Disability Awareness – Explore books that illuminate diverse disability experiences, promote understanding, and celebrate the voices of people with disabilities.

Previous Displays:

• Banned Books
• Workplace Diversity
• Civil Rights & Democracy
• Immigration/Refugees
• Neurodiveristy
• Celebrating Black Music
• Age Discrimination | Ageism
• White Privilege, Power, and Supremacy
• Lives and Experiences of Immigrants and Refugees
• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Authors
• Banned Books
• LGBTQA+ Pride 
• Religion
• Implicit Bias, Microaggressions
• Poverty
• Disabilities and Chronic Health Conditions
• Exploring Public Heath: Building Stronger, Healthier Communities

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About

Banned Books Week – October 5-11, 2025

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. The annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.

Previous DEI Displays:

• Workplace Diversity
• Civil Rights & Democracy
• Immigration/Refugees
• Neurodiveristy
• Celebrating Black Music
• Age Discrimination | Ageism
• White Privilege, Power, and Supremacy
• Lives and Experiences of Immigrants and Refugees
• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Authors
• Banned Books
• LGBTQA+ Pride 
• Religion
• Implicit Bias, Microaggressions
• Poverty
• Disabilities and Chronic Health Conditions
• Exploring Public Heath: Building Stronger, Healthier Communities

About

The 51¸£ÀûÉç Libraries and Learning Commons is committed to providing and supporting a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all members of our diverse campus community. Our commitment reflects the long-standing pledge to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the library profession and incorporates the DEI goals of the 51¸£ÀûÉç Strategic Plan.

DEI in the library is about recognizing all members of our campus community, realizing that each individual is unique.

In order to better promote DEI materials and resources in the library collection that help build a foundation for greater understanding in the community, we have created a new, highly visible and accessible topic area in the JFK Lobby, adjacent to the New Books section. While we will continue to feature multicultural resource displays in the central lobby, this permanent DEI location will highlight resources on specific DEI topics and themes that are timely and impactful, in a monthly rotation.

This is a collaborative effort among library faculty and staff, library student workers and campus partners.

Display themes will be generated through shared discussion and campus collaboration, with input from library student workers.

For more information on this initiative, please contact Qing Stellwagen, Professor, Librarian for Ethnic Studies & Center, Women’s & Sexuality Studies (GWSS), Political Science, and International Affairs (qstellwagen@ewu.edu).

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Oct. 30 – Nov. 3, 2023 | JFK Gallery

Dia de los Muertos Altar Display to Honor 51¸£ÀûÉç Faculty and Staff

The Chicana/o/x Studies Program, with support from the and JFK Library, is hosting a Dia de los Muertos community altar display. The altar will honor 51¸£ÀûÉç faculty and staff who have passed away.  Members of the campus community are welcomed and encouraged to bring a photo of a person they wish to honor, along with flowers, flameless candles, and/or items that represent the person honored. Additions to the display are welcome any time during the week of Oct. 30.

If you would like to participate or have questions, please email Chicana/o/x Studies Coordinator & Recruiter, Marcella Godina at mgodina@ewu.edu.ÌýWhile advanced notification of participation is appreciated it is not required.

**Please make accommodation requests five days in advance by contacting Stephanie Bradley at 509.359.4811.

To learn more and to participate in more Dia de los Muertos activities, check out M.E.Ch.A’s annual Day of the Dead event:

Nov. 2, 2023 | 6 pm – 10 pm | PUB NCR

Sponsored by M.E.Ch.A. and Chicana/o/x Studies Program.

For questions or accommodations, please contact jgamboa2@ewu.edu.

51¸£ÀûÉç’s Human Library event will take place from 11 am to 1 pm at the JFK Library, on April 19, 2023.

The Human Library® is designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge or address stereotypes, prejudices, stigma, or taboo topics through dialogue.

‘Human Books’ are 51¸£ÀûÉç students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members who have volunteered to share their stories to break down barriers based on race, religion, sexual orientation, class, gender identity, lifestyle choices, disability or other aspects of life.

The Human Library provides the opportunity for our campus community to share and understand the experiences of others.

Made possible by event support from 51¸£ÀûÉç Libraries, the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, 51¸£ÀûÉç Counseling and Wellness Services, and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Many thanks to Thomas Hammer for donating coffee for our event!

The 51¸£ÀûÉç Libraries and Learning Commons is committed to providing and supporting a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all members of our diverse campus community. Our commitment reflects the long-standing pledge to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the library profession and incorporates the DEI goals of the 51¸£ÀûÉç Strategic Plan.

DEI in the library is about recognizing all members of our campus community, realizing that each individual is unique.

In order to better promote DEI materials and resources in the library collection that help build a foundation for greater understanding in the community, we have created a new, highly visible and accessible topic area in the JFK Lobby, adjacent to the New Books section. While we will continue to feature multicultural resource displays in the central lobby, this permanent DEI location will highlight resources on specific DEI topics and themes that are timely and impactful, in a monthly rotation.

This is a collaborative effort among library faculty and staff, library student workers and campus partners.Ìý

Display themes will be generated through shared discussion and campus collaboration, with input from library student workers.

Our current display, inspired by the UN’s declaration of December 3rd as the, features collected resources and materials raising awareness of situations faced by people with disabilities and chronic health conditions. These resources will be featured through January.

For more information on this initiative, please contact Qing Stellwagen, Associate Professor, Librarian of Diversity and Inclusion Studies, (qstellwagen@ewu.edu).

The 51¸£ÀûÉç Libraries & Learning Commons joins our fellow Orbis Cascade Alliance members affirming our commitment to equity and inclusion.Ìý

Statement issued June 4, 2020:

The Orbis Cascade Alliance Board of Directors joins our voices in unanimity with those of many others across our nation who are deeply committed to creating a just and humane world. We believe that all library workers, members of the academy, and citizens must stand together and work to end the systemic injustices, racism, oppression, and violence that have continuously traumatized Black Americans and other people of color throughout our nation’s history.

We stand in support and solidarity with the minoritized individuals and communities in our colleges and universities for whom recent incidents may have a particularly traumatic impact. These individuals include our own library faculty, staff, and student workers, as well as the minoritized individuals we serve – students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and other members of our campus communities.

As an academic library consortium, we recognize that our commitment to creating equity in higher education must extend beyond our traditional focus on ensuring equitable access to information. While we will remain dedicated to supporting shared access to library collections that can contribute to the dialog on equity, inclusion, and social justice, we must do more.

Building on the Alliance’s strong history of collaborating for our communities’ benefit, we have the collective power and opportunity to be part of the necessary change that our times demand. We can, and will, do more together to combat racism and to advance equity, inclusion, and social justice in our profession and our practices. We reaffirm our vision to serve as a vital partner in advancing transformative learning and research and creating equity in higher education.

For more information about the Orbis Cascade Alliance, visit the consortium website,