» Message from the Dean

In alignment with Chapman University’s Statement on Diversity & Inclusion and the Vision Statement for Diversity & Inclusion, the Leatherby Libraries DEI plan focuses on five strategic planning priorities and goals.

1) Curriculum: Expand diversity and inclusion in the Information Literacy curriculum and student learning outcomes.

2) Recruitment: Be mindful in the recruitment and selection of students, staff, and librarians that encourages a diverse and inclusive library workforce.

3) Climate: Develop and implement programs, services, and physical spaces that cultivate a welcoming campus library.

4) Community: Develop and sustain meaningful outreach programs and partnerships with our diverse local communities.

5) Institutional Prioritization: Align the institutional and library priorities to strengthen the commitment to diversity and inclusion through leadership behaviors and initiatives.

Africana Studies Resources:

Black Book Nook: The Black Book Nook collection fosters education and community engagement with Black history, thought, literature, and culture. This collection was created in partnership with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Leatherby Libraries. Explore the Nook!

Africana Studies Research Guide: The Africana Studies subject librarian and others have collected and curated anti-racist library resources and created library research guides (Libguides) dedicated to social inquiries to highlight our dedication to acquiring diverse resources. Chapman University students seeking research assistance in Africana Studies can start with the Africana Studies research guide or reach out to our Sociology liaison librarian.

Black Experiences in the U.S. Resources: For our students, faculty, staff, and community members who are currently looking for ways to learn more about issues of race and identity, the Black experience in the U.S., and how to recognize racism, the Leatherby Libraries provides several resources to help the Chapman community, including resources that are available remotely.

Black History Month: Our recent virtual exhibit honors the black pioneers and trailblazers that went on to conduct research, discover treatments, and help improve the health of millions. Additionally, helpful ebooks and online resources portraying the impact of these pioneers, as well as how you may support the health of the African American community, are available. 

Latinx Studies Resources:

Hispanic Heritage Month: Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. This virtual display highlights the contributions of Hispanic American pioneers in Medicine, and provides helpful resources to support the health of the Hispanic and Latinx communities.

The Anti-Mexican History of Orange County: As part of the Education & Ethnics Studies Summit, the Leatherby Libraries collaborates with the Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies to host an art exhibit by Santa Ana Valley High School students. The Leatherby Libraries hosts an exhibit every year, with the theme of the summit this year being Embodied Resistance.

AAPI Studies Resources:

Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American Heritage Month:  Asian, Pacific Islander, & Desi American (APIDA) encompasses people from the Asian continent, India, and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. This virtual display honors the pioneers and trailblazers that went on to conduct research, discover treatments, and help improve the health of millions. In the display, helpful ebooks and online resources are available that portray these pioneers' impact and how to support the health of the APIDA community. 

Orange County Japanese American Youth Scrapbook: This Special Collection item is accessible to the public through the Chapman University Digital Commons and highlights the history of the Japanese American youth culture in Orange County in the 1950s and 1960s. The collection comprises of one scrapbook from the Orange County Japanese American Youths (OC JAYs) from 1954 to 1963.

Munemitsu-Sasaki Family Collection: A collection of photographs, documents, and keepsakes on the Munemitsu and Sasaki families, chronicling their experiences as Japanese Americans in Southern California and as internees in Southwestern incarceration camps. These papers also notably document the Munemitsu family's minor involvement relating to the Mendez v. Westminster court case which desegregated Mexican-only schools in Orange County.

A library staff member serves as a member of the Japanese American Incarceration Memory Project Committee, which has created public programming to increase awareness of the Japanese internment during World War II.

The library is committed to supporting Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Studies by adding new resources that provide research on Social Justice and Legal Issues relating to Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Studies, including:

• Creating, promoting, and updating a Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Studies Library Guide.
• A library staff member serves as a member of the LGBTQIA+ Staff & Faculty Forum.
• The library celebrates LGBTQIA+ Pride Month by providing virtual and in-person displays, events, and safe spaces.
• Access to journals, such as Transgender Studies Quarterly and GLQ.

