Carnegie Mellon University Libraries has received the 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.
The LEAD Award honors academic libraries’ programs and initiatives that encourage and support DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) across their campus. These include, but are not limited to, research, technology, accessibility, exhibitions, and community outreach. Carnegie Mellon University Libraries will be featured, along with 55 other recipients, in the March 2024 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
“Carnegie Mellon University Libraries has approached DEI work in a transparent, collaborative, inclusive manner with a goal of fostering a sense of belonging for those who visit our spaces and use our collections and services.” said Associate Dean for External Relations Shannon Riffe, who serves as the DEI Lead for the Libraries. “It is a great accomplishment to be in the first cohort of winners for this inaugural award.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Carnegie Mellon University Libraries because of its comprehensive DEI Strategic Plan; the introduction of guidelines that have resulted in a more equitable hiring process; inclusive programming such as the Violins of Hope exhibit, the Heading to the Point series, and monthly book displays; the creation of a new position to curate more diverse contributions to the University Archives and continued investments and innovation to advance open access initiatives that make scholarly research more accessible and inclusive, among many other efforts.
“We know that many academic libraries are not always recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion, and access” says Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these college and university libraries as role models for other institutions of higher education.”
Carnegie Mellon University’s university-wide DEI efforts were recently recognized by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine with a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.
A call for nominations for this award was announced in October 2023.
For more information about the 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.