JoAnn Jacoby is this year's recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Collins Outstanding Staff Award presented by the Butler Center and the Heads of State Awards for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
This award is given to an exceptional faculty or staff member who is a constant voice for our campus values of inclusion, equality, community, and social justice. JoAnn was nominated and received the award because she has undertaken several actions towards building a more equitable, diverse and inclusive environment.
She has included a statement of indigenous lands at the top of the About the Library page (https://www.coloradocollege.edu/library/about/index.html). It is the first statement one reads.
She has expanded the placement of library job ads and instructed search committees to look closely at applications in regards to diversity.
She encourages all library staff to participate in the Good to Great campus training also with other diversity training. She has sponsored events to reflect the intersection of libraries & social justice such as the webinar "'Operationalizing' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace" led by Alexia Hudson-Ward, the Azariah Smith Root Director of Libraries for Oberlin College.
She established a library Diversity and Inclusion Committee. This group has already undertaken several actions. Members created a book display, Anti-Racism Book Display in Tutt Library that is prominently located on the first floor of the library. Another program is the DVD of the Month, which highlights a film in the collection focusing on underrepresented and minority issues and actors. A student survey is been created to gain feedback on the titles included and not currently included in the popular magazine collection.
She also responded to a student's concerns about books with Library of Congress classification of LGBTQ materials in the collection. Working with the student, library staff and the Butler Center staff to reclassify books to ensure less bias in location.
JoAnn has begun to focus the perceptions to staff and shift how students and users experience the library.
JoAnn's response to this is to say that it is the work of many people in the library. And she is right, it takes all of us to create a welcoming space for inclusion and diversity. Fortunately with JoAnn's leadership Tutt Library is continuing to grow into that ideal.
The Theodore Roosevelt Collins Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award honors Theodore Roosevelt Collins who in 1935 became the first person of color in a non-custodial position at CC. He was a beloved athletic trainer for 35 years while contributing to the cause of race relations in the Pikes Peak area.