As an organization, ICBA is committed to consistent and appropriate action to ensure that all decisions are made without discrimination, harassment, or prejudicial treatment because of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, or protected veteran's status.
While we have more work to do as an organization to advance belonging and inclusion, we are making concerted efforts to move the independent college bookstore industry forward. We honor and celebrate the diversity of all of the Members we serve. This is your ICBA.
OUR COMMITMENT
In July 2020, ICBA Board & Staff discussed actions we could take to support social justice and combat racism. Below is a list of actions the Board and Staff agreed would be impactful and beneficial.
We have:
Instituted an ICBA Staff Member Service Day (a paid day for volunteering at an organization of the employee’s choice)
Updated the ICBA Policy Manual to include language supporting gender identity
Created an ICBA Inclusion Statement (see top of this page)
Created a new section on web site related to social justice resources and initiatives (this page, plus our Inclusion Resources page)
Created an ICBA Code of Conduct and a specific Code of Conduct for virtual and in-person events reinforcing a safe and anti-harassment environment
Ensured ICBA’s investment strategies focus on highly rated socially responsible mutual funds
Inclusion training incorporated into ICBA’s new employee onboarding process.
Created a recommended anti-racist and social justice reading list curated by ICBA Member Stores (see Inclusion Resources page)
Formally observe Juneteenth as annual paid holiday for ICBA Staff
All ICBA Conference speakers and presenters received the ICBA Speaker & Presenter Inclusive Language Policy
Offered Store and Exhibitor Attendees a way to share their pronouns alongside their names, institutions, and companies on 2022 Conference name badges to support how attendees identify and want to be addressed
Featured speaker Justin Gatlin, Olympic Champion, at the ICBA 2022 Dual Conferences. Among many topics like leadership, perseverance, and resiliency, Gatlin spoke on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and how a diverse team can produce an all-encompassing perspective leading to a resilient and inclusive workforce
Additional actions
Increasing awareness and education opportunities with ICBA staff by continuing to share knowledge resources such as presentations, videos, and articles focusing on topics covering diversity and inclusion, anti-racism, sexual harassment, and more
Work with Vendor Partners to emphasize “Codes of Conduct” with regard to social justice
Utilizing a 3rd party to eliminate candidate names and pictures when hiring new ICBA associates to reduce opportunities for subconscious bias
Promoting minority-owned Vendor Partners whenever possible to increase program diversity
Seeking Minority-owned and Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) Vendor Partners whenever possible to increase offering and program diversity
Provide anti-racism & inclusion resources and training materials for ICBA Member Stores to complement or augment what may already be available on their campuses
Request Third Party Contractors to acknowledge, sign, and comply with the ICBA Code of Conduct
Explore ways to continue making the ICBA Annual Conference & PRIMEtime Meetings more inclusive through topics, speakers, marketing, accessibility measures, and more
RESOURCES
If you are looking for resources and articles about consumer perspectives on inclusion and how you can create a more inclusive environment in your store, please visit our Inclusion resources.