DEIA

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility Committee Mission Statement

Mission

The mission of the Austin ALA Chapter is to increase diversity and build a culture of inclusion within our membership. We seek to proactively address and remove barriers while intentionally building an organization in which all feel welcomed. We will serve as a resource and advocate to our membership and local legal community as they seek to do the same.   

    DEIA Lens

    To support ALA’s broader strategic direction, the Austin ALA Diversity Committee has developed this “DEIA Lens” as a practical guide to help our team ensure that we are removing accessibility barriers and intentionally including members, business partners and others, who may experience diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) challenges. We hope the DEIA Lens will serve as a rubric of things to consider in your planning and decision-making.  

    • Have we reached out to diverse organizations, resources, or suppliers for this role/opportunity, including Minority-Owned, Woman-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Disability-Owned, and LGBTQ-Owned businesses?

    • Is the makeup of our activity/group homogenous? How do we add a diverse perspective?

    • Have we addressed the needs of diverse members?

    • Are we actively listening and holding open conversations about DEIA within our committee?

    • Are our members comfortable speaking up?

    DEIA Events & Activities

    • Annual Expo

    • Managing Partner Breakfast

    • Community Service

    • Educational Programming

    • Recruiting

    • Business Partners

    • Communication and Resources

    • Adding a diversity component to every committee

    DEIA Educational Sessions

    The DEIA committee collaborates with the Education committee to offer educational content concerning DEIA within the Chapter. To find information on upcoming events, please check the Austin ALA calendar.

    DEIA Resources

    You can access a compilation of DEIA resources from ALA HQ here, and the Austin ALA Chapter here.

    Contact the DEIA Committee

    To obtain further details about the DEIA committee of the Austin ALA Chapter, or to become a part of the team, please reach out to [email protected].