We Will Not Be Silent: Amplifying Marginalized Voices in LIS Education and Research

Abstract

AbstractThis article focuses on the role of LIS faculty and researchers in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. Key points include our responsibility to educate ourselves about marginalization and silencing; to help our students build theoretical, practical, and ethical foundations for engaging with communities in ways that prioritize their needs and uphold the values of the profession; to amplify the voices of people systematically targeted by the presidential administration’s policies and actions; and to engage in public discourse about the implications of current administrative policies as related to the core values of LIS, such as the right to privacy, access, freedom of speech, and intellectual freedom. The article draws parallels between social oppression, as demonstrated in campaign rhetoric and presidential policy, and institutional oppression within library spaces.