Tuesday, March 02, 2021

Librarian Education Reform March Meeting: The Struggle to Diversify Library Staff

Promotion image for March 9 event
Last year, a group came together in the American Library Association to discuss the how librarian education might be reformed.  The group formed without a preconceived notion of what library education needs to entail and what reform might mean. Rather the group has openned space for wide ranging discussions through the ALA Connect platform (ALA members only), Facebook, and monthly Zoom meetings. The Facebook group and Zoom meetings are open to anyone who is interested in the topic.

This month's meeting is on March 9, 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET through Zoom. Registration is open to all. This month I am the speaker/facilitator. and will be engaging the group in a discussion focus on "The Struggle to Diversify Library Staff." This discussion will use my blog posts from last year on this subject:

This is an important topic, as you know, because the diversity of our library staff does not match the diversity of the communities they serve. Think of diversity in terms of ethnicity, gender, languages, etc.  How do we attract a broader range of people to work in our libraries?  How do we make it a safe space for them?

I bet you have an opinion on this, so I hope you'll join the conversation!


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