About Us
IDEA Committee
Our group is made up of librarians throughout the state of Georgia who are committed to making libraries more welcoming spaces for patrons and staff. Our members are front-line staff, managers, assistant directors, and librarians who are passionate about providing equitable library services for our communities.
The committee will explore methods and help develop resources that will allow Georgia libraries to take a multifaceted approach. This may include elevating successful libraries as models to generate and share best practices; identifying ways Georgia libraries might influence inclusion and accessibility within public libraries; and helping libraries serve a variety of diverse communities through programming, outreach and training.
IDEA Committee Members:
Deborah Jackson, Co-Chair, Cobb County Public Library
Gina Martin, Co-Chair, Georgia Public Library Service
Micah Gross, Cobb County Public Library
Alan Harkness, Chattahoochee Valley Libraries
Wendy Knight, Troup-Harris Regional Library
Heather Salters, Dekalb County Public Library
Niké Shimobi-Obijuru, Athens Regional Library System
Denita Thomas, Middle Georgia Regional Library
Our Goals
This committee will develop a strategic and coordinated approach related to issues of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility with the goal of making libraries welcoming spaces for customers as well as staff.
We will explore methods and develop resources that will allow Georgia libraries to take a multifaceted approach, including policy development, training, and an IDEA Summit.
We will initiate training programs on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
We will coordinate work with external IDEA experts.