Challenging Barriers: A Case Study on Transforming the Research Room for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Abstract

The Research Services & Education team at the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) recently transformed and remodeled our Breckinridge Research Room, reference collection, and related online services to ensure greater user accessibility. Reimaging the layout, furniture, and equipment with a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and ADA compliance led to an array of improvements throughout the physical space aimed at proliferating a culture of belonging for our many types of stakeholders and patrons. The room renovation also allowed for a reinterpretation of historical exhibitions to limit patriarchal or colonial imagery, thus enhancing diversity as much as possible while balancing donor expectations. Our team also took the opportunity to reappraise, inventory, and redefine the room's ready access reference library and leverage the inextricable link between physical and digital spaces by remodeling our online environment to better align with evolving services. This poster will discuss our goals, processes, and the outcomes of the remodel, as well as additional plans for continued improvement moving forward.