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A Vital Necessity: Advancing Ethnic and Racial Diversity in Library Schools
by Socorro Maria Pelayo
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s was the singular compelling social movement moving universities to re-examine their admission and recruitment policies regarding non-white students. The Black Power Movement, the Chicano Movement, and, later, the Women's Movement galvanized students to apply for admission into schools of law, medicine, engineering, social work, library schools, and other academic departments. To enroll more students, Dr. Arnulfo Trejo created the Graduate Library Institute for Spanish Americans (GLISA) at the University of Arizona in 1975. In its brief history, GLISA graduated sixty Hispanic students. This was a major accomplishment, considering that in 1965 Dr. Trejo was the fifth Hispanic librarian in the nation.
Earlier, Dr. E. J. Josey challenged discriminatory practices of southern library chapters who refused admission to African- Americans. In 1964, he persuaded the American Library Association (ALA) to pass a resolution forbidding officers and employees from attending segregated southern library association meetings and functions, until those chapters opened their doors.
The Problem
Sadly, recruitment and retention gains of non-white students in library schools have not kept pace with changing demographics. Although the last population census revealed that Hispanics are the fastest-growing ethnic group, in 2001 there were fewer than 2,000 Hispanic librarians in the country. Recent statistics published by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) indicated that fewer racial and ethnic minority students are graduating from library schools. Other ARL statistics disclosed that only one percent of director positions and three percent of assistant and associate director positions in U.S. ARL Libraries are held by non-white professional staff. If the drop in library school admissions goes unabated, the number of non-white professional librarians and library students could conceivably return to the days before the Civil Rights Movement.
Potential Solutions
Here are a few proposals that may increase the diminishing numbers of non-white library students and develop leadership and team building skills for career advancement.
- Apply the business model to provide scholarships. For example, in
the hospitality industry, Marriott Hotel has an outstanding record
in hiring African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians as top managers.
Marriott understands that diversity is good for business. Its
diversity initiative is simple: Mirror the communities where they do
business. Marriott also forms partnerships with racial and ethnic
professional organizations as a way to extend its influence into
these communities. Partnerships allow Marriott to recognize new
talent and tap into products and services of emerging businesses.
Forming partnerships with their local business communities provides opportunities for library schools to raise funds for tuition scholarships and internships. This is one way for industry to discover and appreciate the valuable work librarians do. This approach may open up future possibilities of employment for the school’s graduates, and provide the school with a way to publicize the profession while making contacts within the business community.
- Recognize talent wherever you find it - among paraprofessional
staff and elsewhere - and encourage people to enter the profession.
Seek out communities, high schools, and colleges, to visit and
recruit students. When we make ourselves known in our communities,
we publicize our profession.
- Check with your alumni associations and inquire what they are
doing to mentor non-white students. Use REFORMA, which provides
mentors to Latino ALA Spectrum and REFORMA MLS scholarship
recipients, as a model to organize mentoring programs. Several new
librarians, white and non-white, who responded to my e-mail query
about having and being mentors, spoke highly about their
experiences. The proteges said having mentors made them feel
welcomed in their new roles as librarians.
Former student colleagues of mine mentioned that the racial and ethnic background of their mentors was not a factor for them; they were just interested in having skills and knowledge passed on. Another colleague wrote that her mentors notify her of available professional development opportunities. She believes mentors have contributed significantly to her job performance. Two former colleagues, both non-whites, are acting as mentors to library students. They seek out non-white students and also make themselves available to anyone who asks for help.
- Recommend and hire proteges to work in libraries and continue
mentoring them as long as it is mutually convenient.
- Study what other librarians are doing to increase enrollment of
traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Clara Chu,
an Associate Professor at UCLA's Information Studies Department, is
actively involved in recruiting students of color into the Masters
and Ph.D. programs. She believes that diversity in education and the
workforce is one way to eliminate societal inequities caused by
racism, and feels mentoring should begin at the time of application.
At UCLA, every item on the application counts. Students' Statement
of Purpose must be written carefully to demonstrate the purpose for
applying to UCLA, and to specify the subject field of study. In Ms.
Chu's experience, students of color need someone who can "show them
the ropes and guide them through the process."
Ms. Chu and others dedicated to creating a diverse student body in the Information Science Department, organized workshops on racism, established courses on diversity, developed a course on ethics. She is active in the Diversity Recruitment and Mentoring Committee, a group of faculty, students, and professional librarians, who work to increase the number of non-white library students in the Masters and Ph.D. programs.
Racial and ethnic minority librarians have been good for the profession. They influence collection development and acquisitions, as authors from traditionally underrepresented racial, cultural, and ethnic groups are becoming a part of library collections. They provide library services to previously-neglected culturally and racially diverse communities, and they invite people to feel comfortable in libraries and to participate in functions. Individually and within our associations, we are capable of setting the professional standard to increase the numbers of racial and ethnic students. We need the political will and intention to provide scholarships, recruit, mentor, and hire them.
Socorro Maria Pelayo is a recent graduate from the School of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University. She enjoys teaching research skills and looks forward to working as a librarian. She has a J.D.and is looking for employment. Her email address is pelayo007@sbcglobal.net.