reading program, KSUnite, K-State Drag Show, Little Apple Pride, International Food Festival and more.
Our collections and people
The Libraries support professional development for staff, including Safe Zone training and attendance at events like the annual MLK Presidential Lecture. Additionally, we recognize the importance of aligning our library collections with the values and practices of IDEAS. We continuously evaluate our collecting practices to examine where we can do more to support IDEAS values.
We have digitized historical materials from underrepresented groups at K-State, preserving them and making them accessible to everyone online. The new Butler Digitization Lab will allow us to continue these efforts.
Collections available online:
Patron privacy
A user’s right to privacy is a core belief of libraries. K-State Libraries never keeps records of our patrons’ activities, including computer use or materials they have checked out.