On Tuesday the San Diego Mesa College Library and Learning Resource Center received the 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine.
The LEAD Award honors academic libraries’ programs and initiatives that encourage and support DEI — diversity, equity, and inclusion — across their campus. These include research, technology, accessibility, exhibitions, and community outreach. San Diego Mesa College will be featured, along with 55 other recipients, in the March 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine.
“I am so proud that the Mesa College Library has earned this Library Excellence in Access and Diversity Award,” stated Dr. Ashanti T. Hands, president of Mesa College. “In 2019, we were intentional when we hired an equity and engagement librarian — the first and only one in the region — who would promote access, outreach, and literacy services to minoritized groups.
“This recognition honors the power, impact, and possibilities of institutionalizing equity-minded, innovative practices that disrupt the status quo and create conditions that matter for our students to be seen and to succeed.”
Insight Into Diversity Magazine said it selected the Mesa College Library because Mesa College and the library are committed to promoting access, outreach, and literacy services to underserved groups, including ethnic and racial minorities, gender differences, and people with disabilities.
The library has multiple equity and excellence initiatives. One of these initiatives included hiring the first and only equity and engagement librarian in the San Diego region, Dr. Edeama Onwuchekwa Jonah.
“We know that many academic libraries are not always recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion, and access,” said Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these college and university libraries as role models for other institutions of higher education.”
Jonah works with library staff to assess the DEI progress of the library and ensure that the library supports students with equity and inclusion at the center of the services provided. Additionally, the Mesa College library created a five-year plan that is designed to help break down barriers and expand access to library resources for underrepresented students.
Another unique Mesa College program is the embedded librarian initiative focused on underserved and disproportionately impacted student groups, which began as an initial request for class visits for students in Black studies classes. Jonah has worked with faculty to expand the program, which now serves over 350 black students in their research sessions and embedded library class visits.
