Episode 11: Centering Equity in Oregon Libraries with Brandace Rojo and Eduardo Arizaga

OVERDUE: Weeding Out Oppression in Libraries

*There were technical issues during the recording of this episode. We apologize for any minor disruptions*
In this episode, we talk with leadership from REFORMA Oregon about centering equity work as the foundation of library work, how to begin shifting Oregon library culture to better serve diverse communities as well as how a culture shift can support library workers of color. We also talk about how REFORMA Oregon supports EDI Antiracism work in the state and how this organization serves as a structure of support for library workers who identify as Latinx, speak Spanish or serve Latinx and Spanish-speaking communities.

Brandace Rojo is the Current President of REFORMA Oregon and the Communications and Partnerships Manager at Josephine Community Library District.
Eduardo Arizaga is the Past President of REFORMA Oregon and the Community Engagement Manager at Multnomah County Library. REFORMA Oregon is a division of the Oregon Library Association as well as the Oregon chapter of REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, an affiliate of the American Library Association. REFORMA Oregon is a professional organization for librarians and library staff who serve the Spanish-speaking and Latino communities.
Date of interview: November 18, 2022

Hosts: LaRee Dominguez and Kristen Curé
Resources talked about in this episode:

• REFORMA Oregon: https://reformaoregon.weebly.com/
• REFORMA National: https://www.reforma.org/
• Harvard implicit bias test: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
• Dr. Michele Villagran’s 2018 article: Minimizing and addressing implicit bias in the workplace https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/17370/19151 Intersection Allies: We Make Room for All by Carolyn Choi and Chelsea Johnson (book)
• 1989 Article by Peggy McIntosh: White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack: https://psychology.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2016/10/White-Privilege_McIntosh-1989.pdf
• OLA EDI Anti Racism Toolkit: https://www.oregon.gov/Library/libraries/Documents/OLA%20EDI%20Toolkit/OLA_TOOLKIT_Hard_Copy%202021_02_11.pdf