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6 College & Research Libraries January 2001
Guest Editorial
Diversity: More Than Just a Blip
Fostering diversity is an articulated pri
ority in the academic library community.
Unfortunately, academic librarians have
not always been successful in their efforts
to foster diversity. Despite examples to the
contrary, these efforts have been criticized
for taking the form of minimal attempts
only undertaken in response to university
requirements for accountability across
units, celebratory programs that include
ethnic foods and interesting speakers, or
sincere attempts that are thwarted by the
fact that “we couldn’t find any minority
applicants for the position” or the subjec
tive determinations that the “best-quali
fied” person happened to lead to a hire or
promotion that fails to further the diver
sity efforts. Of course, fostering diversity
is always a part of the articulated organi
zational mission and one of the strategic
goals of most academic libraries. The ques
tion becomes whether it is really the case
that we have so many other strategic pri
orities that limited resources, not enough
minority graduates of MLS programs who
are interested in academic libraries, and
other limitations make progress impos
sible to achieve.
Cutting-edge research in the study of
diversity has highlighted the
documented connection between
investment in diversity and organi-
zational success and performance.
Looking beyond the academic library
community provides a number of ex
amples related to the national context in
relation to diversity and offers a basis for
this discussion. Colleges and universities,
including libraries, operate within this
larger context and prepare graduates who
will have a role to play in shaping that
context, presumably for the better. This
context also helps to provide the
justification for our ongoing fo
cus on diversity as an organiza
tional priority in the academic
environment. As we learn of continuing
evidence of the prevalence of glass ceilings
in private- and public-sector organizations,
a number of companies such as Texaco and
Advantica (Denny’s) have been involved
in high-profile racial discrimination law
suits. There is frequent evidence regard
ing the use of racial profiling by police
departments, including those linked to
Operation Pipeline, “a program financed
by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Adminis
tration and run by hundreds of state and
local police agencies across the country.”1
The program is intended to reduce drug
trafficking and has come under scrutiny
by the Attorney General and others for the
criteria used by officers and the dispropor
tionate number of stops of minority driv
ers. In addition, there have been allega
tions of a second Tailhook scandal and the
appointment of a senior law enforcement
official in Texas, who has indicated his
belief that terms such as “porch monkeys”
are not derogatory, depending on how
they are used.2, 3 Of course, in 1999, the
radio personality Doug Tracht, “the
Greaseman,” was fired after making the
highly publicized statement: “No wonder
people drag them behind trucks.”4 And
the Boy Scouts of America’s policy regard
ing the participation of gays has come
under fire but been upheld by the Supreme
Court. In addition, there are examples of
the racially motivated killings of individu
als and bias crimes against homosexuals
in a number of states.
In the higher education community,
the 1997 Regents’ decision eliminated race
and gender as factors in admissions deci
sions in the University of California sys
6
tem, leading to a drop in minority admis
sions at the various UC campuses. Simi
lar decisions have affected higher educa
tion in other states, as well.
The importance of diversity does not
relate simply to addressing specific inci
dents, remarks made by elected officials,
political appointees, or other prominent
individuals, or well-documented discrimi
natory practices of major corporations and
other organizations. None of these types
of situations is new. These developments,
among others, provide an indication of the
challenges that can be reported; and they
might suggest that although examples of
bias are not on the decline, diversity ef
forts are being reduced or eliminated in
response to political pressure, charges of
reverse discrimination, and the desire to
focus on other organizational priorities.
However, a look at the private sector
shows that in the year 2000, despite the
above-mentioned factors standing in op
position to diversity efforts, important
trends indicate “that diversity is more than
just a passing blip on America’s corporate
conscience.”5 For example, Fortune
magazine’s list of companies that are Di
versity Leaders reports: “the nearly mi
raculous turnaround of Advantica, the
owner of Denny’s restaurants.”6 A com
pany that was, as recently as 1994, when it
settled a more than $50 million lawsuit,
“synonymous with discrimination,” has
made such extensive strides that seem to
go well beyond damage control, such that
the company is now number one on
Fortune’s list.7 Certainly, a number of other
companies are new to the list, which sug
gests that it is not only the high-profile of
fenders that are taking diversity seriously.
The rationale for organizational efforts
related to diversity efforts often is based
on the important consideration of serv
ing the increasingly diverse population,
as well as past inequities and current un
fairness. Certainly, this rationale is con
sistent with the fact that social responsi
bility is a priority in many organizations.
However, in many organizations, particu
larly in the private sector, there is the
emerging realization among managers
Guest Editorial 7
and organizational development re
searchers that the reasons for promot
ing and fostering diversity within orga
nizations go beyond the fact that it is a
good thing to do. Cutting-edge research
in the study of diversity has highlighted
the documented connection between
investment in diversity and organiza
tional success and performance.
