TOWARDS AN ETHICAL IMPERATIVE: TRACKING THE REPARATIVE GROUNDSWELL IN VIRGINIA’S ACADEMIC LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES

Abstract

This study aims to understand an uptick of interest in reparative information work in the field of library and information science using the lens of Virginia academic libraries (Jaeger et al., 2016; Poole et al., 2021). The researcher used a web based, self-administered survey instrument to sample memory workers in 101 institutions of higher learning from around Virgina in order to gather data on what kinds of restorative and social justice work is taking place in these institutions as well as regional attitudes towards those efforts. The results and discussion form a platform for the lived experience of memory professionals across a range of power differentials and seeks to understand what praxes assist or hinder these efforts.