August 11, 2020
A Statement from the Jefferson County Library Board of Trustees:
The Jefferson County Library commits to being a partner in the work to bring an end to systemic and structural racism. Our core values include welcoming new ideas, honoring diversity, providing access to all ideas and perspectives, and ensuring our services are accessible to every county resident. Some examples of how we have already put those values into action include: eliminating fines, extending our services to outlying areas through expanded Bookmobile services, increasing our online services so patrons can access programs remotely, and providing Wi-Fi in our parking lot and through hotspots that are available for checkout to ensure accessibility.
We also recognize that we cannot promote justice and equity externally without looking internally at our own operations, policies, procedures, practices, beliefs, and unconscious biases. To that end, the Jefferson County Library Board of Trustees has committed to developing an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Plan that will include staff and board training, an assessment of where we are now and where we want to be, and making plans for the steps we need to take to get there. We will invite you to join us in this work, and throughout the process we will be looking to you for suggestions and feedback.
Thank you in advance for helping us continue our work to provide library services that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion for all residents of Jefferson County.
Signed,
The Jefferson County Library Board of Trustees