JJ Pionke, Applied Health Sciences Librarian at the University Library of the University of Illinois, embeds the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion into his work in tangible ways. As a disability rights advocate, he champions accessibility and inclusion in his campus library because, to him, it’s personal. As someone who identifies as disabled as well as transgender, JJ says it’s natural to take up this work: “That's how I got into this. I've always been in it, but I wanted to go forward and try to make my new home, librarianship, into a space that I really wanted to be in. And a space that really reflected who I am and not just the values of librarianship as a whole, or the values that I learned about in school, but about me. Because it is my community.” We recently spoke with him about the value of doing this hard work and learned more about projects he’s undertaken, including the development of a series of disability libguides, the creation of reflection rooms for students, and his work with special populations, like veterans.
Learn more about American Library Association equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives at:
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