Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility
Central Rappahannock Regional Library is dedicated to upholding the dignity and worth of all members of the library community. Such dignity will be preserved in a community where members are safe to learn, live, work, and serve among individuals with different ideas, values, beliefs, abilities, and perspectives.
It is with this in mind that we are committed to principles of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA). In particular, we seek to foster a library community that values and celebrates each person’s race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, age, ability, class, national origin, and immigration status.
This is done per the library’s vision and mission statements of improving lives through the transformative power of information, learning, and ideas to meet the growing needs of our region, and of inspiring lifelong learning for everyone in our communities, as expressed in our strategic plan.
We honor these commitments by offering the services described on this page and by working towards eliminating barriers to information. Each member of our communities is encouraged to share their perspective about these services, thereby helping us to build more inclusive and positive communities that value every individual and group.
We encourage all members of our communities to share their ideas and feedback about how we can improve our diversity and inclusion initiatives by emailing us at community.director@crrl.org.
This statement was drafted by the library's Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Advisory Committee. The IDEA Advisory Committee makes recommendations to help the library integrate best practices related to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. These matters include racial, gender, romantic, and sexual orientation; disability, and age equality; social justice; and staff support.
Everyone Deserves Access
Every member of our communities deserves access, regardless of specialized or adaptive needs.
Access Services supports individuals with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, physical or print disability, promotes Deaf culture and resources, and ensures library branches are accessible.
Library on the Go (outreach) Services supports individuals who are unable to come to the library with books-by-mail, educational programming in the community for children and teens, satellite locations, and Lobby Stop visits to assisted living facilities and senior apartments.
CRRL also supports those with cognitive and emotional impairments through Time with a Therapy Dog, Memory Cafés for adults with early memory loss and their care partners, Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Groups, and Sensory Time for youth with autism or other developmental challenges.
Everyone Deserves to Be Seen
Books and other materials are displayed in branches to highlight holidays, seasonal themes, and other topics of interest.
Lists of materials on a particular theme are also created and promoted. These displays and lists include a diverse range of community interests and, like the overall collection, not all displays and lists are of interest to all users.
Materials for Everyone in the Community
CRRL’s collection philosophy focuses on inclusion, supporting marginalized groups, and does not support banning or hiding books. The Library strives to maintain a balanced and inclusive collection. Library materials are chosen to serve the informational, educational, and recreational needs of our diverse communities. CRRL understands that not all materials are suitable for all readers and does not support banning or hiding books.
Customers are encouraged to suggest titles to further help the collection represent our communities. When materials are challenged, the library evaluates and responds to those challenges, and then lists the title(s) challenged and the outcome on this page.
- Collection Management Policy
- Suggest a Purchase (for materials published within the last 2 years)
Click the down arrows to display booklists in each category.
For Adults
For Teens
For Children
Harmful Language in the CRRL Catalog
A library catalog is an ever-changing effort to represent the materials available to the community. Our chief goals are to help customers find materials available in the library’s collections and to reflect the content and format of materials accurately through a process called cataloging, so that customers can make informed decisions.
Among the tools available to us for cataloging are lists of standardized terms, such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings. Because these are used around the world, these headings and other cataloging standards can be slow to change, and can lead to language in the catalog that is harmful to individuals and communities that we serve.
Some instances of harmful language in CRRL’s catalog may include:
- Materials that use outdated terms
- Historical materials that reflect past realities that may or may not persist
- Language that is historically harmful but has been adopted for use within marginalized communities
- Subject headings and other language that is retained in library systems and has not yet been changed
We routinely seek out up-to-date resources and modify our practices to reflect the communities we serve to the best of our ability. We also seek to preserve access to materials that provide a historical perspective. We welcome feedback, opens a new window from our community to stay informed on how we may best serve your needs and provide access that is welcoming and inclusive for every CRRL customer.
CRRL’s Core Values
Learning, Inclusion, Adaptability, Accountability, and Community are the Core Values outlined in the Strategic Plan. These values help guide our actions and support us in carrying out our mission to inspire lifelong learning for everyone in our community.
Learning
At Central Rappahannock Regional Library we promote learning and literacy in all forms.
Inclusion
We are committed to maintaining a culture where diversity is celebrated and everyone is included.
Adaptability
Our organization is agile and responsive while making resources and services available to all.
Accountability
The library serves as a responsible steward of public resources and trust.
Community
At CRRL we provide opportunities to meet, exchange ideas, and participate in the life of our customers.
Supporting Our Staff
At CRRL our staff is the heart of our community engagement. We are committed to creating an inclusive, respectful, and supportive work environment for all employees. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we ensure that employment decisions—including hiring, training, and compensation—are based on merit, competence, and qualifications, never on race, gender, or orientation.
We believe that a diverse, talented workforce is essential for effectively serving our community. Our hiring process is designed to eliminate bias and ensure fairness. To support unbiased decision-making, external applicants’ hometown, school, and personal organization memberships and other identifying characteristics, are not shared with the interview panel until a decision to interview is made. This allows us to focus purely on each candidate’s qualifications and potential.
By fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered, we ensure that we can provide the highest level of service to our community.
What can you do to support the library’s mission?
Join the Friends of the Library, speak up in the community, suggest titles and ideas for classes and events, or contact CRRL’s Community Engagement Director (community.director@crrl.org) to connect the library with your community organizations.