The Role of Multiculturalism and Diversity in Library and Information Science: LIS Education and the Job Market

Al‐Qallaf, Charlene L.; Mika, Joseph J.

doi:10.1515/libri-2013-0001

Cited by 23 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…With momentum gained from the previous ACE Scholars programs, the UNCG LIS Department and University Libraries partnered together to apply for and were awarded a third grant from the IMLS Laura Bush twenty-first century Librarian Program in 2013. A nuance to this new effort was to expand the cultural diversity and library type parameters for recruitment (Al-Qallaf and Mika, 2013). This third iteration of the ACE program provided support and services to select and enroll 11 students from underrepresented communities into the 2013-2014 cohort to complete the UNCG MLIS degree program.…”

Section: Academic and Cultural Enrichment Scholars Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting diversity to add value to the LIS profession

Croxton

Crumpton

Holmes

2016

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s (UNCG) Library and Information Studies Academic and Cultural Enrichment (ACE) Scholars Program has had on promoting diversity and adding value to the library and information studies profession. Design/methodology/approach This paper is presented as a case study in which three iterations of the ACE Scholars Program are discussed, including program design and suggested impact the program has had on educating and engaging diverse individuals for careers in the library and information studies professions. Findings Nearly 50 ACE Scholars program participants, representing ethnically, racially and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds, have graduated from UNCG with their Master of Library and Information Studies degrees since 2011. In the five years since the first ACE cohort graduated, Scholar alums continue to impact the Library and Information Studies (LIS) profession through their professional roles as well as through their community engagement, professional association memberships and leadership roles, professional presentations and numerous publications. Originality/value This paper presents a model that has helped to promote diversity in the LIS field in way that can be adapted by other graduate programs that are preparing individuals for successful and engaged careers as library and information studies professionals.

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Section: Academic and Cultural Enrichment Scholars Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting diversity to add value to the LIS profession

Croxton

Crumpton

Holmes

2016

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“…Al-Qallaf & Mika (2013) found that out of the fifty-eight LIS programs at ALA-accredited graduate institutions in North America, forty-seven (81 percent) offer one or more courses that deal explicitly with diverse and multicultural communities. This number is a significant increase from previous years, when only twenty-two programs offered forty-two such courses.…”

Section: Review Of Related Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Finding “Diversity Levers” in the Core Library and Information Science Curriculum: A Social Justice Imperative

Kumasi¹,

Manlove²

2015

lib

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In this exploratory study, the researchers examined the core library and information science (LIS) curriculum, looking for diversity levers, or conceptual access points, where transformative academic knowledge related to diversity and social justice could be meaningfully integrated. Multicultural curriculum reform, conceptualized as a social justice approach, was the guiding framework for the research design and analysis. The researchers began by establishing what constitutes the core curriculum and essential knowledge taught across thirty-six ALA-accredited master's of library and information science degree programs. These data were then used to construct a survey that went to one hundred LIS faculty at ALA institutions who provided pedagogical knowledge, ideas, and resources for infusing diversity and social justice into the core curriculum. The findings suggest that there are certain core LIS courses that have explicit diversity levers, or areas where there are natural connections to diversity and social justice content, while others have emergent or implicit diversity levers. The differences among these types of diversity levers are explained, and some of the pedagogical resources that were shared by the survey respondents are included. The Information Technology core course shows the most promise for integrating diversity and social justice pedagogies.

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“…Gonzalez () further asserts that in the current global marketplace new generations of librarians must be knowledgeable about diverse cultures in order to provide the highest quality of services. The research conducted by Al‐Qallaf & Mika () also emphasizes that diversity of applicants is of paramount importance for today's employers who are interested in attracting minority candidates to better serve the needs of a diverse society.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shaping the 21st‐century information professional: A convergence of technical and “soft” skills for workplace success

Deng

Thomas

Trembach

2014

Proc of Assoc for Info

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The information world has been in a continuous state of flux, affecting what skills and competencies an information professional needs. Therefore, school curricula have to be able to cover today's needs and also be adaptive enough to accommodate tomorrow's needs. This poster represents phase I and phase II of a research project conducted by the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) of the University of South Carolina. This research aims to understand which skills are important and why from the information professionals’ perspective. In order to garner insight into what information skills and competencies are currently expected from library and information science (LIS) program graduates, the authors conducted a University of South Carolina SLIS employer survey and semi‐structured interviewes with selected employers. The results revealed that knowledge of telecommunications and networking, as well as network security are among the most important areas of expertise. Additionally, soft skills, such as teamwork, project management, and time management were viewed as important, too.

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The Role of Multiculturalism and Diversity in Library and Information Science: LIS Education and the Job Market

Cited by 23 publications

References 0 publications

Promoting diversity to add value to the LIS profession

Promoting diversity to add value to the LIS profession

Finding “Diversity Levers” in the Core Library and Information Science Curriculum: A Social Justice Imperative

Shaping the 21st‐century information professional: A convergence of technical and “soft” skills for workplace success

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