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CPL Anti-racism Initiative, October 2020-October 2021


12/3/20212 years ago

caution sign The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 2 years ago.

Central Square Branch Kyle Klein Photos

CPL Anti-Racism Initiative, October 2020-October 2021

The Library holds the value of acknowledging the systemic inequities that have shaped our society and is committed to take intentional action to create more equitable outcomes. Part of these efforts have included launching an anti-racism initiative that upholds the City’s related goals including an active commitment to dismantling institutional structures, beliefs and behaviors that perpetuate inequity based on race. The City of Cambridge defines anti-racism as the practice of opposing the devaluing of human beings at individual, interpersonal, and systems levels. The Initiative’s purpose is to build an anti-racism, equity, and inclusion environment and culture at the Cambridge Public Library (CPL).

Equity and inclusion work has been a priority for the Library, outlined in the Library’s strategic plan and planning for increased learning opportunities was already underway. During the pandemic, however, when health disparities were emphasized and when Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery were killed, the urgency we felt for doing more was the driving impetus for the past year’s work. The Library took inspiration and guidance from the City’s anti-racism, equity and inclusion training and related efforts by other City departments. The purpose of this report is to update board, staff, and other stakeholders on CPL’s Anti-Racism efforts.

CPL’s Anti-Racism Initiative has developed into four components:

  1. Administrative leadership coordination, development and planning with our consultants;
  2. A staff-led Anti-Racism task force that includes a public programming work group;
  3. Learning sessions for a cross section of managers and staff, and;
  4. Learning cohorts and self-directed learning through curriculum such as Project Ready, learning partners, and suggested readings and discussions.


We have been able to support this vital work through the generosity of the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Public Library Foundation.

Leadership Coordination

Administrative leadership coordination meetings with anti-racism consultants have taken place routinely. These meetings have given leadership an opportunity to check-in on the overall effort and to work on developing agendas for learning sessions and meetings. We covered what CPL as an organization is learning and what we might need to attend to. We also discuss types of staff support. As a result, we are beginning to work on developing affinity spaces—for staff to meet with people who share racialized identity to have support and speak frankly about issues around racialization and racism. Our leadership calls also led to the request for and development of a teen learning series.

Anti-Racism Task Force

After approximately six months of initial meetings, we merged two separate Anti-Racism task forces comprised of a broad range of staff (public programs and general task force) to one for better communications, planning and staff availability.

Three co-convenors were named. Consultants and the library director worked with co-convenors on planning, forming as a group, creating a charter including mission and purpose, and on their development and learning to lead with purpose, outcomes and process. Library consultants also worked with ARTF members at-large for several sessions.

ARTF Mission Statement: To create staff and patron opportunities to listen, learn, share and to provide input in the areas of education, programming and communications to combat racism. 

ARTF Statement of Purpose: In order to support our strategic priorities of Welcome and Inclusion, the Anti-Racism Task Force aims to integrate anti-racism into our library work. The Task Force serves as bridge to the staff and community for providing resources on anti-racism including programming, workshops, materials, education and support. We exist to uplift the voices of people of color in the Cambridge community and within the library staff. It is our mission that in informing and educating staff and patrons, we can identify the systems that perpetuate racism and begin the work to empower all to dismantle those systems. These systems include those which exist within our own library and city.

ARTF Vision:

  • Library patrons experience the library as a welcoming, inclusive and accessible place
  • The Library becomes a recognized leader for anti-racist resources, practices, programming and learning
  • The Library broadens its efforts to reach out to underserved communities
  • Anti-racism is integrated in all aspects of library work and all library staff are equipped, educated and empowered with the tools to engage anti-racism in their work
  • Library programs, events, and resources center the experiences and needs of oppressed communities
  • Library resources are allocated in a manner that centers the lives and experiences of persons of color
  • Library staff reflect the diversity of the community

During the FY21 fiscal year, the Anti-Racism Task Force accomplished the following:

  • Reflected on our own identities and learned about race and racism through shared readings and activities
  • Established group norms and identified goals for our work
  • Created a resource list that we continue to update and researched staff anti-racism training opportunities
  • Reviewed and edited the Collection Development Policy through a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Initiated projects of focus including welcoming different populations to CPL, honoring Indigenous voices and communicating with staff
  • Offered staff discussions on Kiese Laymon’s Heavy, Isabel Wilkerson’s NYT Magazine article “America’s Enduring Caste System”, and Ta-Nahisi Coates’ The Water Dancer
  • Offered a Racial & Social Justice Program Series for Families (3 events)
  • Offered a Racial & Social Justice Program Series for Teens (4 events)
  • Began planning an anti-racism lecture series for adults that kicked off in July 2021 with Race and Climate Justice event with Iván Espinoza-Madrigal of Lawyers for Civil Rights
  • Began internal staff training with Just Works Consultants to:
    • Develop shared vocabulary and framework for task force and leadership
    • Build Leadership staff capacity to support antiracism efforts
    • Identify training, processes, programming and comms for library staff to combat racism
    • Generate ideas for public programs to combat racism

