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Building Trust
How Understanding Users Can Lead to 
Inclusive and Equitable Library Services 
Interviews with Students of Color
Rebecca Donald, Trinity International University

ABSTR AC T In the fall of 2020, interviews were conducted with 
students of color at Trinity International University. The goal was 
to better understand the experiences students of color have had 
with the library, how the library can be more welcoming, and ways 
that librarians can work toward anti-racism. This paper reports key 
themes from the interviews. It also describes the lessons learned 
about having these discussions and provides suggestions for other 
librarians wishing to connect more with their students of color. 
Engaging in intentional conversations with students of color can 
help librarians build relationships with students and gain valuable 
insights into how the library can better serve students.

INTRODUCTION

Building stronger connections with our students of color has long 
been something I have been interested in doing. However, various 
constraints held me back, including anxiety about approaching a 
vulnerable topic. The events of this last year, including the murder of 
George Floyd and a growing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclu-
sion in higher education, gave me the impetus to finally take action. 

In the fall of 2020, I conducted interviews with students of color at 
Trinity International University. The goal was to better understand 
the experiences of students of color with the library, how the library 
can be more welcoming, and ways that librarians can work toward 
anti-racism. This paper reports key themes from the interviews. I also 
describe the lessons I learned about having these discussions, and 
provide suggestions for other librarians wishing to connect more 
with their students.

The six students interviewed came from the seminary and the 
liberal arts college at the university. They represented a variety of 



Listen and Learn Sessions  197

racial and ethnic backgrounds, including African American, Asian, 
and Latin American students. Most of the students were American-
born. Potential students were found via a variety of sources, includ-
ing the Intercultural Development Office, a student group focused 
on racial reconciliation, recommendations from another librarian, 
library student workers, and my own connections. Because of COVID 
restrictions, all interviews were conducted via Zoom and recorded. 
(See Appendix 1 for the interview questions that were asked.) After-
wards, I reviewed the recordings and noted themes and ideas. I 
presented the results to the rest of the library staff, and we made 
plans for responding to the suggestions.

I will describe some of the challenges of doing this kind of study. 
Doing interviews with students requires some risk on the part of 
librarians, as well as for students. However, if librarians are willing 
to engage in vulnerable conversations with students, they will have 
the opportunity to build connections and gain valuable insights into 
how the library can better serve students of color.

CHALLENGES AND REFLECTIONS

One of the challenges I faced in doing these interviews was what 
Lahman (2017, 14) calls “othering,” which is a “process that identifies 
those that are thought to be different from oneself or the mainstream 
[which can] reinforce positions of domination and subordination.” 
My concern was that intentionally selecting students of color to inter-
view could reinforce that I think of them as different from myself. 
In addition, Williams (2019) interviewed students at Trinity Inter-
national University about their experiences with microaggressions, 
and found that “part of what prompts microaggressions directed at 
minorities is ‘differentism’: treating people who are different with 
unwarranted attention or curiosity, thinking of them as odd, not like 
oneself.” I worried that asking these students too many questions 
would be experienced as that kind of harmful curiosity. However, 
Lahman (2017, 17) goes on to say that “knowing the other” is the 
major motivation for doing qualitative research, and it can also give 
those interviewed an opportunity to have a voice. I hoped that the 
students could feel empowered to tell me things that they wanted 
me to know in my role as library director. I decided to make the 
questions open-ended, so the students could talk about what they 
cared about.



198  AT L A 202 1 PROCEEDINGS

In contrast to my concern about “othering,” I discovered the inter-
views helped me realize the similarities I had with these students. 
I intentionally tried to interview some students who do not use 
the library, to understand their experiences. One student said she 
preferred to study at home, since she was an introvert and home-
body, and I realized I was the same way as an undergraduate student 
myself. This helped me internalize that those I see as being different 
from myself can actually have many similarities, which is helpful as 
I work to connect with them and also consider changes in the library 
to benefit them.

It was challenging to recruit students to participate in the study. I 
reached out in a variety of ways, by sending emails to leaders in the 
International Student Office and Mosaic (a student group for racial 
reconciliation). I also contacted students of color that I and another 
librarian knew. I was unsure how my invitations came across to the 
students, especially since many of them did not know me, and as 
library director I am an authority figure. An African American peer 
in my PhD program afterwards gave me some suggestions on doing 
this kind of research. She said to communicate clearly that I have no 
personal agenda beyond learning and growing. At the beginning of 
the interview, be vulnerable and tell a little of my story. These are 
both things I would like to do better next time.  She also said to have 
a “thick skin,” be willing for them to say no, and give an open invita-
tion to talk anytime they are interested.

