As librarians, no matter what position we hold, it is our responsibility to create an accessible, inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment for all library occupants. This includes students, faculty, community members, and even your fellow coworkers. And these things are true no matter which library location you work in.
In implementing an all-user restroom in Todd Library, we are trying to meet the unmet needs of library occupants who feel most comfortable using an all-user restroom for whatever reason. Implementing this all-user restroom will demonstrate to these library occupants that we have seen their needs and they are valued in our library. The all-user restroom will show that we see these individuals’ diversities and the barriers they face in their everyday lives and that we care enough to promote change in our library space.
While this guide is concerned specifically with the new all-user restroom, one of our main priorities as librarians should be to promote accessibility and EDI in our library spaces more generally. Therefore, your role is to help with the implementation of the all-user restroom by educating yourself as well as others when talking with any library occupants who may ask you about the restroom. More than that, though, your role is to take the efforts of the all-user restroom to nurture greater accessibility, inclusivity, and equity and find other ways to continue to encourage these principles in other areas of the library.
If a library occupant is concerned about using an all-user restroom, please direct them to the gendered restrooms located outside of the library.
If they have a negative perception of the restroom and try to engage you in a conversation about why it’s necessary, if you feel comfortable, share with them the information provided in the first question about what an all-user restroom is and who benefits from its use. Invite them to consider the possibilities for greater inclusivity and respect for everyone as a result of the all-user restroom being implemented. Encouraging someone to have empathy for others is a great way to promote a positive reception of the new restroom.
If a library occupant is upset that the women’s restroom has been removed, kindly tell them that in the implementation of the all-user restroom, gendered restrooms have not been removed entirely. Instead the new restroom is creating a more equitable space in allowing the current unmet needs of parents/guardians with children of a different gender, individuals with a disability, and transgender and genderqueer individuals to be met. Please tell students that there are gendered restrooms located outside of the library.