Getting Together To Go Forward: The Lessons of Diversity Initiatives

and How to Implement Them at Your Library

September 22, 2012

http://bit.ly/librarydiversity

• Lisa Chow

PULSE (Public Urban Library Service Education)

• Latanya N. Jenkins

ARL; Diversity Fellowship

• Edwin B. Maxwell

Spectrum

• Louis Muñoz Jr.

Moderator; MIP (Multicultural Internship Program)

Presenters

Lisa Chow is a newish information professional with a few "library ribbons" including SLA Rising Star, LJ Mover & Shaker, ALA Emerging Leader, ARL Diversity Scholar and PULSE (Public Urban Library Service Education) Trainee. She is currently working as a Web Analyst at Brooklyn Public Library. Lisa is half of People Interact, a consultancy that empowers libraries and other organizations to be people-centered. Find out more at http://bit.ly/lisachow.

Presenters

Latanya N. Jenkins is an academic librarian who also was an American Library Association (ALA) Emerging Leader sponsored by the Reference & User Services Association (RUSA). She is a past Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Diversity Scholar and mentor as well as a past fellow and visiting assistant professor at Purdue University Libraries. Latanya was a recent participant in the Minnesota Institute for Early Career Librarians from Traditionally Underrepresented Groups. She works as a Reference Librarian & Government Documents, Head at Morgan State University's Earl S. Richardson Library in Baltimore, MD. Latanya is the liaison to the School of Architecture + Planning.

Presenters

Edwin B. Maxwell is a lecturer of Information Literacy at ASA institute and a senior librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library. He is a proud product of numerous library diversity initiatives including ALA’s Spectrum  Institute, New York Black Librarians’ Caucus Donna Hoke Scholar and the program and Brooklyn Public Library’s Pulse. He holds these initiatives very close to his heart and continues to champion for diversity in libraries by serving as the chairperson for the New York Black Librarian’s Caucus’ Scholarship committee, a mentor to high school students as part of Brooklyn Public Library’s Multicultural Internship Project, and a recruiter for ALA’s Discovering Librarianship Program.

Presenters

Louis Muñoz Jr. is a product of the PULSE leadership and diversity program. He currently works in the Multilingual Center at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), providing services and support to immigrants. He is a Mentor in the Multicultural Internship Program (MIP), and serves on this and other BPL committees. Louis has been Secretary of the New York Library Association’s (NYLA) Ethnic Services Roundtable and REFORMA’s Northeast Chapter (RNE), as well as Vice-President and President of RNE. His President’s Initiatives included proposing and creating a new scholarship fund for library school students (to promote recruitment), and helping create another annual award for current professionals (to promote retention). Louis has been Co-Chair of REFORMA National’s Recruitment and Mentoring Committee and is currently Chair of several RNE committees, as well as the 2012-2014 Secretary of REFORMA National. In addition, he has been a moderator and presenter at various library conferences.

Public Urban Library Service Education (PULSE) Program

Lisa Chow

What is PULSE?

• PULSE = Public Urban Library Service Education

• Library recruitment, leadership, and training program

• Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) three-year grant: $516,732

• Partnership between Brooklyn Public Library and Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science

PULSE Trainees

• Pratt library school students

• Three cohorts (2004-2006) = total of 21 PULSE Trainees

• Selection of Pratt students in PULSE internships each semester

Why PULSE?

• "At LJ [Library Journal], we've long been railing against the disconnect between library education and practice, PULSE binds the two together."

PULSE Features

• Full-time salaried position

• Rotation-based structure (3-month rotations in various library locations and departments)

• Conference attendance support

• Tuition reimbursement

• Mentor and mentee pairing

• Monthly knowledge seminars

• Entry-level librarian positions offered after program completion/library school graduation

PULSE Rotations

What PULSE trainees are saying...

What PULSE trainees are saying...

Brooklyn PL Ends PULSE

Where are they now?

*Partial list

Takeaways from PULSE

• Practical hands-on experience is invaluable

• Exposure to different areas of a library - areas of interest and career paths

• Need for continuous networking opportunities during and after the program

• Lack of training in key areas such as grant writing and project management

• Need to include multilingual and under-represented groups in addition to people of color

Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Diversity Scholars Program and Purdue

University Fellowship Program

Latanya N. Jenkins

ARL Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce

Purpose:

"to attract students from racial and ethnic minority groups to careers in academic

and research libraries"

ARL IRDW

History

•Began in 2002

•Annual, became biennial in 2004

•leadership development

•scholarship

•formal mentoring

•funding: IMLS grant & ARL libraries

ARL IRDW: Leadership Training

ALA Midwinter

• Networking with ARL library directors & human resources representatives

• Advice from program alumni

• Attend & participate in discussions on issues in academic libraries

ARL IRDW

• Also, supports signature ARL institutions with recruitment efforts of minorities

• Emphasis on support of new professionals/ recent graduate preparation for academic library work

• Promotion of implementing residency programs within ARL institutions

ARL visit to Purdue University Libraries

Purdue University is an ARL Institution

• hosted ARL IRDW Diversity scholars since 2005

• Annual commitment to promote discussion in research libraries

• Series of panels discussing emerging technology, scholarly communication, etc.