The Library is committed to supporting Disabilities Studies and providing access to research materials and services through reasonable accommodations such as readily accessible adaptive technology and software, special equipment, informational resources, and personal assistance:

• Assistive Technology Alcove: Work stations are available in the Assistive Technology Alcove, just east of the main stairwell on the second floor.
  
• ZoomText Magnifier/Reader:  ZoomText Magnifier/Reader is a fully integrated magnification and reading program tailored for low-vision users. Magnifier/Reader enlarges and enhances everything on computer screens, echoing typing and essential program activity, and automatically reads documents, web pages, and emails.
• Invisible Disabilities Display: The Leatherby Libraries curated a display dedicated to raising awareness to invisible disabilities. With more than 50 resources, this semester-long exhibit informed patrons on the obstacles facing those struggling with invisible disabilities. 
• Merlin Electronic Magnifier: This CCTV solution was designed to assist those with low vision by offering magnification and contrast/color settings for text and graphics from print materials.

To learn more, read our blog post about our available resources.

The library is committed to Women's and Gender Studies by providing resources that support the interdisciplinary approaches to the study of women and gender inequality; cultural representations of women and their social roles; and the social axes of gender, race, class, and sexuality. These resources include:

• Women's History Month Virtual Exhibit: This virtual display honors the historical figures who broke barriers and achieved greatness in the health sciences. In this exhibit, you will find helpful ebooks and online resources portraying the impact of these trailblazers and how you may support women's health.
• Motherhood to motherhoods Display: A physical display of more than 50 books honoring the intersectionality of motherhood and issues pertaining to gender politics, female health, and femininity. It was curated in the Spring of 2023 in conjunction with the "Motherhood to motherhoods" conference hosted by Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. 
• A Town Hall honoring library women leaders: The Leatherby Libraries hosted a panel of library women leaders in honor of Women's History Month.
  
• American Women Quarters Display: In late 2020, Congress passed legislation directing the U.S. Mint to consult to identify prominent American women to honor on a series of quarter dollars over the next four years. In honor of this, a display was with books featuring these women.
• A library staff member serves as a member of the Chapman Diversity Project and the Advisory Group on the Status of Women.

1. Resources

Human Rights and Justice Issues Database: HeinOnline database focuses on human rights and justice issues. The Open Society Justice Initiative database provides access to briefing papers, publications, reports, handbooks, legal and policy submissions, and fact sheets by the Justice Initiative on human rights and justice issues.

Social Justice and Sustainability Research Guides: Our Reference Librarians have recently put together two new research guides to provide resources and information for those interested in Sustainability and Social Justice.

Ethnic Diversity Database: Ethnic Diversity Source provides rich access to a variety of materials dating back to 1923 that cover the cultures, traditions, social treatment, and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, and multiracial Americans. The database includes peer-reviewed journals, magazines, newspapers, e-books, biographies, historical documents, videos, and primary source documents consisting of speeches, letters, and interviews.

2. Services

The Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives: Library administration selected a librarian to represent the Leatherby Libraries on all related diversity initiatives, including the DEI Chapman University Task Force. The diversity librarian has been charged with creating a comprehensive diversity plan that will include innovative ways of thinking about diversity and emphasize diversity of thought, which has always been at the heart of academic libraries.

MyLibrary! App: The Leatherby Libraries now has the MyLibrary! application which is available on all iOS or Android mobile devices. Some features include renewing items, searching items in the catalog, placing holds, viewing account information, and much more!

3. Spaces

Italian Heritage Archive Study Room: Celebrates the culture and history of Italian Americans. The study room contains many artifacts, including gifts from John N. La Corte, the founder of the Italian Historical Society of America, who dedicated his life to informing the public about Italian-American culture.

Sikhs and Sikhism in America Study Room: The Sikhs and Sikhism in America Study Room was developed as part of the Leatherby Libraries project Sikh Initiatives at Chapman University. This study room displays artifacts and a photo wall of Famous Sikh Americans to promote further understanding and appreciation of the Sikh religion.

