While helping to create our library’s Anti-Racism Resources Guide, I wondered if there were any STEM-specific library guides out there. I was most interested in guides that would help science librarians and/or science faculty not just learn about antiracism but also incorporate antiracist concepts/lessons into their classrooms. The following are some of the resources that I found most useful.

Library Guides

At the time of my search, I only found a handful of library-created guides. I found the following two most helpful. McQuade Library at Merrimack College hosts an extensive libguide of antiracism resources by subject. The STEM-specific page alone provides many links to videos, web resources, and books related to STEM and antiracism. Clips, readings, or profiles from these resources could easily be incorporated into instruction.

Resources related to antiracism in medicine can be found at the Health Sciences Library at The Ohio State University’s Antiracism Resource Guide. The guide contains a “Tool Kits and Packages” page that is most useful in providing resources that address antiracist topics in a medical/clinical setting. For example, there is a link to a workshop for students to help them recognize microaggressions in clinical practice. There are also more general pages that discuss implicit bias and social determinants of health.

Teaching Resources

UCLA’s Center for Education Innovation & Learning in the Sciences Equity & Social Justice in STEM page was among the most comprehensive that I found. The “page is designed to provide resources to help you learn more about inequities in STEM and strategies to create more inclusive and equitable classroom environments and departments.” While there is a small portion of UCLA-specific resources, most of the content can be accessed by anyone. The page includes sections for “Guides and Teaching Techniques,” “Research and News,” & “Events and Webinars.”

There are three resources included on this page that I would like to highlight. The first two both profile a variety of scientists to provide educators with examples of scientists and their research that can be used to diversify the classroom experience and humanize science. Both sites allow anyone to submit scientist profiles.

Scientist Spotlights Initiative specifically “provides access to easy-to- implement assignments/activities that link course content to the stories of counter-stereotypical scientists.” You can search for “Scientist Spotlights” by grade and/or content area or search their database of scientists. To view the “spotlight” on the scientist, you have to create a free account. The spotlight includes links to information about the scientist and their research, as well as related downloadable assignments.

Project Biodiversify endeavors to collect examples of primary research from a diverse set of scientists. However, Project Biodiversity focuses specifically on Biologists and does not specifically include teaching materials like assignments. You can browse their materials by Biological Topics, Biologist Identities, Study Attributes, or Societal Relevance. There is a search option, but it appears to be a simple keyword search of the entire website. Each biologist profile contains three slides accessible in Google Slides. The slides contain information about the Researcher’s Background, an Overview of their Research, and the Key Research Points.

Becoming an Anti-Racist Educator hosted by Wheaton College in Massachusetts is an action-oriented guide that includes information on how to become anti-racist and incorporate anti-racist behavior and concepts in the classroom.

Additional Reading

For additional readings, see the following:

• Racial Bias in Scientific Fields– from Harvard University
• Anti-Racism Resources and Articles for STEM Educators– Compiled by Dr. Kathy Chen, STEM Education Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Where Science and Social Justice Meet– The History of Scientific Racism from NOVA Education
• Timeline of Scientific Racism– from the The Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU

Melissa Gold, Science Librarian, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

We welcome your comments and suggestions. If you have a resource that you would like to see highlighted, please leave us a comment.