Ontario Multifaith Council, Toronto ©Jromain/Mtaher OLA20061 Managing Religious Diversity in the...

Ontario Multifaith Council, Toronto www.library.omc.ca ©Jromain/Mtaher OLA2006

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Managing Religious Diversity in the Library

Joseph RomainMohamed Taher

Ontario Multifaith Council for Spiritual and Religious Care, 789 Don Mills Suite 208, Toronto Ontario Canada,

M3C 1T5 (416) 422-1490

www.library.omc.ca

February 3, 2006 Session # 1027 9:05 am-10:20 am


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About Today’s Session

Issues and concerns regarding accommodation of faith in the library Public Services Issues Human Resources Issues

We will NOT be providing you with specific solutions.


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Role of OMC in Ontario

Advocacy: Ontario Multifaith Council is one of North America's largest organizations dedicated to advocacy of spiritual care and the protection of religious rights.

Advisory: The OMC’s Information Services Department maintains a large library of religious practice, as well as a network of experts from a very broad spectrum of faith groups in Ontario. OMC is the advisor to the government on religious services and spiritual care issues, standards and practices.

Education: The OMC’s Information Services Department provides educational opportunities for religious and spiritual care providers in institutions which are owned and operated by the Ontario government.

Assessment: Assessment of Spiritual & Religious Care policies and programs in institutions.

Certification: Multifaith competence of chaplains working in Multifaith settings.

Re-integration: assists ex-offenders who are released from a provincial

correctional institutions to successfully re-integrate into the community.


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Common Areas of Accommodation

Dress Public Worship Space Diet Holidays Obligatory Practices Gender Issues Iconography


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Role of Experts in Handling Sensitivity

Issues [Samples of questions received by organizations who are NOT clients, but who need the services of our Information Service Department]

What should I do if my staff refuses to work during prayer times?

How should I treat a teacher who insists on wearing a sword in the classroom?

How do I handle the sacred scripture of a faith group that insists on extraordinary care?


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Religious Accommodation

Religious Accommodation is about : Respect – Treating everyone equitably Dignity – Treating others as important as self Obeying the Law – Charter of Rights, Ontario

Human Rights Commission (OHRC), etc. Freedom of Religion – To observe a religious

practice Freedom from Religion – freedom from

religious proselytization and evangelism


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Obligations

Why Should My Library Accommodate?

Two sources of obligation1. The law of the land.

• Ontario Human Rights Code• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms• United Nations Charter

2. The social contract: getting along.


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Issues and Concerns about religious diversity

Secular spaces: how do they relate to religious needs? Information to fulfill the need – where to find Accommodation of staff Accommodation of the users by the staff Accommodation among the users Collection – what accommodates and what does not Referral services Policies Training programs


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Limits of Obligation

Legal: Undue Hardship

This is set at a very high standard

Social Contract: The rights of one end

where the rights of another begin.


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Scope of Obligation

Accommodation is reached when everyone feels respected and

understood.


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What this means Obligation

You are obliged to create a welcoming environment for all patrons. Policies must aim to remove obstacles which might keep the faithful from using the library. For Example:

Imposing or very large religious images No prohibitive ‘dress code’ or religious compulsion.

Permission You may choose to make your public institution ‘faith friendly’ by

ensuring equitable availability of: Prayer space Special collections Public information

Prohibition You are obliged to prohibit offensive, ‘unwelcoming’ situations.

Defamatory notices Proselytization


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Specific Areas of Concern

A: Visitor/User Services B: Human Resources


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A: Visitor Services Barrier-free access

A hostile environment? Religious or potentially offensive art, etc. This does not mean the

collection is compromised, but that the environment is welcoming. If there is some reason for religious symbolism, try to accommodate

the whole community, not simply the dominant faith. Does staff religious jewellery, etc., create a hostile work environment?

Calendar issues Awareness of :

Holy Days. Days of Week. Time of Day.

Public Worship Be aware of your institution’s policy regarding public prayer.

Some faith groups require a quite place to pray and will ask for or simply assume the right to pray in the library.

Be aware of the issues which will arise from this situation. (Gender issues, demands from other groups, etc.)


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What does this mean for library programming and community events? Be aware of any holidays. Check a multifaith calendar.

(www.interfaithcalendar.com). Be aware of the day of the week: Fridays, Saturdays and

Sundays have issues for ‘Abrahamic’ faith groups. Other local groups may have other issues. Some Christians observe ‘fasts’ on Wednesdays and Fridays, for example.

Be aware of the time of day: Does your program extend over prayer time? Is this an issue in your community?

