Ensuring a Multicultural Library to Reflect a Diverse Society

No man has a right in America to treat any other man "tolerantly" for tolerance is the assumption of superiority. Our liberties are equal rights of every citizen. --Wendell L. Willkie (U.S. politician, 1892-1944)

The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity. --George Bernard Shaw (Irish playwright and social reformer, 1856-1950) 

Public libraries have an obligation to serve the entire community and to present a broad variety of viewpoints. This makes us naturals for supporting diversity. --Terry Dawson, The New Cybrary

American society is changing rapidly. We are more diverse than ever before. Are our libraries keeping pace with the rest of society? If not, what can be done about it? It can be argued that every library needs to examine its own commitment to the ideals of diversity and multiculturalism. Every community has its own unique mix of individuals who have a need for library and information services. The problem is that some individuals are more likely to make use of these services. Our challenge is to determine why that is and work towards making libraries more accessible to all members of our community.

Obviously the first steps in increasing accessibility to a community is to determine the needs of the community. The demographics, history, local traditions or customs, opinions of staff and patrons, previous diversity initiatives, and simple observation can all be used to help assess where a library has been successful and where it needs improvement.

 According to the International Federation of Library Associations, to support cultural and linguistic diversity, libraries should:  

• serve all members of the community without discrimination based on cultural and linguistic heritage;
• provide information in appropriate languages and scripts;
• give access to a broad range of materials and services reflecting all communities and needs; 
• employ staff to reflect the diversity of the community, who are trained to work with and serve diverse communities. (IFLA, 2008)

Targeting specific groups through displays and programing can help the library to be seen as a place welcoming to all (Edward, 2009). "Special attention should be paid to groups which are often marginalized in culturally diverse societies: minorities, asylum seekers and refugees, residents with a temporary residence permit, migrant workers, and indigenous communities" (IFLA, 2008). Materials should be offered in more than just the dominant language spoken in a community if there is a need for it. For example, a community with a sizable Hispanic population should provide Spanish language books and information. In collection development, special care should be taken to insure a variety of viewpoints, and include authors from many different backgrounds. Another way to promote diversity is to ensure that the staff reflects the diversity of the community. “When people of color do not see themselves represented in libraries, they may not approach the librarians. They may not even approach the library” (Espinal, 2004). According to a 2007 report by the ALA Office for Research and Statistics, ccredentialed librarians are predominantly women, ages 45–54, and white. Only 11% of librarians reported that they were non-white in race or ethnicity in the U.S. Census in 2000. While recruiting unrepresented minorities to the profession is a step in the right direction, we must also work to ensure that library management and faculty in academic programs also begin to reflect society at large.
Outreach and staff diversity are only a couple of blocks in the process of building a multicultural library, open and welcoming to all. Steps such as these should not be part of a one-time campaign or once a year "celebration". They should be incorporated into a library's mission. By focusing our efforts on ensuring access to information for everyone who has a need or desire for it, we strengthen our communities and society at large.

References:

Davis, Denise M. & Hall, Tracie D. (2006) Diversity Counts. Accessed on November 25, 2011 from http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/diversity/diversitycounts/diversitycounts_rev0.pdf

 

Edwards, J. B., et. al., From Inside Out: Promoting Diversity Awareness in Ourselves and Our Library Users. PNLA Quarterly v. 74 no. 1 (Fall 2009) p. 6-16

International Federation of Library Associations. (2008). The IFLA Multicultural Library Manifesto. Accessed on November 25, 2011 from http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s32/pub/MulticulturalLibraryManifesto.pdf

Espinal, Isabel and Adkins, Denice. (2004). The Diversity Mandate. Library Journal. 129(7):52-54.