Libraries Leading with Equity is a multi-part training that provides comprehensive equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training based on the Oregon Library Association (OLA) Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Antiracism Toolkit [PDF]. This free training champions the importance of understanding and incorporating EDI efforts into all aspects of library services, challenging participants to identify ways in which they can build their skills as strong allies and collaborators.
For the June 2025 session, the cohort is prioritizing participation from school library staff and will meet at the McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove, OR over three consecutive days:
Guided by the OLA Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Antiracism Toolkit [PDF], the training will provide opportunities for participants to learn, practice, and apply the concepts presented during both the training and in their own libraries and communities. Participants will work together, learning, developing, and implementing skills and best practices that are critical to introducing lasting and successful EDI initiatives, particularly in school settings.
Participants can expect to learn about:
This training, led by Christina Fuller-Gregory, will be an opportunity for both those new to equity work and those experienced with equity work to learn more and begin to work together. The cohorts are safe spaces for learning, growing, and community building.
School library staff of all roles are welcome to apply, whether teacher-librarians, district library coordinators, library media assistants, etc. Acceptance is not dependent on fall employment in a school, but applicants should currently be working in a school library. Public library staff are welcome to apply, as well, and will be added to the cohort as space allows.
Attendance for all three days is mandatory for participation, and to facilitate this, a hotel room for check in on Sunday, June 15 through check out on Wednesday, June 18 will be provided for each participant, as well as breakfast and lunch on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, mileage from your home to the Grand Lodge, and per diem allotments for dinner Sunday through Tuesday, if requested.
Applications are due by Friday, May 16.
Questions? Please reach out to:
Ericka Brunson-Rochette
Community Engagement Consultant- State Library of Oregon
ericka.brunson-rochette@slo.oregon.gov
971-375-5126
This project was made possible in whole by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.
What Are the Expectations for Participants?
Each participant chosen for a cohort will be expected to make a commitment to actively take part in all three days of learning. You must come with a learner's mind, ready to engage in the learning (and unlearning) necessary to truly explore the concepts in the OLA Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Antiracism Toolkit.
Building a network of support amongst cohort members is an essential element of the cohort structure. Successful participants will not only come prepared to engage in their own learning, but to provide empathetic and open support to their fellow learners; there will be opportunities for individual and group learning.
Application Process
Applications are now open: up to 23 applicants will be selected to participate with a preference for school library staff.
Applications are due by Friday, May 16.
Please note: the State Library asks that all participants engage fully (attend, participate, discuss and complete assignments). If you are unable or not willing to agree to this, please be kind and leave a seat for someone else.
You can use this form to apply.
What Support is Available for Participants?
We will work to support individuals in their participation, with funds available to support mileage stipends, per diem, hotel, and potentially substitute coverage for our colleagues in solo libraries. Libraries are encouraged to send more than one staff person and extend the opportunity to key volunteers.
It is our hope that the barriers that school library staff members may face that prevent taking part in training will be removed for cohort participants.
Cohort Facilitator: Christina Fuller-Gregory
Christina Fuller-Gregory (she/her/hers) is a librarian and experienced Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice practitioner. She is also the principal consultant at Fuller Potential Consulting.
Christina is an active member of the American Library Association (ALA), Public Library Association (PLA), and Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA). A 2017 ALA Emerging Leader, she currently serves as program facilitator for the Emerging Leaders program. She has also served as co-chair of the Public Library Associations (PLA) Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice Committee (PLA EDISJ). Deeply embedded in EDI work, Christina has served on both ALA’s EDI Assembly and ALA’s Diversity Committee. She also sits on advisory groups for the New Face of Library Makerspaces and for Library Journal’s Equity in Action Series. In recognition of her advocacy work in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice, Christina was named as a 2021 Library Journal Mover and Shaker.
Led by Fannie Lou Hamer’s belief that ‘Nobody’s free until everybody’s free,’ Christina's work is driven by a desire to see Libraries develop strategies for weaving equity, diversity, and inclusion into the very fabric of their organizations.