• Reception held at the Black Cultural Center

Purdue University Libraries Fellowship Program

Purpose:

"Supporting national initiatives to promote diversity in librarianship by

preparing new librarians to lead change through transformative

thinking in service to diverse users."

Purdue University Libraries Fellowship

The Program Details...

Dates: 2006-2008

Initially two 2 Year Professional positions

Visiting Assistant Professor,

Non-tenure track faculty

Interviewing...

Results from hundreds of applicants

- Four candidates from diverse

backgrounds chosen

- Year 1: option to Rotate through 3-4 library departments/ units

- Year 2: Capstone

Purdue University Libraries Fellows

The Program Details...Participant Goals

fulfill a desire to work in an environment which is service oriented...

promotion of library resources...

an opportunity to discover ways contribute skills and knowledge...

ensuring access to information vital for the success of those with various endeavors...

The RotationsFrom Reference to Digital Initiatives work

o digitization & grant projectso transcribing letters & diaries: George Winterso oral history projectso processing Virginia Kelly Karnes collectiono reference & instruction: information literacyo website analysiso collection development o access services & technical services work

Networking & collaborations

Participants were encouraged to pursue local and national opportunities.o Received a grant & collaborated with local

librarieso Liaisons to Black Cultural Center (BCC),

Latino Cultural Center (LCC) & Native American Educational & Cultural Center (NAECC)

o Conference support and promotion through invited talks

Capstones

Participants final year...

Collection development activities

• Organizing and cataloging the Latino Cultural Center's collection

Special collections:

• Outreach to diverse Greek campus groups

• Oral history project with leaders of the Cultural Centers

Opportunities to grow & lead

American Library Association (ALA) Spectrum

Edwin B. Maxwell

What is Spectrum?

• • Established in 1997,

• the Spectrum Scholarship Program is

• ALA's national diversity and recruitment effort designed to

address the • specific issue of under-

representation of critically needed ethnic librarians within the

profession.

Spectrum's Mission

Benefits of Spectrum

For Organization

• Diverse Workforce• Unique Expertise • Passionate

Employees

For Scholar

•$5,000 tuition•Free ALA Membership•Spectrum Leadership Institute

Additional Benefits

Who are Spectrum Scholars

• Over 700 Spectrum Scholars

• Professionals from Underrepresented Groups

• 50 Library Schools

• Wide Array of Library Positions

The Spectrum Model

• Recruit

• Highly competitive national recruiting process

• Develop

• Leadership training

• Formal/Informal Mentoring

• Retain

• Constant engagement and support

Key to Spectrum’s Success

The Multicultural Internship Program @ Brooklyn Public Library

Louis Muñoz, Sept. 22, 2012

What is the Multicultural Internship Program?What is the Multicultural Internship Program?

Introduces high school Introduces high school students from students from

different ethnic, different ethnic, cultural, and linguistic cultural, and linguistic

backgrounds backgrounds

to the diverse to the diverse opportunities opportunities

available available

to library to library professionals.professionals.

OBJECTIVES of MIP:

1. Help increase the number of qualified professionals for employment as librarians.

2. Give teens from diverse backgrounds exposure to & experience in a range of LIS responsibilities & areas.

3. Connect teens to their communities.4. Increase ethnic & linguistic diversity of BPL librarians to

reflect the borough’s diversity.5. Better serve the needs and interests of Brooklyn’s

diverse populations.6. Address issues faced by libraries of similar size & type. 7. Reflect a vision of change.

Genesis…

• Assessment/Focus Groups: Only 4 out of 22 teens had considered LIS as a career option.

• Idea that librarians deal mostly with books.• Disconnect between activities rewarding to teens

and awareness of librarians being involved in those kinds of activities.

• According to a 5-yr. ALA Spectrum survey, “the single most predictive indicator for choosing to enter a LIS program was prior experience working in a library.” (Loriene Roy et al., Bridging Boundaries to Create a New Workforce: A Survey of Spectrum Scholarship Recipients, 1998-2003, American Library Association, 2006.)

Other influences on creation of MIP:

• Fairfax County (VA) Library’s IMLS-funded

An American Future program

• New York Hall of Science’s Career Ladder

(mentoring & recruitment program)

• Knowledge River, University of Arizona

• Study on Generation 1.5 students

Competitive

Selection

Process:

Total of

171 students

chosen from

across Brooklyn

for paid internship

for 200 service hours,

January - June.