The results of a number of research
studies indicate that the companies that
are the most diverse, as measured by fac
tors such as minority employment and
spending with minority suppliers, also
have been identified as more successful
companies overall.8
In the academic setting, a number of
similarities become apparent. First, diver
sity efforts continue and have led to results
that are worth noting. However, the basis
for these efforts seems to reflect consumer
response to decisions that indicate a lack
of commitment to diversity or, more
broadly, social responsibility, as was the
case with Advantica and others. Research
ers have offered a persuasive argument
regarding the impact of the abandonment
of affirmative action programs in terms of
admissions, but also in terms of enroll
ment, as the number of minority applicants
declines and as those who are accepted
choose to attend other institutions, which
may offer more conducive, welcoming
environments with greater diversity and
apparent organizational commitment.9
In both 1999 and 2000, the number of
minority students admitted at University
of California campuses has risen, at this
point surpassing the number, although
not the percentage, of minority students
admitted in 1997.10 The use of more ag
gressive recruitment and other outreach
programs has been credited with facili
tating these increases.11 Obviously, there
are significant implications associated
with the elimination of such programs
related to affirmative action, which are
designed to address past inequities and
current unfairness. Certainly, one caveat
relates to the fact that the minority admis
sions are up at the less-competitive UC
campuses, not UCLA and Berkeley.12
http:Berkeley.12
http:increases.11
8 College & Research Libraries January 2001
However, the California circumstance
appears to be an example of the fact that
activities undertaken by an organization
that appear to indicate a lack of social re
sponsibility also appear to have an im
pact on consumer choice. And, con
versely, efforts to address the public’s
perception of the organization and the
organization’s desire to be viewed as
more socially responsible, particularly in
the eyes of well-qualified students (or
other consumers who have other op
tions), appear to lead to enhanced results.
The competitiveness and success of or
ganizations are based largely on a well-
prepared work force, which can contrib
ute to organizational success, including
competitiveness related to diversity.
Therefore, it is necessary to ensure equity
and to provide an educational environ
ment that offers many opportunities and
prepares future graduates to learn from
and appreciate a diverse learning and
professional environment. One recent and
significant finding emerging in relation
to diversity in higher education is based
on the Ford Foundation’s Campus Diver
sity Initiative and other research, indicat
ing the central role of “colleges and uni
versities (in) prepar(ing) people to func
tion in a diverse society.”13 In other
words, most people understand and
value the role of colleges and universi
ties in this regard. These results suggest
noteworthy implications for academic li
braries, as well.
Then, it is the case that “diversity is
more than just a passing blip on America’s
corporate conscience. It has become some
thing to compete on and to be proud of.
As it should be.”14 The question becomes:
To what extent are college and university
libraries and graduate programs in library
and information science leaders in diver
sity within the academic environment
and in the preparation of graduates for
employers who are competing in relation
to diversity?
MARK D. WINSTON
Assistant Professor
School of Communication,
Information and Library Studies
Rutgers University
Notes
1. Gary Webb, “DWB [Driving While Black/Brown],” Esquire, Apr. 1999, 118–27.
2. Steven Lee Myers, “Accusation of Misconduct Arises at Tailhook Meeting,” New York Times,
26 Aug. 2000, A.7.
3. Bob Herbert, “A Different Republican?” [Op-Ed] New York Times, 29 June 2000, A.31
4. Csar G. Soriano “`Greaseman’ tries to clear air,” USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 1999, 02.D.
5. Christine Y. Chen and Jonathan Hickman, “The Top 50: Fortune’s Third Annual List of
Diversity Leaders,” Fortune, 10 July 2000, 192.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid., 190.
8. Geoffrey Colvin, “The 50 Best Companies for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics: Companies
That Pursue Diversity Outperform the S&P 500. Coincidence?” Fortune, 19 July 1999, 53–54; Sherry
Kuczynski, “If Diversity, Then Higher Profits? Companies That Have Successful Diversity Pro
grams Seem to Have Higher Returns. But Which Came First?” HR Magazine, Dec. 1999.
9. Gary Orfield and Edward Miller, Chilling Admissions: The Affirmative Action Crisis and the
Search for Alternatives (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Education Publishing Group, 1998).
10. “California Sees Minority Admissions Rebound,” New York Times, 4 Apr. 1999, 18; Jeffrey
Selingo, “U. of California Sees Increase in Minority Applicants Admitted” Chronicle of Higher
Education 46 (Apr. 14, 2000): A44.
11. Norah Vincent, “The New Math on Race,” Village Voice, 4 Apr. 2000, 12.
12. Ibid.
13. Sam Fulwood III and Kenneth R. Weiss, “Public Values Ethnic Diversity, Survey Finds;
Poll: By Large Margins, Americans Support Multiculturalism in Society and Higher Education,
Study Says, But Fear Greater Division Along Racial Lines,” Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 1998, A14.
14. Chen and Hickman, “The Top 50,” 192.
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