Name: Erin Durham
Degree Program: HILS (History MA and MLIS) Why did I decide to participate? I am very interested in developing my skills as a library educator, and I was excited about the opportunity to discuss and practice how to be a more aware and inclusive in my interactions with students. The wonderful diversity of readings and discussion topics in the course syllabus was very appealing as well. My MLS classes were great, but I wanted opportunities to have hands on practice, and this summer institute included practical skills as an instructional librarian. What is your favorite memory from DII? I loved our discussion sessions as a DII cohort. Dr. Williams helped set the tone for the institute as a safe space to explore race, class, and gender dynamics. I liked her focus on making the learning environment a safe one for all students. I think her session was on the first day, and it really helped me to feel comfortable in my own skin and in respecting all of the participants there. I felt spoiled beginning those summer mornings with a cup of orange juice and fruit and talking about interesting issues. I enjoyed hearing stories and experiences from those in our group- I really learned from all who participated. How do you believe your DII expereince will be applicable to your career in the information profession and/or life in general? I gained more confidence in my abilities as a reference librarian and saw greater possibilities for public services and outreach in my future work. The DII provided marvelous networking across campus and in the library, and I was made aware of wonderful services and programs such as the TLTC. Our DII discussion sessions were very insightful, and helped me think much more critically about how the media portrays race and age and class status- which I use in my everyday media consumption. Working with the Masterpiece students also helped me reflect on my interactions with people from various backgrounds within an academic environment. Anything Else? This program was fantastic with all of the various components to it- there was time to practice working with the students, for networking, and expanding my ideas about critical literacy through reading and discussion. I enjoyed how varied the material was. I thought Tahirah Akbar-Williams and Cynthia Sorrell did a marvelous job organizing it.
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Name: Luz Maria Flores
Degree Program: Master in Library and Information Science (Individual Program Plan) Why did you decide to participate in the Diversity Immersion Institute? I decided to participate in DII because I want to work in public libraries and wanted more insight on working with and for diverse populations. I also wanted the opportunities to work with other librarians, future librarians and professors. What is your favorite memory from DII? My favorite memory of DII was creating the Pokemon Scavenger Hunt for the Lifepieces to Masterpieces apprentices with another library student, Gwen Hambright. We really wanted to create an activity that would engage the apprentices, so we thought a scavenger hunt would be a great way to have fun and go over everything they learned while they attended DII, Gwen thought it would be great to spin it off Pokemon because the virtual game had just come out. Coming up with clues and tying the scavenger hunt with social media was lots of fun. How do you believe your DII experience will be applicable to your career in the information profession &/or life in general? I think all the information that I gained will be useful in my future profession as a librarian and in life in general. Learning and talking about teaching, critical literacy and micro-aggression really help me look at my academic life and see where I can stand up and say something. I learned that often times being there and supporting other ideas is the best way to tell colleagues you believe in them. All my experience was invaluable and I would totally participate again, if given the opportunity. |
AboutGraduate student reflections on their experience participating in the Diversity Immersion Institute. Archives |