diversity in a flash: a lightning showcase of residency diversity initiatives
TRANSCRIPT
Diversity in a Flash
A Lightning Showcase of Residency Diversity Initiatives
Ethnic Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table
ALA Annual 2015, San Francisco
Learning Objectives
(1) Discover strategies to promote ethnic and multicultural initiatives in order to bring awareness of diversity on campus and in the local community.
(2) Plan and implement outreach and programming for diverse populations in order to create sustainable initiatives and foster campus relationships.
(3) Obtain a better understanding of diversity residency programs in order to recognize how residencies contribute to a more diverse profession
“
”
Post-degree work experience designed as an entry level
program for recent graduates of an MLS program.
ACRL Residency Interest Group
Diversity Residency Programs provide professional opportunities to recent MLS
graduates from an underrepresented community in librarianship.
Presenters
Nataly BlasBusiness LibrarianLoyola Marymount University
Orolando DuffusDiversity Resident LibrarianUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro
Tarida AnantachaiLearning Commons Librarian Syracuse University
Presenters
Martha ParkerLibrarian-in-Residence University of Arkansas
Sarah EspinosaResidency Librarian for Diversity and InnovationTowson University
Diversity Residency at UNCG
Nataly Blas, Orolando Duffus
Diversity Residency at UNCG
The UNCG University Libraries have established a two-year diversity residency in order to foster a new librarian’s professional growth while investing in the libraries’ commitment to diversity.
Resident’s 1st year – Work in three functional areas and gain valuable experience in multiple areas of academic librarianship
Resident’s 2nd year – Select one service area upon which to focus
The resident will participate in diversity initiatives for both the library and the university.
UNCG Diversity Residents
Jason Alston 2008 – 2010
LaTesha Velez2010 – 2012
Nataly Blas2012 – 2014
Orolando Duffus2014 - 2016
Diversity Initiatives at UNCGNataly’s Experience
Strategies
• Identify a university “need” that meets your interest
• Make yourself visible on campus
• Seek campus wide collaboration
• Prepare an elevator pitch• Learn more about your
audience (culture, behaviors, etc.)
• Don’t give up if your first try fails!
Planning & Implementation
• Who will spearhead the project?
• How do you want to position the library?
• Assign roles & responsibilities
• Create short and long term goals
• Assessment• Be flexible and be
prepared to make adjustments
ALIANZA UNCGA grassroots collaboration to build a strategic framework to promote Latino student access, retention, and graduation and to energize Latino-focused scholarship.
• Coffee meet & greet for Hispanic/Latino community
• Welcome reception for Hispanic students & parents
• Videos in Spanish for each department on campus
• Outreach to Hispanic high school students
• “Borderlands” discussion series
• One City, One Book
• ALIANZA office hours
• ALIANZA bookmarks
• ALIANZA staff development
ALIANZA UNCG & the Library
• Diversity Resident served as bridge
• Video promoting the library in Spanish
• Library as a space for events
• ALIANZA display in library’s exhibit case
Diversity Initiatives at UNCGOrolando’s Experience
• Students expressed concern about the lack of
opportunity to engage with diverse individuals.
• Higher education institutions around the world
have acknowledged that multicultural education
and research is crucial to national development and
cultural pluralism.
• The University Libraries understand and
acknowledge that diversity shapes the human
experience and is critical to the formation of
identity.
Objectives
• Increase multicultural awareness.
• Create a bridge between the libraries and student organizations.
• Create a strategic alliance with university stakeholders that focuses on diversity and inclusiveness.
• Aids the psychological adjustment process by cultivating shared experiences.
• Create an opportunity to promote the Libraries’ collections and services as well as identify ways to improve them.
• Create a dialogue between faculty, staff and students on a variety of topics relating to diversity. This dialogue was facilitated during a panel discussion.
Results
• Increased multicultural awareness on campus.
• Increased the general awareness of library resources available to support our diverse communities.
• 60% of participants indicated that they learned something new about another culture.
• 53% of survey respondents indicated that they are a native of a country other than the US.
• Reduced anxiety levels of new students — cultivated shared experiences — allowed participants to gain comfort with differences.
• Found that the needs of 1st year and international students are psychological and socially rooted.
Diversity Outreach and the Syracuse University
Resident Librarian Program
Tarida Anantachai, Syracuse University Libraries
Diversity in a Flash: A Lightning Showcase of Residency Diversity Initiatives
SU’s Resident Librarian Program
• Two-year, post-graduate appointment• Primarily assigned to
Learning Commons, with opportunities to explore other areas of interest• Core responsibilities include
reference, general library instruction, and outreach • Receive professional
development support, including those supporting early career and/or librarians from underrepresented populations
SU’s Learning Commons
• An “active, open environment that supports student achievement and academic success through its services, spaces, resources, and partnerships.”
SU’s Learning Commons (cont.)
•Have developed relationships with non-academic campus units and programs, including:• English Language Institute• Honors Program• International Student Services Center• Office of Multicultural Affairs• Office of Residence Life• Transfer Students• SU Abroad• Veterans Affairs
Highlighted items are those whose library liaisons were first initiated by Resident Librarians.
