University of Victoria Libraries Statement on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. 

UVic recognizes that colonization and associated attitudes, policies, and institutions have significantly changed Indigenous Peoples’ relationship with this land. For many years, those same things served to exclude Indigenous students from higher education. 

As colonial organizations, libraries and other cultural heritage institutions have additionally caused harm through the marginalization of Indigenous knowledge and extractive collection practices.  

Some of the ways UVic is working to address historical and ongoing injustices and collaborate with Indigenous Peoples for a better future are outlined in the Indigenous Plan. 

University of Victoria Libraries’ Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement  

The University of Victoria (UVic) Libraries actively promotes and supports equity, diversity, and inclusion. We work towards fostering an inclusive hub on campus that upholds the values of equity and diversity in all our interactions.  

 As an organization and as individuals, we at UVic Libraries understand that our community members are affected by interconnected systems of power including racism, colonialism, sexism, ableism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, and many other forms of oppression that influence individuals' lived experiences and social positions.  

UVic Libraries is shaped and influenced by these oppressive structures. To move forward in a meaningful way, we recognize the need to acknowledge and understand the ways that historical and present-day injustices influence our operations and the experiences within our community.  

The University of Victoria Libraries are committed to embracing the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion as core values in our daily work. For brief explanations of these terms, see the UVic Equity Action Plan 2023. We appreciate that these terms are complex and you may understand and interpret them differently.  To further this work, we make the following commitments:  

• We take collective and individual responsibility to uphold the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the In Plain Sight Report, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
• We recognize the existence of white supremacy and dominant colonial structures within the university system and reject the presence of racism in all its forms. 
• We are committed to eliminating and dismantling the systemic barriers, individual biases, and inequitable and oppressive structures that impact our students, faculty, staff, and community members. 
• We are dedicated to cultivating self-reflection and self-awareness through continuous training and education while aligning our library spaces, services, and collections to dismantle the dehumanizing cycle of racism. 
• We commit collectively and individually at UVic Libraries to be accountable for our actions. We strive to provide a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for all our students, faculty, staff, and community members that is free of bias, prejudice, oppression, and racism.  

The UVic Libraries will enhance our efforts in this work by aligning with the University’s Equity Action Plan (EAP). We look forward to the cross-campus collaboration on these efforts that the EAP makes possible.