Topographies of Whiteness: Mapping Whiteness in Library and Information Science, edited by Gina Schlesselman-Tarango

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Non-fiction, library science

Synopsis: This compilation looks to the past, present, and future of libraries in relation to how they uphold whiteness inside their walls.

Review: This is a powerful book filled with essays on how librarianship is both intentionally and unintentionally racist, how it upholds white supremacy.  Each essay brings up important topics, such as how racism works in the archives, in academic libraries, how workplaces are made inaccessible and intolerant, how both micro- and macro-aggressions appear within the library walls.

I learned so much from this book both in regards to the academic citations as well as through the personal experiences these authors shared.  I’m excited to recommend this book to my colleagues and use the knowledge I gleaned from this moving forward.

This compilation shines a light on a hugely important topic in the field today, and it’s incredibly important that we not only acknowledge it, but continue to put in the effort to deconstruct preconceived notions and to build a better institution.  Overall, I’d say that this is a must read if you’re going into the library profession, or if you’re already working as a librarian.  It’s an important topic, and one that needs to be discussed.