Abstract
Health sciences librarianship has historically benefited from avoiding critical conversations around the role of race in the profession, reflected through a select few number of articles on the topic. The purpose of this study was to add to this body of literature and apply a critical librarianship framework on the early scholarly record of health sciences librarianship and the legacy of integration within the Medical Library Association (MLA). Three Southern medical works and the integration views of Mary Louise Marshall, the longest-serving president of MLA from 1941 to 1946, were thematically and textually analyzed to redress the profession's long-standing legacy with Whiteness and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) representation. In reframing the historic past of MLA both through Marshall's works and her views, the goal is to acknowledge ways in which the profession has impeded progress and present steps to remedy appropriate outreach for the future.
Highlights
It has happened—the visible dissolution of the colorblind boundaries by which health sciences librarianship frames its discourse
In July 2020, a JMLA editor made an initial request for feedback from leaders of the African American Medical Librarians Alliance (AAMLA) and Latinx Caucuses
JMLA editors received input for areas in which the publication could improve within its editorial board and peer reviewers and through targeted outreach of BIPOC librarians interested in scholarly publishing [4]
Summary
It has happened—the visible dissolution of the colorblind boundaries by which health sciences librarianship frames its discourse. BIPOC health sciences librarians are being asked for their thoughts, opinions, and ideas with genuine interest Such inquiry exchange signals that the profession is listening and serves as the impetus for this paper’s goal to address how the scholarly landscape reckons with a problematic past in order to welcome a socially conscious future. The author felt that in doing the work to improve future efforts, reflecting on the past was important This feedback led to follow-up questions on how this was possible, and in response to that inquiry, this paper seeks to examine a sampling of the JMLA historical scholarly record and by extension share recommendations in which the publication can build a space for current and future BIPOC authors
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