JMLA Call for Submissions and Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In light of national conversations around Black Lives Matter, systemic racism, police violence, and health disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) team believes it is important to affirm JMLA’s commitment to promoting diversity and equity in health sciences librarianship and information science.

In a statement on June 1, 2020, members of MLA’s African American Medical Librarians Alliance (AAMLA) Caucus declared, “We are tired of not being seen, heard, included, or appreciated for the value that our unique voices, experiences, and perspectives bring to the narrative.” At JMLA, we can and will do more to amplify the voices, experiences, and perspectives of individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

As one part of this effort, we issue a call for manuscript submissions that recognize and address social injustices; speak to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workforce and among our user populations; and share critical perspectives on health sciences librarianship. We also call for manuscript submissions from BIPOC authors on any topic within the journal’s scope. This is an ongoing call for submissions rather than an effort to compile a special issue because we believe that these topics and perspectives should be steadily woven throughout our thoughts, conversations, research and writing, and practice.

Further details regarding our commitment to equity are available at: https://www.mlanet.org/blog/jmla-call-for-submissions-and-commitment-to-equity