Name: Gwen Hambright
Degree Program: Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS), University of Maryland iSchool Why did you decide to participate in the Diversity Immersion Institute? When I got the email about DII I was instantly interested in participating in the program. With my background being in education I have spent a lot of time considering diversity and how to best meet the needs of diverse learners. Additionally, I have always been interested in different cultures and perspectives (something I always tried to pass on to my students). Since I am currently in the MLIS program at UMD's iSchool I decided to participate in the DII program to get a better idea of how diversity can be embraced in the field of information science. What is your favorite memory from DII? I really enjoyed getting to meet other iSchool graduate students, especially students who are as passionate as me about diversity and inclusion. The discussions we had were really thought provoking and I definitely feel I came away from the discussions with new insights. I also really enjoyed working with Luz (one of the other graduate students) to put together a scavenger hunt for the Life Pieces to Masterpieces (LPTM) apprentices to complete. Thinking of ways to keep them engaged and having fun while still learning about the library and being a library was a lot of fun. Also, the apprentices from LPTM were such a delight to work with; they're a really great bunch of young men. How do you believe your DII experience will be applicable to your career in the information profession &/or life in general? The institute really reminded me that even if people look similar they are guaranteed to have different life experiences that influence their perspective on the world. The discussion we had on microaggressions with Dr. Jackson made me much more aware of the ways people unconsciously promote "isms" (sexism, agism, racism, etc.). This isn't something I have consciously reflected on in the past; I knew it happened, but never thought about it. Dr. Jackson's comment that if other people know someone's behavior is offensive, they need to speak up really resonated with me. If I see something, I should say something. Ever since the discussion I have been much more aware of my own interactions, and the interactions of others. I feel this awareness will help me in my career as a librarian when I work with both members of the community and also my colleagues. I will be better enabled to foster a positive community for everyone in the library. Anything else you want to add? I think this was an excellent program, and I hope it is continued next year so that I can participate again. I would definitely recommend other iSchool students to get involved. ***Below I have included the presentation I did with the LPTM apprentices on information literacy as well as the instructions for the library scavenger hunt so you can have a visual example of what we did :)***
0 Comments
|
AboutGraduate student reflections on their experience participating in the Diversity Immersion Institute. Archives |