Page 21 - BCALA Spring 2018

Joining the Generations:
A Proposal for Promoting
Age Diversity at the
Schlesinger Library
By Ayoola Maia White, Simmons College
(Editor’s note: this essay is an E.J. Josey Scholarship Award essay)
Since June 2017, I have worked as a manuscript assistant at the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America. Located in the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University and housing the papers of such influential individuals as Flo Kennedy, Amelia Earhart, Betty Friedan, and Pauli Murray, the Schlesinger Library attracts many researchers from near and far. In fact, over 3,000 people visited the Schlesinger in the year 2017, with over a third of those being registered researchers (See Appendix, Figure 1). When I interviewed for the job at the Schlesinger, Amber Moore, one of my interviewers and the person who would become my supervisor, informed me that the library was
in the process of changing its collection policy to be more inclusive. Specifically, Schlesinger has a legacy of primarily housing the records and papers of white women from upper class backgrounds. In light of this shift in priorities, their efforts to
promote diversity and inclusion are already quite robust.
From my coworker Kenvi Phillips, the curator for race and ethnicity, I have learned that the Schlesinger Library’s outreach actions in recent years have hinged upon relationship building with Harvard organizations, Boston- area organizations, and national organizations. These organizations include Spelman College, the Digital Transgender Archive, the National Park Service, and Howard University. Moreover, endeavors to diversify the staff and highlight the Schlesinger Library’s commitment to diversity have become a priority. The creation of Phillips’ job title is reflective
of that prioritization. So is the implementation of sensitivity training among all levels of the library’s operation. With these relationships and adjustments to employee culture, the Schlesinger Library has organized such programming as a Wikipedia edit-a-thon focused on indigenous women, a panel discussion about
the legacy of Pauli Murray, and a lecture on African women’s liberation
(Phillips). Clearly, there is already
a great deal of momentum in advocating for diversity and inclusion with regard to employees, users, collections, programming, and the overall institutional culture.
In light of the accomplishments that the Schlesinger Library has already made in the realm of diversity
and inclusion with regard to race
and gender identity, my proposed outreach strategy emphasizes another form of diversity: age. To provide an overview, this strategy seeks to connect high school students of color with senior citizens who have an established familiarity with the Schlesinger Library. This familiarity may have developed as a result of having donated materials to the library or simply being aware of the people and events represented in
its holdings. The strategy centers around creating a summer buddy program in which a total of ten high school girls will each be paired with ten senior women based on personal interests that they share. Throughout June and July, participants will meet
BCALA NEWS | Volume 45, Issue 2 | 21