Thread by @TrustMiguel

My library has no librarians of color. The supervisory chain in the library has no POCs and never has. Yet our student population becomes more diverse each semester. #LibraryLife
latinxtalk.org/2018/09/19/the…

I'm the only Latinx person working in my library and have been for years. I'm one of only 2 POCs employees and have been for years. In my 17 years of working in an academic library, I was often the only POC on staff. #LibraryLife

I can share that today we're adding another POC to the library staff and I'm so happy because he's Latinx and because I was on the hiring committee. Our top two candidates were POC so I was thrilled that whomever we chose, they would be a POC.

I was thinking yesterday about the other times I was on a hiring committee and the person I wanted to hire (a qualified POC) was usually never hired.

But having said that, the position I work (Information Desk) has probably had the most POC employees. It's just that they don't stay very long. Sometimes it's because a certain librarian finds working with POCs ... difficult and makes it difficult for them.

I've filed complaints with HR but they always side with her. A few others have made complaints as well but the librarian is still here and those POC workers are gone.

So I'm going to do what I always do: give them a few days to learn the new job. Then I'll check in with them. Take them outside the library and ask if everything is okay. Ask if everything is REALLY okay. Ask if something is wrong in the slightest that they can tell me.

I'll talk to them as on POC to another and say that in the past I've had issues with a certain librarian and without saying that person's name, they already know who I'm talking about.

I tell them that if they need to talk to someone about it then I'm here for it. If they need strategies to ways to work with or around that librarian, I'll share mine. I tell them there's a lot of great things about working here and in a library.

And I'll say that as a fellow POC employee, one of my unofficial duties is to make sure you keep yours. I'll try to throw you a few extra hours when I take time off to to got conferences or workshops. If you need me to fill in for you for whatever reason, just let me know.

They stay for a while but move on. Sometimes to bigger and better things. Sometimes they can't deal with that certain person so they find another job. In either case, it's the right thing for them.

I just wish one day that one could stay.

And since that certain librarian won't ever be fired, that she will retire and go away so that there could be more than 2 POCs on staff at one time.

Today Problematic Librarian asked me if the new employee speaks English. Mind you she's never seen him or met him. She just heard his Latinx sounding name.

I swear to god if she's gonna start up her racist shit again ...