The SFU Library commits to a continuous process of transformation to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion and to serve the cause of social justice. We recognize that, to be effective, such transformation must occur on the individual, collective, and institutional levels.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) Nations and peoples on whose ancestral and unceded lands the three SFU Library branches are located. This statement reflects our current knowledge of traditional Indigenous territories –- knowledge that has necessarily been influenced by the legacy of colonialism in Canada. We will adapt this acknowledgement as appropriate, in keeping with our developing understanding. We further acknowledge that we have a deep responsibility to engage humbly, respectfully, and reciprocally with the Indigenous peoples whose communities, knowledge systems, and ways of life are intimately connected with the lands where we are now situated.

As articulated in the SFU Library Strategic Plan 2022-2024, equity is one of the core values and priority approaches defining Library’s current and ongoing areas of work. We work to make space for challenges to the status quo and recognize that through such challenges we are able to both transform and respond to the needs of our communities. The SFU Library acknowledges the pervasive influence of white supremacy and racism and the impacts of each on the library as a scholarly resource, a student space, and a workplace. We recognize that libraries often choose to position themselves as “free, accessible, and neutral.” This narrative of neutrality is false: libraries are institutions that hold power and privilege born from white supremacy, and this is not a neutral position. We recognize our complicity and commit ourselves to learning and making meaningful change.

The SFU Library commits itself to an ethic of care and responsiveness in order to deserve the expertise and knowledge of our colleagues, our community, and our collections. We place special emphasis on being welcoming, inclusive, and respectful of those peoples, expertise, and knowledge practices currently and/or historically marginalized or excluded.

Definitions

For the purposes of this statement, we understand equity, diversity, and inclusion to mean the following:

Equity exists when responsibilities, resources, and opportunities are distributed fairly and justly among all group members and done so in a manner that works to resolve historical and current disadvantages for under-represented and marginalized groups.

Diversity refers to a broad range of human differences, including but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic position, ability, age, religion, and national origin. Further, as an academic institution, we are informed by diverse knowledge sharing practices and ways of thought.

Inclusion exists when all community members are recognized, respected, and welcomed, as well as enabled to freely engage with, question, and shape the community’s activities. A critical aspect of inclusion is being mindful of the impact that differences in power and privilege can have on perceptions, experiences, relationships, and freedom of expression.

SFU Library investment and commitment

The SFU Library invests in and commits to equity, diversity, and inclusion through:

Our staffing and culture

In our organization through staffing, intentional fostering of knowledge and awareness, and ongoing work to establish a culture of inclusion. We recognize that diversity is a characteristic of an organization as a whole and is not located at the level of an individual, and are therefore committed to moving beyond the use of isolated tokens of diversity that serve to distract from deeper systemic change;

Our services

In the services we offer through efforts taken to be welcoming and inclusive, and to place special emphasis on establishing services for members of the SFU community who are currently and/or have historically been marginalized or denied full participation in society;

Technology

In the technologies we support, adopt, and make available to our communities through sustained attention to the assumptions and biases that are coded into technologies and the ways that these technologies can thereafter shape and influence our interactions.

Collections, knowledge, and ways of knowing

In our approach to knowledge and ways of knowing through a continuing commitment to diversify our collections, actively expand the scope of what is valued as knowledge, and create equity, diversity, and inclusivity among our Library decision-makers. The Library’s strong support of freedom of information is balanced by our recognition that these rights cannot be taken as absolute, and by our commitment to privacy and the prevention of harm. We respect that, in certain cases, Indigenous cultural protocols may limit access to information and/or materials.

The SFU Library's Equity in Action Steering Committee

The Equity in Action Steering Committee is formulated to create, deliver, and measure the impact of EDI initiatives across Library divisions and areas of work. This Committee aims to center people and their voices in most meaningful ways to foster a sense of community at the SFU Library.