Statement Opposing Anti-Asian Racism

In light of the surge in violence and racism directed toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the past year, the Hampshire College Library wants to explicitly state that we forcefully oppose this hatred and stand in support of efforts to dismantle the historical systems that perpetuate it. 

 

Part of our responsibility in this moment is to acknowledge the troubled past of libraries as tools of cultural assimilation, and while we have undoubtedly evolved in recent decades, we nevertheless need to constantly evaluate our policies, collections, and practices to ensure that our work is consistent with our ongoing commitment to anti-racist action. 

 

To this end, we have pursued a number of initiatives in the past year that seek to highlight the voices and experiences of AAPI people. These include:

 

• a research guide featuring a variety of resources that are free for Hampshire students, faculty, and staff to access;
• a book display featuring titles in our collection by AAPI creators;
• anti-racist ebooks shared weekly on our social media platforms.

 

We know that these are only first steps, and we welcome any feedback or additional ideas you would like to share with us. You can reach us at library@hampshire.edu, and we will try to respond individually to every message.

 

Sincerely, 

The Hampshire College Library Staff