College and Research Libraries A Multicultural Library: Strategies for the Twenty-First Century Veronica E. Nance-Mitchel! Demographic trends indicate that the economy will be dependent on the contributions of minorities and women because they will comprise 50 percent of the workforce. Library schools and institutions of higher edu- cation must be prepared to meet this demand of an increasingly multi- cultural population. However, minorities are still underrepresented in li- brarianship. Therefore, colleges and universities must be committed to affirmative action initiatives and the recruitment and retention of minor- ity library students, and to mentoring, networking, and providing job op- portunities. II espite Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1966, which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, minority groups remain underrepresented in education and em- ployment. As society moves toward an in- creasingly multicultural population, edu- cators, employers, and employees need to develop a multicultural perspective. This perspective should reflect the rapidly changing American demographics. Research indicates that over the next twenty years, the population is expected to grow by forty-two million. Hispanics will account for 47 percent of this growth; African Americans, 22 percent; Asians and other people of color, 18 percent; and whites, only 13 percent. 1 Current librar- ian demographics do not represent this rapidly changing population. All librar- ies (academic, public, and special) have a role to play in creating an environment conducive to a multicultural population. Therefore, this article attempts to identify strategies for creating a multicultural li- brary based on the following significant areas: (1) implications of affirmative ac- tion; (2) recruitment and retention of mi- nority students in library education; and (3) hiring minority librarians and net- working. Implications of Affirmative Action In order to address the current and future effects of affirmative action, its historic purpose must be examined. The Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first major legisla- tion of its kind since Reconstruction, cre- ated the United States Commission on Civil Rights, an assertive unit in the government's struggle against discrimi- nation. However, it was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that mandated the end of dis- criminatory practices based on race, ethnicity, and gender. Title VI prohibited discrimination based on color or national origin in any program receiving federal funds. Title VII prohibited employment discrimination in institutions with fifteen Veronica E. Nance-Mitchell is a Reference Librarian at the University of the District of Columbia, Wash- ington, D.C. 405 406 College & Research Libraries or more employees. Legislators created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce the 1964 act. Ex- ecutive Order 11246, signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965, prohibited dis- crimination in any agency receiving fed- eral contracts of more than $10,000 in in- stitutions with more than fifty employees. Programs that received federal contracts of more than $50,000 were required to write an affirmative action plan that dem- onstrated the inclusion of women and mi- norities.2 Although Executive Order 11246 was a major step in affirmative action initia- tives, it was Executive Order 10925 un- der President John. Kennedy that at- tempted enforcement. Executive Order 10925 required the filing of regular com- pliance reports so that the hiring and em- ployment practices of federal contractors could be monitored. It authorized publi- cation of the names of noncomplying con- tractors and termination of the rights of such contractors to do business with the federal government. However, no federal contractors were ever prevented from doing business with the federal govern- ment for not meeting hiring goals. 3 No steps were taken on any basis until Presi- dent Jimmy Carter's administration, and those occurred because of extreme non- compliance and noncooperation with laws and regulations governing federal contracts-never for just failure to meet hiring goals. Today, it is more important than ever that affirmative action initia- tives be enforced. Historically, equal em- ployment opportunities were imposed by government order rather than being self- initiated. Thus, government-imposed programs are viewed as wasteful and un- necessary. But government-imposed affir- mative action will always be necessary until society becomes color blind. As de- mographics change, the composition of the labor force also will change. As all minorities enter the workforce, more la- bor power will be generated to meet the needs of the economy. The attitude that September 1996 affirmative action is unnecessary rein- forces the historical view that diverse people are not qualified and that affirma- tive action was a poor compromise. In part, this attitude was the result of a lack of understanding about the meaning of affirmative action.4 There will be no prosperity if the nation's workplaces and educational in- stitutions do not respond aggressively to demographic trends. However, before that can take place institutions must adopt a multicultural perspective. A true multicultural perspective can be defined as the achievement of a new level of knowl- edge and emotional awareness that en- ables people from various cultures to ac- cept new experiences more readily. These people then develop and support pro- grams that help people move from one stage of multicultural development to the next. 5 A step toward multiculturalism would involve overcoming stereotypes and myths. The biggest myth is that affirma- tive action constitutes reverse discrimina- tion. Actually, "the purpose of the estab- lishment of equal opportunity nondis- crimination laws was to eliminate dis- crimination suffered by people of color and religious practices not considered mainstream. No legislator ever claimed that a law was needed to protect Protes- tants from racial or religious discrimina- tion. Laws were actually enacted by Con- gress to provide protection for all. High standards of proof of discrimination are always required by the courts. White vic- tims of discrimination could expect equi- table relief as could African American vic- tims."6 Because few reverse discrimina- tion cases have been lodged, little evi- dence of reverse discrimination exists. Although equal opportunity has in- creased the presence of diverse people in nontraditional jobs, usually it has not sub- stantially strengthened their individual powers or their collective voice. Although they are present in more technical jobs and at higher management and profes- sional levels, they remain marginal in many respects. Why? Because most orga- nizations and managers continue to op- erate under the assumption that anyone not considered a member of a majority group is a liability rather than an impor- tant asset. This attitude causes lower pro- ductivity, increased turnover, and more discrimination complaints. To address these problems before they worsen, orga- nizations must look critically at their in- ternal cultures and determine what needs to change if diversity is to become a con- structive rather than a destructive force. 