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Diversity Collection Audit & Assessment

Purpose

The purpose of this audit/assessment project is to evaluate our current monograph collection through a diversity lens in order to:

  • learn what percentage of our collection reflects something other than the experiences of white, heteronormative, and non-disabled males
  • identify collection gaps in those diverse experiences
  • increase diversity through collection development
  • promote diverse aspects of our collection 

The assessment is primarily retrospective (what do we have?), but also provides direction and guidance on how we might improve our collections going forward (what should we get?).

This project was started in Spring 2020 and is updated annually.

Campus & Community Environment

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of West Florida

At the University of West Florida, we define equal opportunity as non-discrimination on the basic of protected characteristics. We define diversity as the various attributes we each possess based on characteristics from birth, the experience we have had, and the decisions we have made. We define inclusion as acknowledging and leveraging diversity by creating an environment where students, faculty, and staff feel accepted and valued. We celebrate the unique characteristics of each member of our community as well as the commonalities we share. As an educational institution, we recognize the considerable benefits emanating from the diverse human mosaic that is our university. It is our vision to be an intellectual and cultural center that engages our students, faculty, staff and community partners in an ongoing and dynamic process that prepares each of us to be culturally competent in an ever-changing multicultural world.
(source: UWF Equity and Diversity)

UWF received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Maintaining a diverse library collection directly supports the UWF Diversity Plan 2018-2022.
Specifically, Goal 2:
          Improve and sustain a culture where students, faculty, staff and visitors of all identities feel included and supported.

It also directly supports the UWF Strategic Plan, 2017-2022.
Specifically, the following Strategic Directions:
          1.1 Provide high‐quality learning and co‐curricular experiences that inspire students to become enlightened and engaged global citizens and successful professionals
          2.1 Attract, retain and develop high‐quality diverse faculty and staff.
          3.3 Augment and invest in academic and research programs that meet professional, personal, scholastic and workforce needs.

Protected Classes at UWF:
          Age Color, Disability, Gender, Gender Identity, Marital Status, National Origin, Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Veteran Status

            (source: UWF Equal Opportunity Programs
)

Campus and Community Population Demographics

Population 1

 UWF
12,588

Escambia Co.
318,316

Tri-County
713,367

Florida
21,477,737

U.S.
328,239,523

Male

39%

49.4%

50.4%

48.9%

49.2%

Female

61%

50.6%

49.6%

51.1%

50.8%

White

64.39%

68.9%

79%

77.3%

76.3%

Black/African American

11.57%

23.3%

13.4%

16.9%

13.4%

American Indian/Alaskan Native

0.4%

0.9%

0.8%

0.5%

1.3%

Asian

3.7%

3.3%

2.9%

3%

5.9%

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 

0.28%

0.2%

0.2%

0.1%

0.2%

Hispanic/Latino

10.4%

5.9%

7.2%

26.4%

18.5%

Two or more races 

4.96%

3.4%

3.7%

2.2%

2.8%

Disabled, under age 65 

5.66% 2

11.5%

11.1%

8.6%

8.6%

Foreign born 3

2.25% 4

5.1%

5.6%

20.7%

13.6%

Language other than English 

n/a

7%

8.4%

29.4%

21.6%

Persons in poverty 

4% 5

15.5%

12%

12.7%

10.5%

LGBT

n/a

n/a

n/a

4.6% 6

4.5% 7

Transgender

n/a

n/a

n/a

0.7% 8

0.3% 9


1 unless otherwise noted, UWF data comes from Fall 2020 enrollment data: UWF Enrollment; unless otherwise noted, Escambia Co, Florida, and U.S. data comes from: U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts - Escambia County, Santa Rosa County, Okaloosa County (July 1, 2019) - accessed March 23, 2021
2 5.66% of student body identifies as having a disability (UWF 2020 HEED application)
3 includes both naturalized and non-U.S. citizens
4 non-resident alien (international students)
5 4% of student body identifies as low-income (UWF 2019 HEED application); 30% of students receive financial aid (2018/2019 Common Data Set)
6 Florida - 4.6% of population is LGBT (2019)
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/visualization/lgbt-stats/?topic=LGBT#density
7 4.5% - American adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (2017)
https://news.gallup.com/poll/234863/estimate-lgbt-population-rises.aspx
8 Florida - 110,300 (0.66%) adults who identify as transgender (2016)
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/trans-adults-united-states/
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Trans-Adults-US-Aug-2016.pdf
9 3.5% of Americans identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, while 0.3% are transgender (201?)

Project Scope

Diversity can involve a number of factors, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, culture, language, socioeconomic status, veteran status, religion, politics, age, neurodiversity, and physical abilities.

This baseline assessment focuses on the following themes:

  • Race
  • Ethnicity
  • Immigration
  • Gender
  • Sexual Identity
  • Socioeconomic Status
  • Ability
  • General/Multidisciplinary (i.e. diversity, multiculturalism, intersectionality, social justice)

Not included in this assessment:

  • #ownvoices / #livedexperiences
  • Age
  • Political Diversity
  • Religious Diversity
  • Veteran Status

Considerations & Challenges

  • no single method is “right” or comprehensive
  • interdisciplinary nature of diversity topics / LC classification scheme
  • subject content and interpretation can be subjective (human fallibility)
  • the state of diversity in publishing is not equitable
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