Resident Diversity Initiatives: External Outreach• Multicultural event displays
Resident Diversity Initiatives: External Outreach (cont.)• Creation and/or sponsorship of campus multicultural
events
Resident Diversity Initiatives: External Outreach (cont.)• Instruction sessions, orientations, and online guides for
multicultural populations
Resident Diversity Initiatives: Internal Outreach• Staff training sessions on cultural awareness and
competencies
Resident Diversity Initiatives: Internal Outreach (cont.)• Embedding (and inviting others to embed) diversity in
library projects
Diversity Outreach: Outcomes
•Demonstration of library as advocate• Increased advocacy of library and residency program• Sustainability of efforts• Liaison experience and leadership development of the resident
Diversity Outreach: Tips and Takeaways•Meet them where they are• Attending partners’ regular meetings (and vice versa)• Conducting personalized tours• Inviting their expertise and feedback
• Tap into currently existing initiatives and resources• Keeping abreast of events for potential co-sponsorship• Recruiting librarians and staff for multicultural projects
• Seek out opportunities to help• Offering library services as program support
(display/event space, printing, graphic design help, event promotion, etc.)• Communicating availability of multicultural library
resources of interest where applicable
Thank you!
Tarida AnantachaiLearning Commons Librarian, Syracuse UniversityConvener, ACRL Residency Interest [email protected]
Libraries
• Research• Know your stakeholders• Create awareness • Collaborate• Market your services
Libraries
What is your library’s mission statement?
What is your organization’s mission statement?
What does your job description states as your “diversity” goal?
Libraries
LibrariesProjects
Diversity website Diversity libguide Diversity committee Selector of diversity materials College Access Initiative, ACT Real World/iBridge Library tours for all Multi-Cultural
Center events
Libraries
University Projects
Diversity Certificate Training Attracting Intelligent Minds
Conference, AIM African-American Resource Group Latino Resource Group Association Student Government,
ASG- Conversation with Diverse Leaders
La Pachanga, Hispanic month celebration
Rigoberta Menchú, visiting the UAF during Hispanic Month, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize /Future event
Libraries
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Community Projects
One community, dean of libraries Juneteenth Dream BIG (Believing-In-Girls)
Diversifying Records ofStudent Organizations
Sarah Espinosa
Residency at Towson University Libraries
Gain experience and provide services in Reference and Instruction, Technical Services, and Archives & Special Collections
Specialize in one area and work on a project suited to his/her professional interests and the needs of the library
Records Transfer Program for Student Organizations
Create a program for archiving student organization records including policies, procedures, training, and outreach/instruction materials
Program Recommendations
• Initial needs assessment
• Culture of the University, Library
• Identify stakeholders and partners – what are their needs?
• User-centered workflow
• Evaluate
Needs Assessment
SUMMARY• 9 religious
organizations, 8 Christian
• 1 organization celebrating race or ethnicity
• 8 of the 9 National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternities and sororities
Student Organizations, 2014-2015
338 student organizations
48 groups celebrating cultural identity including race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, ability, religion, language
University and Library Support
University and Library Support
University and Library Support
“Towson University will further strengthen its commitment to diversity and continue to provide a safe, inclusive, welcoming and peaceful community respectful to all. Towson will continue as a recognized national model for diversity and closing the achievement gap. Our institutional strategies will expand and continue to provide a forum for campus dialogue and action.”
--Strategic Plan, TU2020
University and Library SupportArchives• Intellectual control of collections• Looking for more outreach opportunities
and partnerships• Experimenting with models for records
transfer programs• Digital records?
Stakeholders and Partners
Stakeholders and Partners
Meeting with student government and coordinator for student organizations (Christopher Rindosh)
Needs
CentralizationPreservation – physical and digital records
Organizational history, culture, values
Diversity
User-Centered Workflow
Existing WorkflowsTiger Stripes: A budget
incentive program for student organizations
rewards the fulfillment of requirements with larger budgets
Package 4: highest budget package, included Transition binder requirement
Collaboration
Coordinator for Student Organizations replaced the Transition Binder with a requirement to contribute specific documents to the University Archives, ensuring consistent records transfer from large organizations
Training, Outreach, Instruction
Training for Archives staff
Presentation to Leadership Summit What is archives, why transfer, what records can University
Archives accept, what records should stay within organization
How records get from students to University Archives, guidelines for Tiger Stripes submissions
A-LIST outreach package Flyer
Blog post
Outreach plan
Evaluation
Results
22 Student Organization Records
(50% increase)
Actors AnonymousAfrican Diaspora Club (ADC)Alpha Phi OmegaBest BuddiesBlack Student UnionCruFilipino Cultural Association @ TowsonHabitat for HumanityInternational Student AssociationLatin American Student Organization (L.A.S.O.)Modelz of DistinctionNational Art Education Association National Association of Black AccountantsNational Student Speech Language & Hearing AssociationPurrrfect PitchTigerTHONTowson University Circle KTowson University Society of AccountancyTowson University Student Nursing AssociationSisterhood South Asian Student AssociationStudents Helping Honduras
Thank You!
Questions?
This program is brought to you by…
The Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table