7 Recruitment and Retention of Minority Students in Library Education Library schools and institutions of higher education should incorporate multicul- turalism as part of their annual long- range plans and goals. Institutional goals and plans should reflect these changing demographics. A recent report of shifting enrollments in elementary and secondary schools indicates a significant shift. Ac- cording to the report from the Statistical Forecast of the U.S., Hispanic enrollment is expected to increase by 54 percent to an estimated 5.1 million in 1994, up from approximately 3.3 million in 1985. Native Americans and Alaska natives enrolled in school are expected to increase by 29 percent, but they still remain the small- est group, with about414,000 students in . 1994 up from 321,000 in 1985. African American students will remain the sec- ond largest racial or ethnic group in pub- lic schools behind whites, but this group is expected to increase by only 13 percent to approximately 67 million in 1994, up from about 5.9 million in 1985. By 1995, the report projects more than 29 percent of the public high school graduates in six- teen states and the District of Columbia will be nonwhite or Hispanic.8 Most higher education institutions have been rather slow in reflecting this enrollment trend. According to a 1990 re- port by the National Center for Educa- tion Statistics, African Americans consti- A Multicultural Library 407 tute 12.3 percent of the population but only 87 percent of college enrollment and 5.7 percent of college graduates. Hispan- ics, who account for 7.7 percent of the population, make up 49 percent of higher education enrollments and 2.7 percent of graduates. Although Native Americans, Hispanics, and African Americans repre- sented 14 percent of university enroll- ments in 1986, they received just 9 per- cent of degrees, 8 percent of master's de- grees, and 6 percent of doctorates awarded.9 According to a 1991-92 report by the National Center for Education statistics, 4,893 master of library science degrees were conferred over that time period. Of those, 4,230 were conferred to whites and only 159 to African Americans, 106 to Hispanics, 148 to Asian, and 8 to Native Americans. 10 These data indicate the con- tinued decline of minority graduates from library schools. Some minorities consider librarianship a low-status profession. If so, why do so many white students choose to enter the profession? Most stud- ies show several reasons for the under- representation of minority library stu- dents, including educational background, minority attitudes toward libraries, social status of the student, competition from other professions, lack of opportunity to work in a library, inadequate scholarship support, lack of minority faculty in library schools, and poor recruiting programs or no recruiting initiatives. To address these areas, especially in recruitment, the insti- tutio'nal climate and structure must change to reflect the changing demo- graphics. Increasing the number of mi- nority librarians starts at the higher edu- cation level. But, first, institutions must assess their culture and campus climate. According to Gillett-Karam, "the con- cept of climate embraces the culture, hab- its, decisions, practices, and policies that make up campus life. It is the sum of the daily environment and central to t.he com- fort of minority students, staff, faculty and administrators experience on cam- 408 College & Research Libraries pus. Students and other members of the campus community who feel unwel- comed or alienated from the mainstream of campus life are unlikely to remain. If they remain they are unlikely to be suc- cessful."11 To promote diversity in the campus climate, administrators need to assess the situation, which should almost always begin with an institutional self-analysis and move to an environmental analysis. The assessment should revolve around diversity needs and the responses of each segment of the institution (administra- tion, faculty, staff, and students). The pur- Therefore, minority students should be aware of these opportunities and the needed qualifications to enter graduate programs in the field. poses of such an assessment are to under- stand clearly the internal and external situation to discover why the current situ- ation exists and to decide how to rectify the situation. The current situation should be assessed by examining the following items: the current percentage of minority administrators; recruitment efforts; reten- tion of minority faculty and students; sal- ary and professional opportunities; and the perceptions of the institutional cli- mateP Institutions should consider several possible outcomes when creating a diver- sity program as they assess their program. According to Nina Buchanan and John Feldhusen, the predicted outcomes of a diversity program should follow four les- sons learned from industry: 1. Know what you are trying to pro- duce. 2. Monitor the processes that are used to produce the product. 3. Evaluate the product. 4. Make corrections if the product does not meet expectations. 