University Libraries IDEA Plan Actions

The University Libraries affirm diversity and inclusive excellence to be vitally integral to our mission and vision, as described in our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence.

Knowing this will be ongoing and collective work, in alignment with the campus-wide Inclusion, Diversity and Excellence in Academics (IDEA) Plan, we take a strategic and systematic approach to embedding EDI into all that we do.

This dashboard presents current actions in the following areas:

Please contact us with questions, ideas or comments at libraries@colorado.edu. 

Icon key: CU Boulder's “Five goals for building a more inclusive campus community"

 
Goal 1

Employee skills & development

  
Goal 2

Student achievement

  
Goal 3

Community building

  
Goal 4
Employee recruitment

  
Goal 5
Prepare students to participate
in a diverse democracy

Transformative Programming

Making change through meaningful connection

Buffs One Read

Building community through the shared reading of one book      

Initiated in 2021, this campus-level program targeted primarily at first year students builds community and a sense of belonging through the shared reading of one book.

In 2024, we distributed over 800 books to first-year students, held a number of events and planned to welcome Javier Zamora, author of Solito, in spring 2025.   

Culture Crawl

Connecting our community to arts & heritage resources across campus        

This campus collaboration led by the University Libraries aims to help students–particularly first year students–discover campus arts and heritage units, academic programs and organizations.

In 2024, we welcomed over one thousand participants in just one day and featured 14 arts and culture units across campus. One-fifth of all attendees were first-year or transfer students. 

Librarians of the Future Program

Partnering with new professionals to transform librarianship            

Our diversity residency program offers a cohort of two early career librarians a three-year, salaried opportunity to explore multiple career paths in academic librarianship. 

In 2024, our inaugural cohort of Librarians of the Future residents residents worked directly with students and researchers of multiple departments on campus as departmental liaisons, offering research consultations, developing & presenting instruction and managing library collections. They also demonstrated internal and external impact through their first-year research projects.

Learn more about ...

Buffs One Read

Culture Crawl

Librarians of the Future

Student Success

Promoting student learning, belonging and leadership

         

In 2024:  

  • Center for African & African American Studies (CAAAS) Graduate Student Fellowship program

    • Partnership between University Libraries and the Graduate School
    • Support for research through stipends and opportunities to present at multiple symposia throughout academic year

 

  • Defending the right to read

    • Programming during Banned Books Week included distribution of banned books, displays and a research guide 

 

  • University Libraries Undergraduate Fellows

    • Three new exhibits curated by Undergraduate Fellows feature materials from Libraries' collections
       

Spotlight on Libraries' Student Employees

Inclusive Library Practices

Evolving librarianship for a more diverse & equitable library

       

In 2024:

  • Commitment to Open Access & Open Educational Resources

    • Increased the number of publisher agreements to cover fees related to Open Access (OA) publishing for all authors at CU Boulder

 

  • DEI Action Planning

    • Started an initiative to Create a Compassionate and Caring Workplace
      • Reviewing onboarding policies and practices
      • Develop learning opportunities for supervisors
    • Inaugural In-Service Day for all libraries employees 

 

  • Strategic Partnerships & Programming

    • For Transgender Week Awareness Week, we and our partners presented seven events  – workshops, talks, a storytime and more – reaching approximately 140 registrants