Inclusion and Empathy Are Not Enough: Cultivating Student Belonging in the Academic Library through Compassion
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| Title: | Inclusion and Empathy Are Not Enough: Cultivating Student Belonging in the Academic Library through Compassion |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Emily Re (ORCID |
| Source: | portal: Libraries and the Academy. 2025 25(4):625-641. |
| Availability: | Johns Hopkins University Press. 2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Tel: 800-548-1784; Tel: 410-516-6987; Fax: 410-516-6968; e-mail: jlorder@jhupress.jhu.edu; Web site: https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/list |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Academic Libraries, Library Role, Library Policy, Library Services, Inclusion, Sense of Belonging, Librarian Attitudes, Empathy, Altruism, Caring, Freedom of Speech, Censorship, Religious Factors, Cultural Influences, Social Influences, LGBTQ People |
| DOI: | 10.1353/pla.2025.a971026 |
| ISSN: | 1531-2542 1530-7131 |
| Abstract: | This article explores the challenges, complexities, and contradictions of promising complete inclusiveness for all students and advocates for academic libraries to pursue student belonging. A sense of belonging is not only memorable for the student but impactful, as it results in closer social connections and higher rates of persistence. While an organizational foundation of inclusivity is inarguably essential, it must be coupled with individualized social support from public-facing employees. Tolerance, empathy, and compassion are compared as social support approaches for cultivating belonging, and tough situations that threaten students' sense of belonging are examined. Academic libraries should not settle for an end-goal of inclusivity but instead seek to create an environment that abounds with opportunities for students to experience a profound sense of belonging as they grow and learn. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1487916 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This article explores the challenges, complexities, and contradictions of promising complete inclusiveness for all students and advocates for academic libraries to pursue student belonging. A sense of belonging is not only memorable for the student but impactful, as it results in closer social connections and higher rates of persistence. While an organizational foundation of inclusivity is inarguably essential, it must be coupled with individualized social support from public-facing employees. Tolerance, empathy, and compassion are compared as social support approaches for cultivating belonging, and tough situations that threaten students' sense of belonging are examined. Academic libraries should not settle for an end-goal of inclusivity but instead seek to create an environment that abounds with opportunities for students to experience a profound sense of belonging as they grow and learn. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1531-2542 1530-7131 |
| DOI: | 10.1353/pla.2025.a971026 |
