Acknowledgments: The author thanks Hayley Park of the University of Maryland for her contributions to language used in this article and Derek Wilmott of the University of Toledo for his assistance in developing the incident reporting form.
Libraries across the country are navigating heightened immigration enforcement activity while trying to support community members and staff. Library leaders may face difficult decisions about how to respond to enforcement activity, address harassment, communicate with their communities, and protect patrons and employees, often with limited information about what other libraries are experiencing.
Consider a public library responding to increased immigration enforcement activity in its community. Library leadership might consider issuing a public statement supporting immigrants but ultimately decide against it after consulting legal counsel, concerned that doing so could make the library a target.
How can library leaders make decisions like this when much of the information available to them comes from anecdotal experiences or informal conversations with colleagues?
Better data can help.
The Services to Refugees, Immigrants, and Displaced Persons (SRIDP) Subcommittee is proud to announce the launch of the Incidents Against Immigrants in Libraries reporting form.
Developed in partnership with the American Library Association’s Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services and the Libraries, Integration, New Americans (LINA) Project, the reporting tool provides a confidential way to document anti-immigrant incidents occurring in libraries and related information institutions around the country.
By gathering information across institutions, the project can help identify patterns that may be difficult to see when libraries are working from individual experiences. Over time, that information can help inform resources, training, advocacy, and guidance for library workers.
The reporting form is modeled in part on the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom’s longstanding censorship reporting system. Just as documenting book challenges has helped the profession identify trends and respond to threats to intellectual freedom, documenting incidents affecting immigrant communities can help libraries better understand emerging challenges and develop informed, effective responses.
What Is Considered an Incident Against Immigrants?
Incidents against immigrants may include any biased action directed at an individual or group based on their actual or perceived nationality, country of origin, citizenship, or immigration status. Reports may involve individuals from any immigrant community, including refugees, international students, undocumented immigrants, people with temporary immigration status, permanent residents, asylum seekers, and others.
Every Report Matters
Some incidents may seem small when viewed in isolation, while others may be highly visible or deeply concerning. Together, these reports can create a more complete picture of what immigrant communities and library workers are experiencing across the country.
Identifying patterns can help the profession better understand where support is needed, what resources should be developed, and how libraries can respond more effectively.
The information collected through the reporting form can also provide valuable context for library leaders navigating difficult situations, whether they are responding to enforcement activity, addressing harassment directed at immigrant patrons, or determining how to communicate with their communities. Rather than relying solely on individual experiences, libraries can benefit from knowledge gathered across the profession.
Is My Data Protected?
Reports may be submitted anonymously. Individuals also have the option to provide contact information if they are willing to participate in a follow-up interview with the LINA Project. All information will be kept confidential, and incidents will be reported only in aggregate.
The information collected will help ALA and the SRIDP Subcommittee identify patterns, monitor emerging issues, develop training and resources for library workers, and strengthen advocacy efforts on behalf of immigrant communities and the institutions that serve them.
Libraries have long been places where everyone should be able to seek information, connect with resources, and participate in civic life without fear or discrimination. Understanding the challenges immigrant communities face within these spaces is an important step toward ensuring that libraries continue to uphold those values.
If you have witnessed or experienced an incident affecting an immigrant community in a library or related information institution, submit a report. Your experience can help build a stronger evidence base, inform future guidance, and support libraries across the country as they continue to serve all members of their communities.
Want to learn more? Watch this video to hear directly from SRIDP leaders about why the reporting form was created and how the information collected supports their work.
The post ALA Launches Reporting Form for Incidents Against Immigrants in Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.
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