Becoming culturally competent and practicing cultural humility are central to serving youth of color and Indigenous youth. As Dr. Nicole A. Cooke (2017) argues, cultural competence and cultural humility compel us to act – to move beyond simply being aware of or sensitive to people’s cultural differences. Library staff who are culturally competent and practice cultural humility collect
materials, provide programs, design instruction, and build technology tools that reflect the various cultures represented in their communities. They also actively work to identify and address systemic inequities. In this module, we will develop a shared understanding of the terms culturally competent and cultural humility, explore why an understanding of these two concepts is important to creating equitable and inclusive library services, and create personal goals to guide your journey to
cultural competence and cultural humility. Culturally competent librarians and educators understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. Cultural competence encompasses: Underlying cultural competence are the principles of trust, respect for diversity, equity, fairness, and social justice (Rhonda Livingstone). While there is no single checklist that identifies the attributes of culturally competent educators or librarians, the following
attitudes, skills and knowledge are commonly identified in the literature: Who is…Dr. Nicole A. Cooke Dr. Nicole A. Cooke is an Associate Professor and the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina. In this role she focuses on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in the profession. To learn more about Dr. Cooke and her work:
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