Fondren seeks to take proactive measures in promoting diversity, access, and inclusiveness. We took new steps in 2022-23 in the following areas:
Fondren Book Displays and Exhibits
Fondren has expanded our book displays from one to two shelves to accommodate a greater variety of materials and themes, with a focus on promoting diversity, access, and inclusivity. The curation process enables Fondren to identify gaps in our collection, resulting in ordering additional titles in these areas. Additionally, the display shelves are located in a high-visibility area across from the Circulation desk, helping to create a dynamic space that showcases not just the variety of library materials but Fondren’s overall commitment to advancing diversity, access, and inclusivity.
- Banned and Challenged Books (September 2022)
- Black History Month (February 2023)
- Transgender Day of Visibility (March 2023)
This display was the first to feature an interactive craft project where patrons could create their own transgender Pride flag.
- LGBTQ+ Pride Month (June 2023)
Like the Transgender Day of Visibility display, the LGBTQ+ Pride Month display also featured a flag making craft. Additionally, printouts of flags representing a variety of gender and sexual identities were available for visitors to color.
OneSearch Digital Collections
The OneSearch Collection Discovery area of the Fondren Library website now includes eight fully populated digital collections. These collections are frequently updated and represent materials throughout the library. The main page is arranged so that users can orient themselves based on physical spaces and find the digital collections that are most closely related to those spaces. Additionally, digital collections have improved visibility and access to digital course reserves for students.
Highlights include:
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Titles
- Woodson Research Cuthberston Collection
- Research Hub
- Juneteenth
- Islamic Art and Artists
- Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Graphic Novels
- Rice Authors
Fondren Adds Scientific Calculators, Anatomical Models
The Fondren Student Ambassador group suggested the purchase of scientific calculators and anatomical models to be available for circulation. The library was able to acquire and catalog these items with Rice Student Initiative funds. The calculators and models are available for checkout at the circulation desk.
Fondren Cultivates a Children’s Collection
Launched in June 2022, the Children’s Collection is a collection of fun and diverse picture books for young readers. The collection is part of the Leisure Reading Collection and has grown from a pilot collection of 15 titles to 35 with almost 100 total check outs. The Children’s Collection was established as an outreach effort for Rice University community members with children, but it has become popular with all ages. Titles are ordered from the New York Review of Books and other sources that are less represented in area public systems. Where possible, titles are also ordered that coordinate with Fondren events, spaces, and current events. This ensures that the collection is relevant and represents the Rice community. The Make and Take Box on the bottom shelf also includes free crayons, coloring sheets, craft packs, and other activities. The craft packs often feature recycled materials from around the library such as corrugated cardboard.
Submitted by Jeanette Sewell
Fondren Celebrates Diverse Holidays
Lunar New Year - Fondren Library was pleased to share its second annual celebration of Lunar New Year! The first celebration in 2022 focused on creating a welcoming environment with traditional decorations, like red lanterns. The idea grew out of an Accessibility and Inclusion Committee meeting. A Chinese committee member shared her experience feeling warm and homey walking into a department store decorated with lanterns for the lunar new year. Other committee members wanted to create this warm, welcoming feeling for students walking into the library.
Thanks to generous support from Sara Lowman, as well as volunteer time from staff and students, Fondren Library was able to grow its Lunar New Year programming for the 2023 Year of the Rabbit. In 2023, in addition to the celebratory environment, interactive activities were added to create fun bonding experiences with and among students, library colleagues, and community members. Decorations were expanded throughout the first floor, the second floor’s Center For Academic and Professional Communication, and the basement’s Digital Media Commons and Kelley Center for Government Information, Data and Geospatial Services. Staff gathered a variety of library books and films to share time-honored and contemporary stories, imagery, and traditions from the variety of cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year.
The highlight of the event was held to encourage participation from all Rice faculty, staff, students, and children from the community. In addition to offerings of music and sweets, the event offered two engaging activities: calligraphy and tying zhongguojie, or lucky knots. Students and children gathered around the calligraphy table, where Anna Xiong, government information coordinator, Kelley Center for Government Information, and K. Sarah Ostrach, art & architecture librarian, were surrounded by brushes, ink, markers, and a variety of red decorative paper. Xiong led the calligraphy demonstration and instruction. Participants practiced writing duilian, (new year couplets), other lucky words or phrases, and even their names in Chinese calligraphy. The calligraphy was so popular, they ran out of red paper!
Jane Zhao, director of the Digital Media Commons, led demonstrations teaching those with nimble fingers how to tie lucky knots with red thread. The challenge of keeping the thread loops between each pair of fingers kept participants busy for quite some time! Those with real skill–or patience–added decorative tassels to their knots. Luckily, there was plenty of candy to reward their hard work. Attendees could also pose with a red New Year banner, complete with a bunny, in a photobooth. Many students were excited to send the photos to their parents and families also celebrating the Lunar New Year.
Submitted by:
K. Sarah Ostrach, Art & Architecture Librarian
Anna Xiong, Government Information Coordinator
Sandi Edwards, AUL for Research Services celebrates Lunar New Year. Edwards retired from Fondren Library in July 2023.
Eid - The Fondren UX Office worked with the Fondren Accessibility and Inclusion Committee and the Muslim Student Association to have an observance of Eid on April 21st, 2023 that featured new books, take away snack boxes with dates and candies, a bookmark craft, and a make-your-own golden paper lantern craft with LED lights.
