Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility

Student studying at a desk seen between the library stacks.

What we believe

The University Libraries supports the University’s commitment to a culture of excellence, inclusion and accessibility. We aspire to provide the spaces and resources that our students, faculty, staff and community members need to thrive, free from all forms of discrimination and oppression.

As a library, we are committed to the free and open exchange of ideas that is the cornerstone of democratic civic engagement:

We defend intellectual freedom and oppose censorship.
We celebrate, value and respect the diversity of our patrons and staff; aiming to foster a sense of belonging throughout our community.
We recognize that building a more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible library is ongoing; that dismantling institutional forms of oppression takes time and dedication.

We are committed to this work and strive to strengthen inclusive excellence by identifying, resourcing and implementing equitable measures.

Programs and resources

Library IDEA Committee

University Programs

Accessibility in the Libraries

Library Guide

Library resources

Diversity & Inclusion Guide Gender, Race, and Identity Guide World Languages and Literatures Guide

Research and scholarship

Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility research and scholarship at the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries

Native American student experiences of the academic library

Bucy, R. (2022). Native American student experiences of the academic library. College & Research Libraries, 83(3), 416-433.

This study used qualitative interviews explored Native student perspectives on library services, space, and culture. Findings from this study suggest that core library services are important to Native students, that visible representation of Native Americans contributes to a sense of belonging, and that Native student identity has varied significance for library use. This study has implications for librarians seeking to improve services for Native students.

Gendered language use in library job advertisements

Tokarz, R. and Mesfin, T. (2021). Stereotyping ourselves: Gendered language use in management and instruction library job advertisements. Journal of Library Administration, 61(3), 301-311.

This study analyzed 460 job advertisements of instruction librarian and management positions in academic libraries for the use of gendered language. This study found the largest use of masculine-themed language appeared in management positions. Hiring organizations can work toward balanced gender representation in library leadership by identifying the current use of gendered language in their own job advertisements.

Land acknowledgments at land-grant libraries and archives

Anderson, K. (2022). Land acknowledgments at land-grant libraries and archives: A systematic review. Journal of Western Archives 13(1), Article 9.

This study looks at whether academic libraries and archives acknowledge this history in the form of online land acknowledgments; and, where such acknowledgments exist, whether the university also acknowledges its occupation of Indigenous lands. A systematic review of the websites of land-grant colleges and universities and their libraries and archives was conducted. The results indicate that a majority of 1862 land-grant colleges and universities do have a land acknowledgment for the entire campus, but most academic libraries do not have a land acknowledgment specific to the library or archives.

Surveying as unsettlement

Anderson, K. & Maddox, J. (2021). Surveying as unsettlement: The Protocols Alignment Survey at the University of Nevada, Reno. The American Archivist 84 (1), 34-61.

This article describes a collections survey project undertaken by the staff of the University Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives Department at the University of Nevada, Reno, to begin the archives' alignment with the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials. The method devised to survey the collection is assessed for its validity and potential application to further survey work. The analysis of the Protocols alignment survey as a case study also offers insights about critical self-reflection and ways for non-Indigenous archivists to strive toward social justice and Protocols alignment using existing discovery and description frameworks as a starting point.