Mendez v. Westminster Group Study Room: Our Mendez v Westminster Group Study Room provides resources and information on the historical ruling that was used as a precedent to desegregate public schools in California, and paved the way to end segregation based on race in the United States.

Henri Temianka Archives Multimedia Room: In celebration of Henri Temianka, a world-renowned violinist, educator, conductor, and writer, the Leatherby Libraries created the Henri Temianka Archives Multimedia Room containing Temianka’s personal belongings and other artifacts, allowing patrons to learn about his career and influence on the musical world.

Donna Ford Attallah '61 Angels Room: The Donna Ford Attallah ’61 Angels Room contains a sampling of Donna Ford Attallah’s collection of more than 5,000 angel statues made from various mediums, including bronze, paper-mâché, and crystal.

4. Technology

Open Educational Resources (OER): Research has shown that using OER in place of traditional textbooks helps to create more equitable and inclusive learning experiences for marginalized students. The Leatherby Libraries offers workshops, guides, open access research, and the ability to publish for free in the Wiley and Cambridge University Press Journals.

Increase in Seamless Access to Electronic Full-Text Content: The Leatherby Libraries switched to a new link resolver and Journal A-Z List to make accessibility easier for students, faculty, and staff to locate and access electronic journals and other resources.

5. Exhibits and Displays

Martha Redbone: This display, created in collaboration with the Musco Center for the Arts,  celebrates Martha Redbone, a celebrated Native and African American vocalist, songwriter, composer, and educator. Items detail traditional Cherokee chants, bluegrass, blues, country, gospel, jazz, rock, and funk sounds that Redbone weaves together to express her commitment to the protection of America's land through music.

Martin Luther King Jr.: Every January, the Leatherby Libraries creates a display to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy as a nonviolent civil rights leader who worked against segregation in the United States. Books are selected to educate and inform patrons about Dr. King’s lasting impact on American society.

César Chávez: A display created to celebrate César Chávez, a Mexican-American educator, environmentalist, and civil rights leader. The exhibit, created in honor of César Chávez Day, compiles publications celebrating Chávez’s legacy as a leader in the fight for nonviolent social change, education, environment, and consumer rights in America.

Native American Art: This exhibit celebrates Native American Art, including traditional and modern artwork. This exhibit honors historical and contemporary Native American culture by displaying paintings, sculptures, basketry, pottery, photography, and other artistic mediums created by past and present Native American artists.

Arab Heritage Month: President Biden proclaimed April National Arab American Heritage Month in 2023, and the Leatherby Libraries celebrated by creating a display to pay tribute to Arab American culture, heritage, literature, and experiences. 

Pinoy Panthers: The Pinoy Panthers display was curated to take viewers through the history of Filipino/a culture in California, specifically the history of Filipino/a community at Chapman University, to fostwer a greater understanding of the diverse history of Filipino/a culture at Chapman University.

I AM CHAPMAN: The Leatherby Libraries was pleased to participate in the campus-wide I AM CHAPMAN campaign designed to explore and affirm different identities in the Chapman community. The photo exhibit allowed students to foster a greater understanding of the identities that they are surrounded by on campus to create a more inclusive community for all students.

6. Programming and Events

Staff Art Exhibit: An annual event organized by the Leatherby Libraries that invites staff members from everywhere in the Chapman community to share their artistic creations in a collaborative exhibits to showcase the diverse talents of those within the Chapman community while promoting art for everyone. 

Empowering Muslim Women: The Leatherby Libraries hosted this powerful event to inform attendees about Muslim women's cultural history, practices, and views through activities and an exhibit showcasing examples of powerful Muslim women in society to raise increased awareness and appreciation of the unique experiences facing Muslim women.

Howard Arthur Tibbs: Citizen, Musician, and Tuskegee Airman: The Leatherby Libraries hosted Howard Arthur Tibbs’ son Philip Tibbs as he detailed his father’s experience defending the United States while experiencing racial injustices through a selection of letters, photographs, and his personal music collection that he played as a jazz saxophonist with the Army Air Force band.

