Download - LIS Cultural Competency Training
Lori [email protected]
LIS Cultural Competency Training
Reforma National Conference IVDenver, COSeptember 17, 2011
Issues at Hand
Preparation at Library Schools of Librarians to Serve Diverse Populations
Impact Once on the Job
Training of Librarians to Serve Diverse Populations
Data Gathered
Surveys
• Selected librarians serving diverse populations
• Accredited U.S. Library Schools
Interviews
• 15 Librarians designated as “Diversity Librarian”
Web Page Scan
• Library Schools
• ARL Libraries
Ethnicity
Other = mostly biracial
Current Roles
Diversity Librarians
Subject Specialists Outreach
78 of 107 ARL Libraries
14 of 107 ARL Libraries
New Term?
A Need for All Librarians To Be Culturally Competent
Library School Preparation
87.2% entered library school not thinking about a career in
multicultural librarianship
In Percentages
Hiring Data
Did you intentionally seek a position dedicated to multicultural/diversity services?
Did your Library School program prepare you to work with multiple constituencies?
21.7
50
28.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Yes Somewhat NoLibrary School Data
Diversity Preparation
From the Librarian Survey
Library School Data
Did your library school offer a specific course in multicultural librarianship (or something similar)?
•Children’s and young adult literature courses (23)
•General courses with a focus on diverse populations (31)
•Courses that address multilingualism, the non-English speaking, the limited English speaking, or the Spanish speaking (5)
Courses with Multicultural Components
25.5
12.8
40.4
8.512.8
05
1015202530354045
Required Elective Elements in every course
Both required and elements
in every course
As elective and elements in every course
Library School Data
How Should Multicultural Librarianship be Part of the Curriculum?
Library Strategies
Diversity Training
Diversity Program-ming
Diversity Committee
Diversity Outreach
Residency Programs
Getting Started: How Do I Learn To:
Work with diverse cultures?
Initiate, coordinate, and expand diversity-related
programs at my library and institution?
Gain an entrée as liaison to the various diverse
populations?
Better prepare all librarians to be culturally
competent?
Establishing relationships
22%Becoming a presence in the library/community
17.15%
Developing a plan of action 20%
Developing an environment that
embraces diversity 10%
Other 30% Most Challenging
Aspect of Job
Gaining an Entrée 20.5%
Socially Accepted Norms 2.3%
Other 18.1%
Understanding Cultural Nuances
20.5%
Communication22.7%
Approachability 15.9%
GreatestChallenges
Working with Diverse Cultures
Interview Comments
“It was my first professional
position.”“I created the job and had to learn as I went.”
“ I have been given the opportunity to vision the future of immigrant services for my library system. I do that through a great staff, a working knowledge of the research and best practices nationwide and through knowing and connecting to the community.”
Diversity Training Programs
Obtain Library Support
Get Examples (best practices, research, colleagues)
Identify partners Needs Assessment (internal and external)
Develop Objectives
Design Programs (using a variety of
methods) Assess
Training
Develop Diversity Awareness
Create a Respectful
Work Environment
Learn Cross Cultural
Communication Nuances
Develop Cultural Competency
Know your community
Visibility
• Library patrons…need to see themselves when they walk into the library. They need to see themselves in the displays, collections, websites, and staff, because to see yourself is the first human connection, the first human invitation to become a lifelong user of libraries...*
*http://www.ala.org/ala/diversity/diversityactionb/divrecruitment/recruitmentdiversity.cfm
“I was sitting in a meeting and we were talking about putting some photographs up in the room where all the computers are to break it up to beautify the wall. So the person who was doing it said “We’re going to put pictures from the 1920s”. So when they put pictures up there it was only white people and white men in the pictures and I’m like “okay ,am I the only one that sees this question?” …
Diversity Should be Reflected and Visible
• Handouts• Web Pages• Images• Resources
A Need for Us All to Be Culturally Competent
Lori [email protected]
Support for the research funded by the Research and Publication Committee of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library.