Southern Tier Library System staff subscribe to the Library Bill of Rights and Core Values of Librarianship as outlined by the American Library Association. We also recognize there are inequities within our communities, and we have a professional responsibility to strengthen humanity. It is for this reason, we also feel compelled to uphold our library system’s Declaration Promoting Racial and Social Justice.
The activities within this document highlight specific work STLS staff will spearhead or incorporate into their practices over the next few years. Some activities are abstract, ongoing and evolving, while others are specific, time sensitive and obtainable in the near term. All of the activities contained within are tied to our current Plan of Service.
It is our intention to continually visit this document to ensure the listed practices are maintained, reviewed and updated to reflect the needs of our membership and region. The timeline of this framework is 2021 – 2023. However, ongoing engagement with the intended activities will ensure the work as well as this document are updated as needed, so we remain committed to our values.
We are proud of this plan. And we look forward to doing this work!
On March 16, 2021, the Southern Tier Library System Board of Trustees approved the Declaration Promoting Racial and Social Justice. This document was drafted in partnership between trustees and librarians. It is our hope that the words contained within remind us of a library’s impact, but also recognize that libraries are capable of doing much more to foster a fair and just world for humanity.
Libraries have been and continue to be institutions for life-long learning and enlightenment. However, this democratic privilege has not always been afforded to all residents, nor has it been equitable.
The member libraries of the Southern Tier Library System have a long-standing tradition of serving our region by ensuring all residents have access to cultural, economic, educational, and social opportunities. Our libraries subscribe to the Library Bill of Rights and a set of core values that guide our mission, and we look forward to the addition of the Declaration Promoting Racial and Social Justice to our guiding documents.
STLS Declaration Promoting Racial and Social Justice
Issued April 22, 2021
Read the full statement here.
