Diversity, Equity & Accessibility Initiatives
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is incorporated into the library’s strategic planning at all levels. As an essential facet of every student's education, we pride ourselves on providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with services, programs, and accommodations carefully designed to support the wellbeing and academic success of all of our students.
Michael Schwartz Library Diversity Statement
The Michael Schwartz Library celebrates diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and ideas. The library supports Inclusive Excellence through the pursuit of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism. The library recognizes the current and historical role libraries and educational institutions have played in perpetuating systemic injustices and racism and seeks to disrupt this cycle by taking action to end oppressive practices. While the library welcomes everyone to enjoy its spaces, the library will not tolerate acts of hate and bigotry that diminish the rights, dignity, and safety of others.
Accessibility at the Michael Schwartz Library
Library services to our patrons with disabilities
Including assistive technology offerings, emergency plans, helpful contacts, and information about the library's long-standing cooperation with the University's Office of Disability and Testing Services.
Report an Accessibility Barrier in the Library
We encourage our users to use this form to report any ADA access barriers you encounter in the Michael Schwartz Library, either physical or electronic.
Michael Schwartz Library Diversity Council
DEI is incorporated into the library’s strategic planning at all levels. The Library's 8-member Diversity Council works to foster a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism within the library through procedures, guidelines, services, programs, collections, and access. We feature a sample of these initiatives below:
The OhioLINK Luminaries Program
The Michael Schwartz Library is proud to have been an inaugural partner in this annual residency program, sponsored by OhioLINK's DEI initiative. This initiative aims to identify and encourage diverse candidates for Ohio’s libraries and library-related industries, while also supporting efforts towards greater diversity, equity, and inclusion at the library level.
The Luminaries program gives undergraduate college students from under-represented populations an opportunity to gain paid, rotational work experiences alongside a dedicated mentor. The program not only introduces the students to libraries as a potential career path, it also helps students acquire marketable skills that can extend to a variety of professional disciplines—both inside and outside of libraries.
We're happy to share these reflections from our first two Luminaries residents:
For more information on Engagement, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Cleveland State University, visit the CSU Division of Student Belonging and Success