The IRDL Scholars Speaker Series was designed to shine a spotlight on voices and ideas that challenge traditional ways of conducting research. It surveyed various topics, including specific research methods and critiques of processes associated with western social science approaches, with the intention of inspiring research explicitly rooted in social justice. As librarians, educators, and researchers, we welcomed this opportunity to reflect and incorporate what we learn from these speakers into our own research efforts, so that our methodologies integrate anti-racist and anti-colonial practices.
The series was coordinated by a working group of IRDL Scholars. Each speaker session was freely available for anyone to attend, via Zoom. The social media hashtag for the events was #IRDLSpeakers.
Link to the 2021 IRDL Scholars’ Speaker Series
Link to the 2022 IRDL Scholars' Speaker Series
Link to the 2023 IRDL Scholars' Speaker Series
Link to the 2025 IRDL Scholars' Speaker Series