Why is multiculturalism and diversity important to the library profession ?
“In essence, multiculturalism equates with the respect shown to the varied cultures and ethnic groups which have built the United States and which continue today to contribute to its richness and diversity.”
Milton J. Gold
The library offers a space for education, socialization and debates, a unique forum, which is open to the public, free from economic, and comercial interest and the access to materials, free of charge for the general public.
The United States has historically been a destination for emigrants. The greatest wave of immigrants was between 1820 and 1954. ”The majority of Americans today are the descendents of pioneering ancestors from that period”(Coan P. M.). In the early twentieth century a surge in immigration was from primarily Eastern Europe, Greece, Italy and Asia. Eric Novotni discussess in his article about the role of libraries and librarians - who were very creative to smooth the path at that time to” Americanize” immigrants.
Since 1950 Spanish-speaking immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean have been on increase, and forecasted for 24.4% of the U.S. population by 2050. (Paul T. Jaegar).
Even though Hispanic population is the second largest ethnic population,
they are “the most underrepresented group among librarians.”(Jaegar & Franklin). Over 9% of the adult population is Hispanic; but only just over 3% of librarians are Hispanic. As Lance suggests “…if librarianship as a profession wishes to become more representative of the Hispanic community the most effective strategies for pursuing that goal will be ones that increase the odds that Hispanic Americans will pursue graduate education generally.”
Kyung-Sun Kim in her article “ Recruiting and Retaining Students of Color for LIS Schools” consulted a report of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (2003)- only 11.3% are students of color (African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans) while 73.6% are whites.
In her work, “The face behind the Reference Desk: Diversifying Academic Librarianship”, Anne Marie Hansen pointed out that ” …there is still much work to be done to ensure an accepted and welcomed diversity in librarianship”.
Through her study, A.M. Hansen shows that despite many efforts done by ALA and other organizations, still are bariers that keep this imbalance to exist, making difficult for potential aspiring librarians to actually choose Librarian path as a profession:
- Advanced degree required (a Master degree from an acredited ALA institution)
- Cost of higher education continues to increase -“many are finding difficult to obtain an undergraduate degree, much less a Master’s degree”
- Geographical limitations (only 10 out of 57 ALA –acredited library schools offer their program completely online.
Also, students from outside the United States whose English is their second language are required to take (an academic level) The Test of English as a Foreign Language Test (TOEFL).
S.R. Balderrama who became first Diversity Officer of ALA.states that “diversity allows us to strech outside of one’s perimeters without losing one’s self”
Kyung-Sun Kim conducted a study supported by ALA Diversity Research Grant, showed how important is to have more librarians of color “so that all users, regardless of their ethnic and cultural background, can see authority figures (such as librarians, teachers) who will look like them, and also that the users feel comfortable … that they are in a place that is right for them”. Also she found that “ethnic diversity is important because it enriches a society by offering all citizens more opportunities to experience, learn, and understand one another”.
The world is smaller than 10-20 years ago, and is getting even smaller by every passing year. The main reason is the informational boom from than last 10 years: internet access, cell phones, video conferences, wireless networks, wikis, blogs, real time info sharing 24/7.
All that exposed us to too much more cultural diversity than ever. Unites State, among many other countries in the world, has the big advantage of a very divers population thanks to the immigration programs that exists in the past and present, and large historical minoritie groups. All this advantage however was not really used or understood enough in the past in regard of Library engagement level.
ALA and all other organizations related with Librarian field recognize the fact that there is a gap between what we have at this point, and what we could have had if the many minorities in our country would have been involved more in this process of managing the information at the Library as institution level.
Now that the need is clear spell out and also that the potential people are at arms reach it is necessary to take clear steps in the direction of increasing the number and role of minorities in our Libraries.
Unfortunately it can not happened over night, or just by wishing it: clear programs need to be developed, founds assigned, time table set for completion and measurable ways to evaluate the progress.
Without that, we will just contemplate another statistic every year that will show the gap increasing.
References and works cited:
Coan, P.M. Ellis Island Interviews: In Their Own Words. New York. 1997
Novotny Eric. Library Services to Immigrants: The Debate in the Library Literature, 1900-1920, and a Chicago Case Study. SOURCE: Reference & User Services Quarterly 42, no4 (Summ 2003), p. 342-52
Paul T. Jaeger and Renee E. Franklin. The virtuous Circle: Increasing Diversity in LIS Faculties to Create More Inclusive Library Services and Outreach. Education Libraries v.30 no 1 (Summer 2007) p. 20-6.
Lance, Keith Curry. Racial and Ethnic Diversity of U.S. Library Workers. American Libraries 36 no5 41-3 May 2005.
Kim, K., & Sin, S. Recruiting and Retaining Students of Color in LIS Programs. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 47(2), p.81-85.
