OC Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility in Libraries (IDEAL)

The purpose of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility in Libraries (IDEAL) Committee (“the Committee”) is to acknowledge, address, and disrupt the ongoing and historical role the Okanagan College library has played in upholding systems of oppression against IBPOC*, 2SLGBTQIA+**, disabled people, and other marginalized groups. The committee will support the library in making its processes, services, interactions, and collections inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible.   

*IBPOC = “Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour” (IBPOC Artistic Practices) 

** 2SLGBTQIA+ =  “Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer (or Questioning), Intersex, Asexual (or sometimes Ally). The placement of Two Spirit (2S) first is to recognize that Indigenous people are the first peoples of this land and their understanding of gender and sexuality precedes colonization. The ‘+’ is for all the new and growing ways we become aware of sexual orientations and gender diversity” (Equity and Inclusion Glossary of Terms, UBC). 

The membership of the Committee shall include:  

• At least two students  
• At least two employees from Library Services, at least one of whom is a librarian and at least one of whom is a support staff  
• At least one employee from the Success Centres 

The committee will not normally exceed ten members in total. The Committee will have a Chair and an Incoming Chair who are employees from Library Services. All members will be recruited on a volunteer basis. The Committee may also include a member from Disability Access Services.  

• The Committee’s membership term length shall be as follows:   
• The Chair shall serve a one-year term following a term that was served as Incoming Chair 
• The Incoming Chair shall serve a one-year term preceding a term to be served as The Chair 
• The students shall serve a one-year term, which may be renewed annually for additional two years 
• The normal term length for all other Committee members shall be two years, which may be renewed for one additional year 
• The Committee will make accommodations if exceptional circumstances prevent members from serving a full term 

The Committee shall meet at least four (4) times each year. Meetings will typically be held online, and additional meetings may be held as deemed necessary. The Chair may invite the Director of Library Services or other members of the OC community to participate in meetings as resource people.  

The Committee will come to agreement by consensus regarding their recommendations to the Library Management Committee (LMC). 

The Committee’s duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:   

• At least once annually, reviewing and revising the Library IDEA Goals   
• At least once annually, reviewing the IDEAL vision, mission, strategy, and impact statement  
• Leading Library Services in the accomplishment of the agreed upon Library IDEA Goals   
• Continuously examining the library’s organizational culture and creating strategies to eliminate inequities and reduce barriers to inclusion  
• Recommending procedures to recruit and effectively retain diverse library employees  
• Identifying EDISJ professional development and training opportunities for all employees   
• Identify and report barriers to accessing library resources and services. 
• Identify and report proposed solutions to removing barriers to access. 

The Committee will report its discussions to the LMC by providing minutes of meetings to the Library Director. At least once a year, the chair will send out a summary of the work done by the committee to the library services department. 

The Terms of Reference for this Committee will be reviewed by the Committee at least once every three years and changes will be forwarded to the LMC for approval.