Nobel Prize Winners at the Leatherby Libraries: The Leatherby Libraries has connections to many Nobel Prize Winners in different industries who have contributed to programming and collections in the library. A notable winner with connections to the Leatherby Libraries is Dr. Vernon L. Smith (Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences), whose Nobel Prize can be seen in the Leatherby’s Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections & Archive.

Black Book Nook Achieves CASE Awards: The Black Book Nook earned the 2023 Best of District VII Award in the category of Leadership: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiaitives. It was also awarded a bronze Circle of Excellence Award from CASE for increasing inclusivity in the community by raising awareness and scholarship of Black culture. 

Faculty Collaborators and Dean Kevin Ross Win Diversity and Inclusion Award: Dean Kevin Ross worked with faculty collaborators to create "Researching the Lives, Interests, and Experiences of African Americans and the African Diaspora," which was chosen for an Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion award because it promoted increased scholarship of Black communities, culture, and politics.

Library Sikh Initiatives Receives CASE Award: The Leatherby Libraries received a CASE Circle of Excellence Award because of its Sikh Initiatives at Chapman University project, which included hosting exhibits and events that have shared Sikh stories to promote a raised awareness of the impact of Sikh culture.

Exploring the Magic Blog Series Obtains Gold Award: The “Exploring the Magic of the Leatherby Libraries” blog series, authored by Jimmy Elinkshi (’21), was awarded a Gold CASE award for its creative approach to promoting its resources and areas in a way that educated readers while creating a living record of the library.

University Archivist Earned The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion, and Culture Heritage: Annie Tang, Leatherby Libraries’ first University Archivist, earned the coveted Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion, and Culture Heritage, which is dedicated to advancing multicultural collections to create more diverse special collections and archives. 

The Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives Receives an Award from SJSU Committee to Enhance Equity and Diversity: Essraa Nawar, the Leatherby Libraries’ Assistant Dean for Library DEI Initiatives and Development, received an award from the SJSU’s Committee to Enhance Equity and Diversity for her dedication to increased outreach for diverse programming in libraries. 

*Note: CASE stands for the "Council for Advancement and Support of Education". Programs are recognized for CASE awards if they have significant achievement in the field of education that impacts the global academic community.

Diversity as a Collective Action Presentation: Dean Ross and the Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives presented Diversity as a Collective Action: A Strategy for Success at the 15th Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries International Conference. The presentation showcased the Leatherby Libraries' efforts towards furthering diversity while encouraging other university libraries to implement diversity intiatives.

Practicing Social Justice in Libraries: The Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives wrote the chapter Bringing Diverse Library Exhibitions and Events to Life in the book Practicing Social Justice in Libraries. Routledge published this book.

California Library Association: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice for Library Advocacy: The Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives participated in the CLA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice for Library Advocacy as a panelist.

Dean Kevin Ross Sits on the ACRL Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council: The purpose of this council is to initiate, advise and mobilize support for appropriate action related to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic librarianship—including recruitment, advancement, and retention of underrepresented groups to academic and research librarianship and the promotion of library and information services for diverse library users.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate: The Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives and Dean Kevin Ross earned a DEI certificate from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.

Sociology Librarian Serves as a Juror on the 2021 ALA Spectrum Scholarship: The Spectrum Scholarship Program actively recruits and provides scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern, and North African, and/or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students to assist them with obtaining a graduate degree and leadership positions within the profession and ALA.

Sociology Librarian Serves as Moderator/Technology Assistant for the 2021 REFORMA National Conference: The REFORMA National Conference is the premier training and networking event for anyone interested in library services for Latinos and Spanish-Speaking individuals. As an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), REFORMA has actively sought to promote the development of library collections to include Spanish-language and Latino-oriented materials, the recruitment of more bilingual and bicultural library professionals and staff, and much more.

Coordinator of Special Collections Librarian Involvement in Anti-Racist Description Working Group: The goal of the Anti-Racist Description Working Group is to address and rectify biased language, distortion, and the erasure of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the descriptions we write for the archival collections under our care. As part of The Getty Research Institute, the Special Collections Librarian was involved with this group.