DEIA and Community College Library Databases and an MLA Plus Quick Look Review

  By Nancy Golz, CCL-EAR Committee Chair

In the midst of the pandemic, the Community College Library (CCL) board renewed its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Past CCL president, Leslie Tirapelle, affirmed in the CCL Outlook (September, 2020)  that the CCL will “promote the acquisition of collections and resources that support inclusive and anti-racist programs and curriculum, that are reflective of the community at large.” For the past two years, the CCL-EAR committee has been considering our role in supporting students through a DEIA lens. The committee recently formalized a DEIA statement that was approved at the recent CCL board meeting. This statement will guide the work of the CCL-EAR committee as we evaluate and consider databases that support our diverse students.  

• The CCL-EAR committee will view electronic resources, databases, and information with equity considerations in mind. This includes: 

• the representation available in the content on a platform, and 

• actions by the vendor, including: 

• accessibility, 

• representation among content area experts, 

• equity statements, and 

• their response to CCL values and concerns with respect to equity issues. 

•    The committee will bring DEIA issues to the attention of the vendor and our colleagues and 

•    will advocate for increased representation of historically-underrepresented groups

MLA Handbook Quick Look Review

The CCL-EAR committee has a Quick Look review of the MLA Handbook ready for you as you consider upcoming database purchases and renewals. The review is available on the CCL-EAR committee portion of the CCL website in the Reviews section. In the summary of our review we noted that the MLA Handbook Plus (MHP) merits further attention because it provides convenient online access to the recent edition of the MLA Handbook (9th edition). Library access to an electronic version of the MLA Handbook (9th edition) is only available through a subscription to MHP. We encourage you to read the MLA Handbook Plus Quick Look for more information, and consider a trial to explore MLA Handbook Plus if you think that this database might meet the needs of your students.

It is hard to believe that the 2022 semester is quickly drawing to a close. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Past Chair and current Vice Chair Tami Weintraub, for her many years of service on the EAR Committee, both as an area representative and as a leader through the online years of the pandemic. I have heard Tami repeatedly state that serving on the CCL-EAR committee has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her academic library career. The CCL-EAR committee continues to benefit from her kindness, knowledge, and leadership. Thank you, Tami!

Dr. Nancy Golz
CCL-EAR, Chair
Faculty Librarian
Merced College
nancy.golz@mccd.edu