UC Berkeley

The Access Services Department at the University of California Berkeley’s Main Library recently implemented a social justice-focused reading group for library employees. Inspired by the UCSB Critlib project, the group was developed as a pilot to be replicated by other departments and libraries interested in incorporating a social justice mindset into their daily operations. This article details the preparation, implementation, and evaluation processes of the group’s first meeting. Recommendations and best practices for starting a social justice-focused reading group in a library setting are included in the discussion. This project was designed during a graduatelevel course at the University of Washington iSchool.