The Social Work Dimensions of Diversity Library Guide

Posted By Laurel Hitchcock on Nov 3, 2025

One of my favorite parts of teaching social work is watching students discover the connections between theory and practice, especially those moments when social justice moves from abstract ideas to meaningful frameworks for understanding the world. Finding the right learning resources, such as a book, movie or podcast, to facilitate those discoveries hasn’t always been easy.

Like many of you, I’ve spent countless hours searching for materials that do more than just acknowledge diversity. I wanted resources that helped students understand how systems of power and privilege actually shape people’s lives, materials that centered the voices of those most affected by oppression. I also realized that if I, as a full-time educator, was spending a lot of time finding these resources, our adjunct faculty might be struggling too. Given that the Council on Social Work Education’s 2022 Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards (CSWE, 2022) now embeds requirements for diversity and equity content throughout social work curricula, I wanted to find a way to curate and share resources.

This idea led to an exciting collaboration with Dana Hettich, a reference librarian at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Libraries. Together with help from Lana Turner, MSW Student and soon-to-be UAB alumnus, we developed the Social Work Dimensions of Diversity Library Guide, a project that has become more than just a teaching resource. It’s evolved into a living, collaborative space where students, faculty, and librarians work together to build something meaningful.