Article

Truth-Telling in Library Land: In Defense of Emancipatory and Justice-Based Frameworks in Library and Information Science

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Abstract

In recent years, library and information science (LIS) has increasingly demonstrated a professional commitment to anti-oppression and related concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Yet despite a growing body of literature underscoring their importance to the field and its communities, a substantial divide remains between the everyday workings of librarianship and the enactment of anti-oppression and DEI praxis. This paper addresses this gap by contextualizing justice-based approaches for LIS and argues that the field must move beyond performative DEI commitments toward structurally embedded praxis rooted in critical race theory and anti-oppression frameworks. It also examines white privilege in the workplace, its impact on DEI initiatives, and the harm experienced by library workers from equity-deserving groups. Drawing on lived experience and interdisciplinary scholarship, the paper offers practical entry points for dismantling systemic inequities and situates DEI within broader emancipatory movements.

Keywords: LIS, DEI, library and information science, diversity, equity, inclusion, equity-deserving, emancipatory, social justice, anti-oppression, praxis, white privilege, workplace environment

How to Cite:

Matthews, A. & Gabriel, J. R., (2025) “Truth-Telling in Library Land: In Defense of Emancipatory and Justice-Based Frameworks in Library and Information Science”, The Political Librarian 8(2), 45-59.