One of the positive results of the interview process was facing my 
own anxiety about this potentially risky topic. I had hesitated to do 
this study because I was nervous about doing or saying the wrong 
thing and causing damage. The best way to overcome those fears was 
just to do it and not be held back by the anxiety. In listening to one of 
the interviews afterwards, I could tell there was nervousness in my 
voice, but I could also hear the student being interviewed relaxing 
and opening up more as the interview progressed. My anxiety was 
not a hindrance. In fact, it may have helped her feel more comfort-
able. Being welcoming and encouraging in how I approached the 
interviews was the most important factor. The student told me after-
wards she enjoyed the interview, and it felt like a positive relation-
ship was built, which was the best hoped-for outcome.



Listen and Learn Sessions  199

INTERVIEW THEMES

The students shared a number of thoughts and suggestions. A 
common theme was the idea of having comfortable space in the 
library. One said that “study for me is finding comfortability in my 
surroundings so I can focus and be reassured by a familiar area and 
people.” Other students talked about ways to make the space more 
comfortable, including beanbag chairs, furniture for lounging, mood 
lighting, etc.

Perhaps an even greater part of comfortability and welcome is 
having a community of people the students connect with. One of the 
questions asked where the students feel most supported on campus. 
The common answer was the Mosaic Room; Mosaic is a student 
group promoting racial reconciliation. Their faces would light up 
when they talked about the space. “It’s not just the place, but the 
people who gather and form that community… We do life in commu-
nity together.” A couple students expressed appreciation for social 
space that had been created in the front of the library. However, one 
student talked about feeling disconnected from other students in the 
library and feeling awkward approaching them. He described trying 
to ask another student a question and having them look at him in 
surprise. The culture of many of the seminary students is one of soli-
tary study, which may be difficult to change. However, it could be 
possible for the library to help in this endeavor by creating a setting 
that encourages students to connect with each other.

Although the full-time library staff are all White, the students 
liked seeing student workers at the front desk who represented 
different races and cultures. They also appreciated when the student 
workers were friendly and welcoming. One person noted that 
customer service is more important than any other factors in creat-
ing a welcoming environment for students of color. Another student 
told a story from her past about a librarian who was unfriendly and 
grumpy and how that affected her. A doctoral student gave advice on 
how to recruit more librarians of color. She said to pay attention to 
your internal bias and that people will generally tend to hire people 
who are just like themselves, so there must be intentionality in hiring 
people who are different from yourself.

Another topic we discussed was library policies. Ibram X. Kendi 
(2019) says that all policies are either racist or anti-racist. It can 
be helpful to reconsider library policies from this perspective. For 
example, the American Library Association (2019) passed a resolu-



200  AT L A 202 1 PROCEEDINGS

tion last year stating that library fines are a matter of social justice, 
since it can discourage low-income people from using the library. 
Our library, along with others in our consortium, is discontinuing 
fines this year. As part of the interviews, I asked students about their 
perspectives on library policies. Overall, they were supportive of 
the policies; they were particularly appreciative of clear policies for 
different noise level zones in the library.

Some of the students saw libraries as particularly ideal places 
to learn about culture and work toward anti-racism. One student 
reflected on her experiences with her public library when she 
was growing up. She described seeing the different cultures in the 
community represented in her library, through people, books, and 
community events.  “I love libraries. Especially as a multicultural 
American, libraries are one of the safest places in the community for 
me to learn about myself, to learn about other people, and also to 
feel safer in my community because I am affirmed and other people 
who are diverse are affirmed as well.” Another student, who is bira-
cial, described how the library can help her learn more about her 
African American culture. 

A couple of the students also noted that the library can play an 
important role in actively working against racism. “Libraries have 
power in their communities. Unfortunately, many librarians are not 
aware of that power they have to create community or destroy it.” 
She thought that the library “really has to take the lead in culture 
change on campus. It is one of the most-utilized buildings on campus, 
and it’s become the face of Trinity.” This was empowering to hear. 
Often librarians can feel like a small entity on campus, without much 
influence, but from students’ perspectives the library can play a large 
role in how they perceive the campus’s approach to race. The presi-
dent at Trinity recently shared his vision for the school, and one of 
his strategic priorities focuses on race (“President” 2020). Ahmed 
(2012, 58) says that it is helpful to have the administration speak 
about diversity so it can “pass down the chain” to those actually doing 
the work. The university leadership can create a call to change, but 
achieving cultural change will occur at the level of places like the 
library, where students interact with the school in tangible ways.