Kim, K.S. Diversity Research: Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Library & Information Studies. Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://slisweb.lis.wisc.edu/~kskim/diversity.html
Hansen, A. M. The Face Behind the Reference Desk: Diversifying Academic Librarianship. Nov. 30, 2004. Retrieved on April 11, 2008 from: http://mingo.info-science.uiowa.edu/~hansen/foundationspaper.pdf
8 comments:
I definitely agree that the United State's diverse population is a great resource that has not been used to its fullest extent. It is important that the library profession work to overcome the obstacles that might prevent people from certain backgrounds from pursuing librarianship as a career. Librarians must meet the needs of diverse populations everyday, and this can be hard to do when your cultural backgroud is different from your patron's. This is especially important to think about when you consider the increase of global technologies such as the internet. In an article by Kristi Nilson the idea of "global" librarians is mentioned. I definitely think this is something we need to strive to be.
Work Cited
Nilson, K. (2004). LIS Education for Multiculturalism and Diversity. Canadian Library Association , 17-18.
According to the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights,
“[b]ooks and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves [and]…[l]ibraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.” ALA (2008).
It’s simple; the purpose of a library is to serve its community. If a community finds a library to be alien and impersonal, or views its collection as containing material that’s irrelevant to its experience, the library won’t last. Accordingly, multiculturalism and diversity are important to librarianship because they reflect the reality around us. We do not live in a monocultural world.
Libraries are uniquely situated for the role of promoting diversity. Unlike other services, public and academic libraries are not constrained generally to a specific field or a single population. Instead, they are “central learning resource[s]” (Mestre, et al., 1997) for communities that are diverse in their interests, abilities, and needs, as well as in their racial and ethnic make up. Failing to make “creative interconnections within diverse cultures” (Mestre, et al., 1997), through collection development and special exhibits and programming is, therefore, indefensible.
But many libraries fail to engage minority users. The University of Massachusetts Library Services, for example, identified as potential barriers to information literacy, “issues of physical access, language, technology, limited prior access to libraries and computers, pedagogy designed for the cognitive styles of ‘traditional’ students, and information systems established around unfamiliar conceptual frameworks.” (Mestre, et al., 1997). And while “[a]ny inexperienced library user may feel apprehensive or fearful[, t]hose from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds and other students from groups that have been systematically oppressed in this or other countries are especially subject to these barriers.” Mestre, et al. (1997).
This is unfortunate because libraries are not only places for people to access information, including information relevant to diverse interests, they are also places where people can form relationships and a larger sense of community. Libraries present many opportunities for one-on-one interactions between users of all backgrounds and library staff. “The quality of these interactions can create either a climate of comfort, confidence and inclusiveness, or one of alienation and even intimidation.” Mestre, et al. (1997).
Without an adequate understanding of diversity, librarians from the currently dominant culture may miss opportunities for building relationships between different groups, and, in the case of academic libraries, increasing the chances that a minority student will remain in school. Mestre, et al. (1997).
And without minority librarians on staff, some patrons will never even engage one-on-one with library personnel. “Many may find it easier to ask a staff member of color for help even if they are from a different racial or ethnic group, because that student may appreciate that the staff member too is from ‘outside’ the dominant culture.” Mestre, et al. (1997).
Our society is only going to increase in diversity, which is a good thing. Adding the perspectives of persons from different ethnic or racial backgrounds to more traditional views, and generating a larger pool of talent, can only enhance our creativity and ability to address the challenges now facing us. Winston (2001). And libraries are well positioned to help draw out this richness from our cultural diversity if they choose to do so. It’s, therefore, extremely important that libraries understand multiculturalism and hire a diverse staff. It is important for our society as a whole, and for the future vitality of the libraries themselves—after all, studies have shown that diverse organizations are more likely to thrive and succeed in today’s world. Winston (2001).
Works Cited:
ALA (2008) Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved on April 15, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm.
Mestre, L., et al. (1997). Diversity and multiculturalism working group report. University Library System, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Retrieved on April 15, 2008, from http://www.library.umass.edu/plan/dmwg.htm.
Winston, M. (2001). The Importance of Leadership Diversity: The Relationship between Diversity and Organizational Success in the Academic Environment. College & Research Libraries, 62(6) 517-26.
People definitely need to feel comfortable in the library, and for some people that means seeing some of themselves in the librarians or at least the programs. One example is a patron coming into the library and not speaking the same language as any of the staff members. Of course it is unrealistic to think that you could assemble a group of librarians that between them speaks every language, but it would really be a important gesture if we had basic working knowledge of some of the most popular languages coming into the United States. Imagine how happy a patron would be if it turned out that someone cared enough to help them find what they need in their native language. Also, if we make sure to keep up our ESL resources and present them in a friendly and non-intimidating way, the patrons would feel more comfortable coming in. Comfort and enjoyment of the library is what eventually leads people to our profession.
