On Defense: Academic Librarians in DEI Battleground States

As anti-DEI legislation sweeps the nation, workers in academic libraries are beginning to feel the impact. Three librarians working in states with passed or proposed anti-DEI legislation share their experiences and observations on the cultural, professional, and education shifts taking place on their campuses. Read how these librarians are learning to navigate the uncharted waters of intensifying retrenchment politics in their day-to-day work and the consequences of anti-DEI legislation for librarians at both public and private institutions. The Idea Lab authors shed light on the chilling-effect anti-DEI legislation has created on college campuses across the United States. One author describes the prospective personal and professional consequences for librarians engaging in DEI activities and outreach programs. Another author considers the way librarians are embedded DEIAJ into their daily practices and performing small acts of resistance to maintain DEI efforts despite looming political and administrative pressures. The final author critiques a collective shift in librarianship behaviors to sidestep DEI efforts through self-censorship, in order to fly under legislative and administrative radars.