The data is clear: there is a lot of work to be done in cultivating more equity in STEM careers. Who better than librarians to help move the needle, ensuring all of the patrons we serve have the ability to compete for jobs in the STEM field?

The State of STEM Education as Told through 26 Stats highlights several notable statistics, among them:

• Black employees hold only 9% of all STEM jobs, Latinx individuals make up only 7% of the STEM workforce, and women 27%. Prognosticators estimate that more than 821,000 new STEM jobs will be created over the next 10 years.
• A 2020 study showed only a slight majority (57%) of US households with incomes lower than $25,000 have daily access to technology, compared with 90% access for households with incomes over $200,000.
• Perhaps most significant for our work in libraries: Evidence suggests participation in STEM summer programs increases the likelihood that students from underrepresented communities graduate from high school, attend four-year colleges and earn STEM degrees.

By providing access to technology and providing STEM-based Summer Learning programs, libraries have the power to make a difference in the education and career path a child dreams about.

In a flash poll during the ULC-hosted webinar Summer Learning Boot Camp #1: Outreach Through an Equity Lens, 79% of participants said the library is not doing enough to promote equity in their summer STEM programs and 13% said they weren’t sure.

Through feedback, we learned libraries would like more training in how to reach out to communities with which they are unfamiliar and may even fear or distrust, and they want to learn more about assessing their own privilege, and how to measure the effectiveness of internal policies, changing them if necessary.

Every child in your community needs barrier-free access to Summer Learning. It’s important to look at where your library is located (how accessible is it for people who need transportation?), languages spoken in the community and whether or not your signage and collections reflect them, and what kinds of assistive devices patrons need to help them fully access all of your services.

Community outreach is a key to reaching historically ignored communities and letting them know about all the library has to offer them. Get to know the trusted community organizations and seek to partner with them. These can include social services, nonprofit organizations, churches, grocery stores, laundromats, barber shops, playgrounds, apartment complexes, public housing and more. If time allows, do not start planning until you build relationships with the trusted messengers in your community, and build future timelines around including the communities from the start.

Equity is not enough. People deserve justice. In order to provide it, we must remove even the slightest barriers. A library’s footprint can and will make the difference in the future of a child and potentially change the trajectory of their career.

If your library has not yet signed onto the ULC Statement on Summer Learning, please work with your library administration to do so today! In addition to all of the tools the cohort has created, your library system will have access to ULC staff and cohort members for ongoing support throughout your Summer Learning planning and program period. Email Shari Henry at shenry@urbanlibraries.org if you have questions or need more information.