An Easier Way to Build More Inclusive Library Collections

Students, faculty and researchers increasingly demand access to insights and information from a variety of perspectives. In response, libraries are reevaluating collections to ensure voices that have not been widely represented are not only included but are easily discoverable and accessible.

When they find collections can be more diverse, librarians are charged with sourcing, vetting and acquiring content to meet their users’ evolving needs. And this can be challenging – especially on a budget.

But ProQuest makes it easier by doing some of the work for you. We’ve leveraged our relationships with distinctive content providers and the knowledge of internal and external subject experts to create a new Diversity Collection especially designed to help libraries in three valuable ways:

• Ensure more equitable and authentic representation in collections.
  Faculty depend on teaching resources that truthfully and accurately depict events and experiences from the perspectives of those who witnessed and lived through them. 

• Include voices that have been previously overlooked.
  Libraries are reevaluating their collections to ensure people who have not been represented are not only included but are easily discoverable and accessible.

• Provide more opportunities to learn from diverse perspectives.
  Students and researchers need to understand the issues of today (and yesterday) to prepare for the world they will be entering tomorrow. This makes it necessary for them to be exposed to different backgrounds, experiences, identities and orientations.

The Diversity Collection is an interdisciplinary, user-friendly resource that combines three unique full-text databases – Ethnic NewsWatch, GenderWatch and Alt-PressWatch – on one award-winning platform. Spanning niche and independent titles, critical academic journals and well-known publications from around the world, this resource is essential for providing users access to eclectic viewpoints and content often left out of more mainstream sources.

Librarians and faculty can easily incorporate these materials into courses and assignments across the curriculum in alignment with diversity and inclusion initiatives. As a result, students and researchers at every level may develop deeper sensitivity, awareness and understanding of perspectives from a variety of cultures and subcultures - whether working independently or in their class work.  

What’s in the Diversity Collection?

Ethnic NewsWatch
No other periodical resource so thoroughly covers ethnic studies and brings together content from unique ethnic and minority presses. Spanning millions of articles from almost 500 publications, Ethnic NewsWatch is collection of current and historical full-text newspapers, magazines and journals from specialty publishers. Coverage includes African American/Caribbean/African, Arab/Middle Eastern, Asian/Pacific Islander, European/Eastern European, Hispanic, Jewish, and Indigenous peoples and communities.

GenderWatch
GenderWatch's robust collection of important, current and historic (dating back to 1970) titles provides users comprehensive support for gender, family, sexuality and societal studies from both academic and grassroots perspectives.  This well-established and highly reviewed resource enriches LGBTQ+, gender and women’s studies with over 300 titles, from an array of academic, radical, community and independent presses.

Alt-Press Watch™
Alt-PressWatch gives students and researchers access to distinctive, thought-provoking titles, many which cannot be found in any other database. This incomparable collection spans over 1.5M articles from more than 300 publications. Magazines and journals of the independent presses, non-mainstream perspectives on government, policy, and culture; topics like hunger, abuse, religion, and pop culture. seeking an alternative to mainstream media perspectives.

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Discover how you can add the Diversity Collection to your library and learn how ProQuest is committed to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion across every institution. Discover how ProQuest can help you build diverse, equitable and inclusive collections affordably by exploring our Every Voice initiative.