Orientation Workshops:

• “Case of the Missing Fish: Customer Service at Its Finest” (HR Office)

• “College Readiness for Young Adults”

(Business & Career Library)• “Do You Speak My Language? Serving

Brooklyn’s Immigrants through Cultural Awareness” (Multilingual Center)

• “Young Person’s Guide to Electronic Resources at BPL” (Office of Collection Development)

School-Year Internship

Variety of General Projects, including:

• Assisted with language interpretation & translation

• Provided tech support • Created book displays • Shadowed librarians and other staff and created • Ran programs for kids and teens

School-Year Internship

Examples of Specific Projects:

• Chinese New Year Celebration• Teen Tech Week Bingo• Teen Tech Week Jeopardy • Mehndi programs • “Are You a Teen Looking for a Job?”• Open Mic Night at Spring Creek • Videos: “Why I Love My Library” &

“The True Story of Agatha Cunningham” (Check them out on YouTube!!)

MIP Elective Workshops/Training Activities

• MIP Book Club

 • Brooklyn Open

 • Central Library Tour

 • A Night at the Improv!

 • Career Readiness

 • Chat Sessions

 • Show Me How to Do That!

• MIP Mentor/Intern Get Together

 • Library Field Trips

• Music Appreciation

 • Brooklyn Collection

 • Today’s Teens/Tomorrow’s Techies

 • ESOL & Pre-GED Registrations

 • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

 • T4 Comic Book Club workshops

 • CPR To-Go Program

 • Dweck Auditorium Programs

 • GameSpace Workshops

Chat Session with Nick Higgins (PULSE graduate!!), Correctional Services Librarian, NYPL

Summer Internships

General Projects: “Front-line” & “behind-the-scenes" work @:

-Languages & Literature & Youth Wing -Office of Library Technology -Collection Development -Programs & Exhibitions -Youth & Family Services -Volunteer Services -Brooklyn Collection

Summer Internships, continued:Specific Projects: • Represented BPL at NYC Digital Waves Youth

Media Festival & other events• PowerUP! Business Plan Competition • "Then and Now" photography project• Booklists • Website

Some Student Reflections:

• “My expectations have changed drastically. I thought that I would only be dealing with books, but now I know that I can give my opinion and exchange ideas of what I would like to see in the library.”

• “My expectations of the library is no longer just about it being a place where you check out books and use the computer. I’ve learned that the library offers many opportunities for children, adults who live here, and people who are new to the country.”

• “I did not expect to actually become interested in the librarian profession.”

• “It’s a hard job. The librarians do more than I have expected them to do. They do a lot for the community, which is very good.”

Benefits & Reasons for Becoming Mentors:

• Working with teens/wanting to be positive role models: “I’m really interested in engaging teens in the library in ways that place them in more active, creative roles.”

• Paying it forward: “I want to be a mentor because I started here as a trainee and know first-hand the importance of a good internship experience.”

• Hope to develop new skills themselves: “Professionally, [I hope to] develop leadership skills and build confidence [and] get a fresh perspective from the mentee.”

Additional Benefits & Reasons:

• Useful extra help at their branches: “We hope our branch will benefit from the help of an enthusiastic intern, who will have a chance to assist in after-school programming.”

• Chance to present librarianship as an attractive career: “I like the idea of recruiting our next generation of librarians now. I think that the skills the interns get in the library will help them in any career path they choose.”

• Finally:“The obvious benefits for the intern, community, and the library make this an opportunity I could not miss exploring.”

“Early Days,” but…

• 10 MIP alumni have become part-time staffers. (Would be more, but…)

• About 10 have joined the T4 volunteer program (Today’s Teens, Tomorrow’s Techies).

• Many MIP alumni continue to be active at BPL, i.e. Great American Book Drive & author chats.

(Note: Because of time constraints, ask us later about OBE (Outcome-Based Evaluations)).

Successes and Unexpected LessonsSuccesses and Unexpected Lessons

• Help the mentors!Help the mentors!• Develop a supportive teamDevelop a supportive team• Being the Being the ““other adultother adult”” in the in the

teensteens’’ lives lives• Advocates for the libraryAdvocates for the library• Confidence and leadership Confidence and leadership

buildingbuilding• Bonding between mentors and Bonding between mentors and

internsinterns• Boost of energy to Brooklyn Boost of energy to Brooklyn

Public LibraryPublic Library• WhatWhat’’s possible with a captive s possible with a captive

audienceaudience• The MIP Map The MIP Map blog and and wiki

(“SELL IT!!)(“SELL IT!!)

This project was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, which is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas.

 

So many people to thank, Soooo little time,…

Summary

Your Turn - Break into discussion groups

Group 1: “Design It!”

If you were to design and implement your own library diversity program, what would it encompass?

Group 2: “Pitch It!”

How would you pitch and sell your library diversity ideas to management, administration and potential funders?

Group 3: “Keep It Going!”

What would be the best ways to recruit, develop, and retain a diverse librarian staff?

Group 4: “Grow Them!”

How do we grow library diversity throughout all titles and stages of the librarian profession, through legacy building and succession planning?

What have we learned?

• Summary from each group

• Gallery Walk (Post-it notes)

• Evaluations

• Q&A

Let's keep "getting together to go forward" and continue sharing ideas at http://bit.ly/librarydiversity