Are you serving any food or drink? Be aware that many religious groups have dietary restrictions. These are common among Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Mormons, Rastafari, (who did I leave out?). Be aware that diet can be an issue; a rule of thumb:

keep it simple. Is the program content controversial? Be sure to advertise

this fact.


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Visitor Services

Availability of Resources Broad representation of faith literature in

collection Respectful handling of scripture

Respect, not Observance in handling literature. Be aware of issues regarding scripture.

Sikh Scripture Jewish Scripture


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A: Visitor Services, continued Staff Diversity Training

Awareness of religious diversity between and within faith groups In your community

Statcan Local multi or inter faith groups

Be aware of minority faiths in your community: Ba’hai, Wiccan, Rasta, Druid, etc.

Awareness of religious proscriptions and customs Gender issues Modesty issues Eye contact, hand shaking, etc.

Awareness of limits of compliance (institutional policy)

What is your institution’s policy on compliance with religious observations?


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The ongoing crisis of faithful and the secular: Some examples A Muslim woman has a seizure in the library. Only male

staff are available to help. What to do? A Sikh man enters the library with a sword. What to do? The St. Jude library has a large cross outside the front

door. A Jewish visitor complains that this makes the library unwelcoming. What to do?

The staff of the American Studies Research Center suggests that the new main entrance should be scrapped because it’s placement is inauspicious and has caused financial difficulties…

In all of these cases, faith groups and believers have strong positions on matters which a secular worker may see as non-issues. Are these issues of religion, mythology, superstition, etc?


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B: Staff Based Issues Human Resources Policy Review

Barriers to employment Equality vs. Equity “Hostile Work Environment” vs. “Good Faith”

Religious Holidays Policies At least two contra days

Be aware that this will include secular workers, too Religious Obligation Allowances

Paid? Unpaid? Dress Codes/Flexibility

Policies requiring religious observation are not allowed. Dress Codes cannot determine religious garb, unless safety, job

performance, or efficiency are at issue. Religious jewellery, headwear, etc. is protected under the law unless it

negatively impacts safety, performance, or efficiency, or unless it is construed to create a hostile work environment. Here, mediation may be the best route… there are fine lines here, and we have to keep in mind our ‘social contract’ to simply ‘get along’.


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B: Staff Based Issues Staff Diversity Training

Etiquette Customs, habits, non-verbal behavior Dates and observances Dietary Hostile Work Environment

Jokes, Stereotypes, iconography, etc. EXPECTATIONS OF THE LIBRARY for the

employee. What level of observance is policy?


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Some examples of H.R. issues:

Allocation of Space to fulfill religious needs Time off or compensation for such needs

during working hours Symbols in workplace Evangelism at work Festival and feasts days


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Policies

Public Service Welcoming, barrier free Related to rights informing policies on race, gender,

orientation, etc.

Human Resources Comply with H.R. Standards; info available from various

sources. Not that different from standards applicable to policies

regarding gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.


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Collective vs. Individual Rights Who does the law protect? The Ontario Human Rights Code

protects individuals’ sincerely held beliefs.

Faith Groups can provide sound guidance for best practice.

Remember that the law protects the beliefs of the individual, not the group.


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Who Knows Best?

I’m sorry, Mr. Salam, Tuesday is not your religious Holy Day.

Our official Calendar says it is on Monday. You can have Monday off, but Not Tuesday.


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Freedom From Religion?

WE have a Zero Tolerance policy on weapons.

Surrender the Kirpan, or we will have to escort you from the building.


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Equal Opportunity?

Sorry, you cannot smudge in the library prayer room.

This is a non-smoking building.

With a smudge of smoking sage in ...200 x 293 pixels - 31k - jpg

www.recordonline.com


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The issue in Libraries: Supply and Demand of programs and events

Religion Watch - Subject Index - 2001

KU libraries get grant for scholarly religious diversity material ...

Religious Diversity : Human Resources / Discrimination - MTC Libraries

2004 National Diversity in Libraries Conference


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Tools for Management of Religious Diversity

Multifaith Information Manual Multifaith Calendar Golden Rule Poster


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Talking points: Does your policy help you to know what to

do?

Does allowing prayer in your library constitute a hostile work environment, or an accommodating one?

What is the difference between ‘reasonable accommodation’ and ‘undue hardship’?

Is it Okay to have a Christmas party? For staff? For Visitors?

If you can’t provide ‘religiously pure’ candies for all the kids in the program, should the library simply have a ‘no food’ rule?

Is it Okay to tell Halloween stories which feature ‘ugly old witches’?

If these questions leave you stumped, you may need a policy review.

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