Motivations for the Creation of Social Justice Guides: A Survey of ARL Member Institutions

Abstract

This study surveyed librarians and staff at Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions to determine who assembles social justice guides (that is, LibGuides), what motivated the creation of such guides, and how these guides are deployed. Additionally, the survey gauged employee perceptions of library and institutional responses to social unrest. Sociopolitical events, perceived educational need, and work assignments to develop such a guide were the primary reasons motivating the creation of the guides. Social justice guides are seldom incorporated or deployed into wider library or institutional programming, however. Overall, library and institutional diversity statements and responses to social unrest were perceived as words without action. Results from this survey shed light on library employee perceptions, on the emotional labor involved in the development of anti-racist resources, and on library and institutional responses to social unrest.