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ALA Annual 2007 Review – Sunday, June 24, 2007 – Minority Recruitment in Research Libraries: A Model of Success / AFL BCALA

Versión en español

In response to the dropping numbers of already underrepresented minority librarians in academic and research settings, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has created the Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce. This program was a presentation of the initiative’s history, work, successes and future plans. Jerome Offord Jr., Director of Diversity Initiatives for the ARL, was accompanied by several student participants in the program, both onstage and off, who shared their experiences with the audience.

The Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce proposes to attract and retain minority students to pursue careers as academic and research librarians by:

1. Providing each participant with mentor with a minimum of 5 years post MLS experience in the field – Isabella Marqués de Castilla was particularly impassioned when speaking about her relationship with her own mentor, and how important it had become, even though she was resistant to the mentorship at first.
2. Sending participants to the ARL Leadership Institute, held in conjunction with ALA Midwinter – This institute features presentations form library leaders on issues related to transitioning into and building career networks in research libraries.
3. Sending participants to the Introduction to a Research Library at Purdue University – Program students were effusive in their praise of Purdue’s support of the program and the value this experience had for them.
4. Encouraging participants to commit to a minimum of 2 years working in an academic or research library – although this commitment is not binding, program participants are given placement support to try and accomplish this goal.
5. Paying a $10,000 stipend ($2,500 per semester for two years) per student which can be coupled with other financial aid to help defray the costs of their studies.

Several interesting questions were brought up during the Q&A session. One member of the audience asked why the diversity initiative was limited to ethnic minorities, and asked whether the ARL considered expanding the program to other groups such as religious minorities and the GLBT community. Offord responded that, for the purposes of gathering start-up funds and support for the initiative, using Census defined minority groups was one of the best ways to circumscribe and define the groups that would be served by the program. Eventually, if the more funds become available and a more inclusive definition for “diversity” can be agreed, this may be an option. I sympathize with Offord here: the legal and political implications of such a move require great caution, but I was pleased that it is not out of the question.

Another audience member asked whether the initiative had established a relationship with HBCUs in their recruitment attempts. Offord replied that recruitment in these institutions had proved remarkably difficult, because outdated librarian stereotypes were still deeply entrenched in these schools and there was little or no interest in his presentations. I spoke then, and told him that the University of Puerto Rico had many of the same traits he had described in HBCUs, but that the GSIST we would be very interested in promoting this initiative for our students.

A third audience member asked if the ARL had any support available for recent minority graduates like himself who had not participated in the program. This was of particular interest to me as well, and actually the reason I chose to attend this program. Offord pointed him to the Career Resources Center, the Research Library Residency and Internship Programs Registry and the MLS Graduate Student Résumé Database. I don’t have working URLs for these last two, but I hope they will be available soon, as I’m sure these will be very sought after resources.