The students suggested a variety of ways for the libraries to visi-
bly demonstrate welcome to students of color. For example, they 
suggested having rotating exhibitions in the display cases about 
different cultures, including cultural artifacts and the experiences of 
the students. Having more artwork and decor representing different 



Listen and Learn Sessions  201

cultures is another visible sign of welcome. The library could have 
more book displays on cultural topics and racial issues, as well as 
events for learning about different cultures. One student suggested 
having crafts and different foods to engage with a particular culture. 
A common suggestion was also to get more books on race, books 
covering cultural topics, and books in different languages that our 
students read.

In response to these suggestions, the library is talking with student 
groups to work on cultural displays, book displays, and artwork. We 
also hope to work on ways to make the space more comfortable, such 
as improving the lighting. We plan to continue to build our collec-
tion on topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as books in 
other languages. 

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Overall, the students were positive about the library. Even students 
who did not use the library regularly did not report any negative 
experiences. I wondered if the students were reluctant to bring up 
any unfavorable perspectives on the library with me. Duke Univer-
sity Libraries did an intensive study in 2020 of their students of color 
with interesting results (Chapman et al. 2020). Along with positive 
feedback, they received reports that the libraries, “while not actively 
hostile or racist, are complicit in their silence” (Chapman et al. 2020, 
2). The students asked for more visible signs of inclusion in the 
library. The study utilized graduate students to conduct focus groups, 
with the idea that students would be more comfortable and open 
with them than with librarians. This could be a helpful approach, 
and I am curious if we would have gotten more honest negative 
responses if I had not been the one doing interviews. However, there 
was also value in my being able to connect directly with students 
and personally build open communication and relationships with 
them. One of the results I valued most was the new connections I 
formed with students.

I would encourage librarians to take at least small steps toward 
connecting more with their students of color. There is value in 
forward movement on this issue, whatever form that may take. It is 
good to be careful and concerned about the approach, but not to let 
anxiety prevent us from taking some kind of action. Being willing to 



202  AT L A 202 1 PROCEEDINGS

take the risk of being vulnerable ourselves can open us up to learn-
ing valuable insights from our students.

WORKS CITED

Ahmed, Sara. 2012. On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Insti-
tutional Life. Durham: Duke University Press.

American Library Association. 2019. “Resolution on Eliminating 
Monetary Library Fines as a Form of Social Justice.” ALA CD# 38 
(Rev.1/27). http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/
files/content/governance/council/council_documents/2019_ms_
council_docs/ALA%20CD%2038%20RESOLUTION%20ON%20
MONETARY%20LIBRARY%20FINES%20AS%20A%20FORM%20
OF%20SOCIAL%20JUSTICE%20Revised%201_27_0.pdf.

Chapman, Joyce, Emily Daly, Anastasia Forte, Ira King, Brenda W. 
Yang, and Pamela Zabala. 2020. “Understanding the Experiences 
and Needs of Black Students at Duke.” Report. https://dukespace.
lib.duke.edu/dspace/handle/10161/20753.

Kendi, Ibram X. 2019. How to Be an Antiracist. First edition. New 
York: One World.

Lahman, Maria K. E. 2017. Ethics in Social Science Research: Becom-
ing Culturally Responsive. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 
Inc.

“President Nicholas Perrin Vision Casting for Trinity International 
University.” 2020. Accessed December 17, 2020. https://www.tiu.
edu/welcome-from-president-perrin/vision/.

Williams, Cliff. 2019. “Racial Microaggressions and Whiteness on 
Christian Campuses: Making the Invisible Visible.” Faithfully 
Magazine (blog). October 25, 2019. https://faithfullymagazine.
com/microaggressions-christian-colleges/.



Listen and Learn Sessions  203

APPENDIX 1

Note: I tried to plan a variety of follow-up questions so I could adjust 
based on the comfort level of the students. However, I did not end up 
using all of these questions. In particular, the “easier follow-up ques-
tions” did not prove to be useful.

Base questions:

• What is your experience with libraries? What about the TIU 
library?

• How much have you used the library? What would make you 
more likely to use the library?

• How welcome do you feel in the library compared to other 
areas of campus? Where do you feel supported on campus?

• What changes can the library make that would make you feel 
more welcome?

• What is the library doing well?
• What concerns do you have about the library and how it works?
• Where have you heard about the library? What ways would 

be best for you to learn about the library or connect to its 
resources?

Harder follow-up questions if the students seem comfortable:

• What has been your experience interacting with people of 
different races in the library?

• Do you think any of the library policies should be changed?
• What are things librarians can do to be working against racism?

Easier follow-up questions:

• Have there been times where you’ve felt welcomed or had posi-
tive memories in the library?

• What makes you feel welcomed and safe in any context?

Wrap-up:

• What year are you in school? What is your major? How would 
you describe your racial or ethnic background?

• Snowball - Do you know of any other students it would be good 
for me to talk to?


