DEI Statement
North Carolina Community College Library Association (NCCCLA) seeks to raise awareness of the need to provide access to opportunities, resources, and support for all members of the communities we serve and to build a platform from which marginalized members of our communities can share their voices. All users have a right to feel safe in a welcoming environment that will foster opportunities for academic success and encourage integrity. We acknowledge equity, diversity, and inclusion as foundational principles of librarianship. It is critical for library communities to recognize and practice cultural awareness and condemn discrimination. NCCCLA will empower all library staff and our community partners to model and promote these principles in advancing issues of fairness and social justice. We remind our communities that libraries are for everyone, and we will continue to serve all users.
North Carolina Community College Library Association (NCCCLA) DEI committee facilitates the association’s commitment to equity for North Carolina community college libraries. The committee makes recommendations to the NCCCLA Executive Board and coordinates approved equity initiatives. These initiatives include advancement, recruitment, and retention; dignity and respect; and fair and supportive work environments for marginalized groups in the library profession. In addition, the committee supports initiatives to promote social justice for members of our communities—both those served by and those serving in North Carolina community college libraries. Moreover, the committee is guided by the following core values:
- Access—to resources, services, and opportunities that are fully inclusive of the diversity (including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender/gender identity/gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, dis/ability, and economic status) embodied by our current and future NC community college library users.
- Action—to bridge equity gaps, raise awareness, and amplify the voices of marginalized groups through the development of practical frameworks, toolboxes, and best practices that member librarians can utilize in NC community colleges.
- Assessment—to make recommendations for data gathering, to analyze and evaluate the collected data, and to acknowledge successful initiatives and projects at member libraries and within the organization.
- Advocacy—to challenge orthodoxy, promote changemaking, and cultivate a culture of belonging, in collaboration with the NCCCLA Advocacy Committee, to benefit all NC community college libraries and the communities we serve.
DEI Statement approved by NCCCLA Executive Board on September 23, 2020; amended on September 22, 2021.
Sinking or Swimming? DEI in North Carolina Community College Libraries
NCCCLA 2025 Annual Conference
[Video] Slides [PDF]
The NCCCLA DEI Committee partnered with the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research to survey librarians and paraprofessionals in North Carolina Community College libraries to assess the level of support and unmet needs for DEI in library collections, resources, services, and spaces. We will present data from the surveys and provide an analysis of responses. The audience will have an opportunity to share the state of DEI work in their library.
Presented by Daniel West, Senior Research Associate, Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research, College of Education North Carolina State University, and Robert James, Director of Library Services, Nash Community College. The moderator was Leigh Russell, Library Director, Pitt Community College.
Belk Center DEI Surveys Qualitative Summary
Belk Center DEI Surveys Executive Summary
Projects
Minutes
The DEI committee usually meets the second Thursday of the month at 2 pm. The minutes for all meetings are linked below.
2025
2024
February 1, 2024 | March 27, 2024
2023
October 19, 2023 | November 30, 2023
May 11, 2023 | June 15, 2023 | July 20, 2023
January 19, 2023 | February 16, 2023 | April 13, 2023
2022
September 8, 2022 | October 13, 2022 | November 14, 2022
May 12, 2022 | June 9, 2022 | July 14, 2022
January 13, 2022 | February 10, 2022 | April 14, 2022
2021
August 12, 2021 | September 9, 2021 | October 14, 2021
July 1, 2021 | July 15, 2021 | July 29, 2021
May 13, 2021 | June 3, 2021 | June 17, 2021
January 14, 2021 | February 18, 2021 | March 25, 2021 | April 16, 2021
2020
October 8, 2020 | October 22, 2020 | November 5, 2020
August 13, 2020 | September 10, 2020 | September 24, 2020
July 16, 2020 | July 23, 2020 | July 30, 2020
Bylaws
Members
Chair: Robert James, Nash Community College
Secretary: [vacant]
At Large Members:
- Elizabeth Baker, Carteret Community College
- Barbara Bera, Central Carolina Community College
- Colleen Kehoe-Robinson, James Sprunt Community College
- Nathan Stancil, Johnston Community College
- Tim Hunter, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
- Allison Sills, Central Carolina Community College
- Touger Vang, Montgomery Community College
Contact
Robert James, Chair – rmjames752@nashcc.edu
Updated: 6/6/2024
NCCCLA 
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