ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


Septem ber 1 9 9 2 / 5 3 7

R a c ia l &  b u d g e t c o n s t r a in t s , a n d  
nic 

c o n c e rn  fo r g a in in g  p e r ­
sonal com m itm ent to  diver­
sity fro m  staff m em b ers. 

r s ity
T he tw o-page h an d o u t p re ­
p a re d  fo r th e  sessio n  in ­
cludes the five categories of 

n  exch a n g e questions an d  th e listing of 
organizational qualities rec­
o m m en d ed  for effective di­
versity program s.For a copy 
contact: Susana H inojosa, Hinojosa
Library, U.C. Berkeley, Ber­
keley, CA 94720; fax: (510) 
643-7891; em ail: sh in o jo s 

@library.b e rk e le y .e d u .

ARL's d iv e rs ity  p ro ject
T h e A ssociation o f R esearch L ibraries’ project 
“M eeting th e  C hallenge o f a Culturally D iverse 
E n v iro n m en t” has im p le m e n te d  diversity c o n ­
sulting, train in g , a n d  p re s e n ta tio n  services. 
T he services available include: p resen tatio n s, 
p a p e rs , w o rk sh o p s, p a n e l discussions, facili­
tatio n  o f sm all g ro u p  discussions, a n d  c o n ­
sulting for th o se  involved w ith  diversity p la n ­
ning an d  program s. T he Office o f M anagem ent 
Studies (OMS) is d irecting the p roject a n d  has 
p re p a r e d  an  in fo rm atio n al p a c k a g e  o n  th e 
p ro ject an d  services. T h e services are avail­
ab le to  all ty p es o f libraries. For fu rth er infor­
m atio n  contact: Kriza Je n n in g s, D iversity C on­
sultant, C ultural D iversity P roject, ARL/OMS, 
B ox 815E, 1527 N ew  H am p sh ire Ave., NW, 
W ashington, D.C. 20036; (202) 232-8656. ■

(Letters cont. fr o m  p a g e  5 3 5 )
if n o t m ost, chief academ ic officers saw  no  role 
for the librarian b ey o n d  th e library itself and 
few  o f th em  u n d ersto o d  th e term  “inform ation 
literacy.” W e m ust w o rk  tow ards changing this.

I w o u ld  like to  su g g est a n  add itio n al role 
for the librarian o n  accred itatio n  team s. H e / 
sh e sh o u ld  also p articip ate in th e  review  o f 
co m p u tin g  reso u rces, academ ic co m p u tin g  in 
particular, to  d eterm in e w h e th e r a p p ro p ria te  
n e w  info rm atio n  re so u rces can  b e  m ad e ac­
cessib le to  th e  cam p u s com m unity. It is tim e 
fo r a c ad em e to  m ak e th e  library th e  “h eart o f 
th e  university” in m ore th a n  n am e only.— A n n  
d e Klerk, d irecto r o f  library a n d  in s tru c tio n a l 
m e d ia  services, B u c k n e ll U niversity ■

ALA C onference 
u p d a te
T he c o m m itte e ’s v e ry  su e- 
cessful (first) ALA A n n u al 

E
C onference p rogram , “G et­
ting B ack to  B a sic s ,” f e a ­
tured six discussion sessions. 

D i
The sessions focused on: u p ­ In form
w ard m obility, recruitm ent, 
library clim ate, coalition, d i­
versity training, a n d  library 
school curriculum . As a re ­ Susa
sult o f th e  d iscussions h eld  
on th ese topics, th e  com m it- 
tee will b e sh arin g  p u b lic a ­
tions, reco m m en d atio n s, strategies, a n d  idea
on th ese issu es th ro u g h  this colum n. At th
mom ent, o n e  h a n d o u t p rep ared  for th e  p r
gram is available to interested librarians. Th
han d o u t an d  session are described below .

Im p le m e n tin g  d iv e rs ity
“Fostering a Climate for D iversity” w as a se
sion led  b y  Kriza Je n n in g s, diversity co n su l
ant w ith  ARL. W hen p u rs u in g  diversity a n
or m inority recru itm en t activities in librari
there is a n e e d  fo r a w o rk  e n v iro n m en t th
values an d  w elco m e s differences. Five cate g
ries o f q u e stio n s n e e d  to  b e  ask ed  w ith in  th
organization p rio r to  im p lem en tin g  diversit
activities. T h e se  q u e s tio n s  n e e d  to  b e  d i
cussed th ro u g h o u t th e  o rg an izatio n  to  en su r
a successful beginning; ev ery o n e m ust b e  f
cused o n  th e sam e goals, vision, a n d  d ire
tion. E xploration o f th e  q u estio n s leads th
organization in to  th e  identification o f strat
gies for fostering a clim ate w h ich  is re s p o
sive to  diversity.

Also included in th e  session w as a listing 
qualities n e e d e d  to  p ro m o te a n d  su p p o rt d
versity in the w orkplace. It w as stressed that 
successful diversity program  sho u ld  b e int
grated w ithin library operations, w ith an e
phasis o n  providing diversity ex p erien ces 
four levels: b y  th e individual, w ithin the d
partm ent/division, w ithin the library organiz
tion, an d  w ithin th e cam pus com m unity. Th
group discussion follow ing th e p resen tatio
focused o n  h o w  to im plem ent diversity w it

Su sa n a  Hinojosa, University o f  C alifornia, Berkeley
is c h a ir o f  th e ACRL R a cia l a n d  E th n ic  D iversity 
Committee

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