Developed key activities (work plan) for the FY22 fiscal year, which includes the following:

  • Continued internal staff training with consultants for Admin Leadership, Leadership, task force members and CPL staff
  • Recruiting new staff to participate in the taskforce- approximately one third new members
  • Developing a framework for collaboration with community organizations engaged in anti-racism, equity and inclusion
  • Consider who the Library is serving and who it is not serving
  • Develop an anti-racism resource list for patrons
  • Continue to develop meaningful partnerships for program development

Learning Sessions

Teen Development Workshop Series

CPL most recently hosted a three-part series of Teen Learning Sessions for a cross-section of 23 staff members on September 15, 2021, October 12, 2021, and October 13, 2021. The purpose of these sessions was to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for teen patrons. The impetus was to support library staff in their efforts to better welcome and engage teens, at the same time acknowledging everyday challenges. Participants learned about a youth development approach and exploring youth culture within the broader library culture. The intention was to increase participants’ comfort and skills to engage, connect and support diverse youth.

Leadership Team Learning Sessions

CPL has hosted several learning sessions for 23 managerial leaders including September 9, 2021, August 3, 2021, July 1, 2021, and October 20, 2021.

The purpose of these sessions has been to support managers in their learning and support for anti-racism, equity and inclusion application and implementation of the City’s related leadership expectations. Topic areas have included: identity awareness and structural racism, City’s leadership expectations, goal setting, inclusive meeting practices, dominance patterns including urgency and perfection and making mistakes, coping with stress, using POP (purpose, outcomes and process). Managers are asked to reflect on how they have been incorporating these ideas, what impact have they seen and what has been challenging.

We ask managers to be intentionally accountable for building anti-racism culture in their behavior and leadership practices. Reflective questions that have come out of these sessions include: What is one of the Leadership Expectations that would have a big impact in my department if I improved my ability to apply it? What can I do to improve my ability to apply this Leadership Expectations keeping in mind practices, habits, learning and attitude? What support will I need to be accountable to this Leadership Expectation? What steps have you taken to build team and support? What questions have emerged for you?

Learning Cohorts and Self-Directed Learning

Staff continue to be encouraged to do their own reading, learning and discussion. Sometimes there are discussions based on books or readings held for library staff. Some cohorts of staff have also gone through the national Project Ready anti-racism curriculum and others are beginning to work through it.

Intended outcomes and impact:

  • Objective: Managers will understand what antiracism work is and why we are doing it. 
  • Praxis: “I better understand my privilege.” “I’ve incorporated listening, inclusive practices, and being an ally.”
  • Objective: Staff will know more about structural racism.
  • Praxis: “I am aware that racism is everyone's concern.”
  • Objective: The anti-racism task force will create its purpose, outcomes, and process.
  • Praxis: “We helped staff to learn through a resource guide and book discussions and the public to learn by producing a racial and social justice program series for families and teens and a race and climate justice event.”

Staff have shared additional comments about the impact of this learning including:

  • Hearing about the varied experiences of my colleagues has been helpful.
  • Intentional Purpose, Outcome, Process (POP).
  • New ways to consider and approach situations and interactions.
  • How to be a lot more introspective and thoughtful, to explore ideas more deeply.
  • All the social constructs that can be deconstructed.
  • Ways of being in a meeting setting that combat dominance culture and racism, such as slowing down (timing, pace, urgency) and asking more questions.
  • Shared language around equity, inclusion and anti-racism.
  • An overall approach to my everyday thinking and leadership: Active Listening, Inclusive Meeting Practices, and Dominance Patterns in Leadership.

What’s to Come

We will continue our four-pronged approach to Anti-Racism work this year. Administrative Leadership will continue to coordinate and work on developing affinity work, learning sessions and initiative oversight and recruitment, hiring and promoting a diverse workforce related to the City’s recruitment, hiring and promotion study findings. The Anti-Racism task force has been refreshed with a handful of members rolling off and on, one co-convenor staying on as a lead, and a new co-convenor being named. Learning cohorts and staff will be encouraged to continue to deepen and apply their learning, allyship, and advocacy work.