Library awarded for inclusive excellence and belonging
For the second year in a row, Mount Holyoke College has received the 2025 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine.
Mount Holyoke College received the 2025 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. This is the second time the College has received the award.
The LEAD Award honors academic libraries for their programs and initiatives that encourage and support inclusive excellence and foster a sense of belonging across their campus. Programs may focus on areas such as research, technology, accessibility, exhibitions and community outreach. Along with 33 other recipients, Mount Holyoke will be featured in the March 2025 issue of Insight Into Diversity.
“We are thrilled to receive the Library Excellence in Access and Diversity Award! This honor recognizes the Library, Technology, and Information Services (LITS) staff’s commitment to providing an inclusive and accessible library experience for all,” Chief Information Officer Alex Wirth-Cauchon said. “We are proud of our achievements in making our spaces, resources and events accessible for all. From implementing assistive technologies to supporting diverse collections and exhibits, we strive to create a welcoming environment for students from around the world and from all backgrounds. We are committed to continuing this important work to ensure LITS remains a responsive space that supports the excellence of the College’s academic program for everyone.”
Insight Into Diversity selected LITS at Mount Holyoke for its implementation of LibCal as a way for students to reserve time in study rooms, allowing patrons to make reservations electronically without needing to physically navigate the Williston Memorial Library. In addition, Archives and Special Collections has installed a desktop video magnifier and a wheelchair-accessible table for researchers, and LITS is in the process of diversifying the furniture in study rooms to be height-adjustable.
LITS also provides technology and media support to campus events. In 2024, it purchased iPads to provide ASL translation services for in-person, hybrid or remote Mount Holyoke events. Additionally, Archives and Special Collections worked with students to organize two exhibitions: “We Have To Show The World Who We Are: Trans and Gender Nonconforming History at Mount Holyoke” celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the College’s gender-inclusive admission policy, and “Cornelia and Concrete: 100 Years of Clapp Laboratory” examines the history of the Clapp Laboratory building and highlights the research and career of Cornelia Clapp, an 1871 Mount Holyoke graduate who became a pioneering research zoologist.
“We know that many academic libraries are not always recognized for their dedication to diversity, inclusion and access,” said Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Diversity. “We are proud to honor these college and university libraries as role models for other institutions of higher education.”
A call for nominations for this award was announced in October 2024.
For more information about the 2025 LEAD Award, visit Insight Into Diversity’s website.