Diana makes a great point in the first partagraph of her post. The fact that a library is an institution relatively free from "econimic and commerical interest" truly makes it a place for the public. In our highly capitalized society fewer and fewer resources are so dedicated and available to the public.
It is ironic that an institution created and maintained to serve the public, can remain an entity not of it. As Jaeger and Franklin (2007) point out in their paper, the professional staff of a library does not always incorporate a representation of the country en masse or the local community it serves. While ethnicity has no bearing on a librarian's abilities it does have an impact on the atmosphere of the institution.
I think this disparity mirrors other disparities in America's history because some of its roots can be found in economics. A.M. Hansen's (2004) work makes the valid point obtaining certification to be a professional librarian is cost prohibitive in many socio-economic classes. History has shown that immigrants and ethnic minorities have been deprived of equal opportunity in education for many reasons including economic class; economics having nothing to do with ability.
Thanks Diana for this stimulating post!
Sources:
Paul T. Jaeger and Renee E. Franklin. The virtuous Circle: Increasing Diversity in LIS Faculties to Create More Inclusive Library Services and Outreach. Education Libraries v.30 no 1 (Summer 2007) p. 20-6.
Hansen, A. M. The Face Behind the Reference Desk: Diversifying Academic Librarianship. Nov. 30, 2004. Retrieved on April 11, 2008 from: http://mingo.info-science.uiowa.edu/~hansen/foundationspaper.pdf
Libraries are important tools for immigrants. While working in the library, I come across many people who are in the library looking for ESL tutors, looking for job or volunteer positions. They barely speak English and the library is someplace they know they can get help. I agree with Kelly m's state that librarians must meet the needs of diverse populations. Everyone and anyone comes into libraries and we must be ready for them.
We have an untapped potential for increasing our graduate student diversity in this country: illegal immigrants. I was listening to NPR the other day and they were discussing Immigration and collage. The fact is that there are many illegal immigrants in our nation’s secondary education schools who can’t receive degrees because of their status. Mostly these are children that immigrated with their parents and in order to receive a degree they must return to their home country (that they don’t remember) and await a visa that they have no guarantee of receiving. The person that they interviewed in the story was going into the medical profession, but it is a certain thing that there are people who would be going into Library Science if the laws in this area were relaxed.
(Sorry I don’t remember the name of the program and couldn’t find it. If anybody knows what program I’m talking about, please contact me.)
I found an article, "White Privilege in Library Land," that illustrates why diversity is important in our profession. The author put forth several propositions illustrating why it is important:
1. I can, if I wish, arrange to be in the professional company of people of my race most of the time.
2. If I should need to change jobs, I can be pretty sure of working in a position in a library professionally staffed primarily, if not exclusively, with people of my race.
3. I can be pretty sure that my colleagues in the new library will be neutral or pleasant to me.
4. I can examine the majority of materials in my library, print or media, and see people of my race widely represented.
5. When I research my library for the national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
6. I can accept a library position with an affirmative action employer without having coworkers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.
7. I can be pretty sure that the person in charge will be a person of my race.
8. In my library or professional work I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color, who constitute the world's majority, without feeling any penalty for such oblivion in my culture.
9. I can worry about racism regarding library concerns without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.
10. When conducting collection development, I can easily find materials featuring people of my race.
11. In my professional life and in my library activities, I feel welcomed and "normal" in the areas of public life, institutional life, and social life.
12. I can criticize my library or my profession and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as an outsider.
13. I can go home from most professional meetings or conferences feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared.
14. If my workday,-week, or year is going badly, I need not ask myself of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.
15. I can be sure that my children will find or be given materials in my library that testify to the existence and contributions of their race.
16. I can speak in public to my professional group(s) without putting any race on trial.
17. I am never asked in my profession to speak for all the people of my racial group.
If you can say yes after you have read most of these statements, you possess "White Privilege." You might not have earned this social and institutional power, but you possess it nevertheless.
Berry, J. (2004). Library Journal (1976) 129 no11 50.
I'm certainly not going to argue against diversity in the library. It's a little bit weird to look around my LIS classes and see how predominantly white and female the students are. I think 6010 has the most diverse class make-up off all the classes I've attended. (Of course, with my one online class, it's a little harder to tell ethnicity, though it's perfectly clear that there is only one male in the class.) This balance of backgrounds doesn't really seem to reflect the area as southeast Michigan has many different cultures and groups. I think that it is a real loss to our communities if their libraries don't reflect the populations they serve and don't offer the chance for other viewpoints to be heard.
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