Albert S. Cook Library receives inaugural award for excellence in access and diversity
TU library nationally recognized for making a difference for underrepresented groups
By TOWSON UNIVERSITY on January 15, 2023
Towson University’s Albert S. Cook Library received the 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. The inaugural LEAD Award honors academic libraries’ programs and initiatives that encourage and support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across campuses. These include, but are not limited to, research, technology, accessibility, exhibitions and community outreach. Towson University will be featured, along with 55 other recipients, in the March 2024 issue of the magazine.
“This recognition for our library's outstanding achievement in diversity, equity and inclusion means so much to me personally and to this university,” says Dr. Mark Ginsberg, president of Towson University. “So much of our DEI efforts is rooted in education, and the Cook Library and its staff help propel this mission forward.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Albert S. Cook Library because of its commitment to developing services, collections, physical spaces, technology, instruction, programs and hiring practices that embody TU’s strategic priorities of inclusion, innovation and education. Cook Library provides all students, faculty, staff and the community with a welcoming environment that includes access to more than 400 electronic databases and 115,000 electronic and print journals to deepen their understanding of the world around them.
“I’m so excited for this recognition because it attests to our passion for improving and advancing DEI and accessibility in everything we do,” says Dean of University Libraries Suzanna Yaukey. “Students, faculty, staff and community members rely on us for services like researching and technological support, and I’m so glad we can provide every individual with an environment they need to accomplish their goals.”
In 2022, Albert S. Cook Library published an Anti-Racism Action Plan, detailing its plans for fostering an anti-racist organization as part of continued DEI efforts. The library has centered anti-racism policies and innovations to continue building a culture of accountability, transparency and support for library personnel, students and the TU community.
“We know that many academic libraries are not always recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion and access,” says Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these college and university libraries as role models for other institutions of higher education.”
For more information about the 2024 LEAD Award, visit intsightintodiversity.com.