13 Institutions should focus on recruit- ment efforts after closely examining their September 1996 internal climate. Since the mid-1970s, the number of students entering library edu- cation programs has slowly declined.14 Because of decline in enrollment, there may be an increase in the demand for li- brarians. Other factors may include tech- nological advances that require training in utilizing the computer for various li- brary functions (e.g., research, circula- tion). To meet this demand, institutions must recruit minorities in response to de- mographic changes, and as a first step in recruitment, start educating students about opportunities in librarianship be- fore they reach the secondary level. Many students do not enter the library profes- sion because they are unaware of its ca- reer opportunities. Librarians, educators, administrators, and student advisors can promote awareness of career options in librarianship. The information explosion and the increase in computer technology offer students many options in the library and information science profession. Therefore, minority students should be aware of these opportunities and the needed qualifications to enter graduate programs in the field. Some of the oppor- tunities include: information managers; university or college librarians; informa- tion entrepreneurs; and research librar- ians for business, government, law, and medicine. Because of the interdisciplinary character of library and information stud- ies, students with a strong undergradu- ate preparation in any discipline can pur- sue graduate work. 15 Second, institutions must be commit- ted to affirmative action and equal oppor- tunity. Employment measures must do more than take a passive approach to the elimination of discrimination. All recruit- ment and advertisement materials state, 'We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, or national origin." Colleges and universities appeared to be saying that the removal of blatant dis- criminatory policies and advertising lan- guages would make everything all right. However, because of this passive ap- proach, little change has occurred in the institutional composition of students, fac- ulty, and staff. 16 Furthermore, advertising in publica- tions has not been successful in recruit- ing minority staff members. New mea- sures that have been effective at univer- sities such as Texas A&M include: (1) co- ordinating a board minority registry and the National Minority Faculty Identifica- tion Program Directory; (2) mailing va- cancy announcements to ethnic and/ or African American organizations; and (3) minority internship programs.17 Serbrenia Sims lists several reasons for emphasizing diversity in faculty and staff. First, diversified faculty and staff provide support for students from a par- ticular underrepresented group on cam- pus. Second, diversification of faculty and staff is important in establishing a com- mihnent to minority students' futures and to helping these students recognize this commitment. Third, diversification of staff creates a more relaxed, homelike en- vironment for students, faculty, and staff on campus. Fourth, diversification of fac- ulty and staff is likely to contribute to cur- riculum development, content, and in- structional techniques. 18 Participation in college does not mean enrollment, it means graduation-and it means getting jobs. Colleges and universities must re- tain minority students and provide them with role models whose successes become a pattern for student achievement and student goals. Diversity is achieved by the commitment of leaders. Minority partici- pation must be integral to the mission and workings of institutions of higher educa- tion.19 Once institutions have taken steps to recruit minority students, they must fo- cus their efforts on retention. Retention can be achieved by developing support services. According to Gillett-Karam, "in- stitutions can provide training to white faculty to help them become more under- standing of minority student needs, and encourage faculty members to become A Multicultural Library 409 aware of the new issues in their discipline that focus specifically on minority issues and concerns." 20 It also is advisable to develop financial incentives for depart- ments, such as minority fellowship funds or graduate assistantships and affirma- tive action grants. Several universities have implemented internship programs to increase the num- ber of minorities in the field of library and information science. There are programs at Iowa State University and the Univer- sity of New Mexico, to name a few. How- ever, programs at the University of Cali- fornia-Santa Barbara, and the Univer- sity of Michigan should be models for all academic libraries to mirror. The goal of these programs is to promote training, library experience, and job placement for minorities. 21 The objectives of these programs are to equip the interns with basic training in library functions and skills. At the University of Califor- nia-Santa Barbara, interns receive one- year contracts as assistant librarians with full benefits.22 In 1988, the president of the Univer- sity of Michigan issued the Michigan Mandate. The order was for the univer- sity to become a multicultural community. This mandate came in the wake of much campus unrest and several serious racial incidents. Acting in that context, the li- brary initiated its work with verbal sup- port from the university. One outgrowth of this mandate was establishment of the University of Michigan's Library Diver- sity Committee.23 The purpose of the com- mittee is to provide leadership to the staff by promoting understanding across ra- cial and cultural lines as well as by ad- dressing the issues of gender, age, reli- gion, and the concerns of people with disablilities.23 The University of Michigan Library received the university's first af- firmative action award and is recognized as a model diversity program on campus. This would not have been possible with- out the commihnent of the library admin- istration, librarians, and staff. 24 410 College & Research Libraries The focus of an institutions's efforts to retain diverse students also should in- clude outreach and academic support ser- vices. An effort has been made in the past several years to reach out to multicultural students and teach them the library skills they need to succeed at the university and beyond. The Learning Resources Library at the University of the District of Colum- bia developed a bibliographic instruction program to support an increasingly mul- ticultural student population (the univer- sity has more than 5,000 international stu- dents). The library, in association with the English Department, provides biblio- graphic instruction (BI) each semester. The primary goals of the BI program are to: (1) inform students about the Learn- ing Resources Divisions' collections and services; (2) teach students the library skills they need in the academic environ- ment by acquainting them with the vari- ety of resources available in modern li- braries; and (3) teach use of library and media resources (Aladin online computer catalog, CD-ROM, printed indexes) for writing research papers. 25 The BI program provides a communication link with the teaching faculty and promotes the university's mission in serving economi- cally disadvantage students. Another outreach service of the Learn- ing Resources Division at the University of the District of Columbia is the Black Film Institute. It plays a significant part by introducing students to films by and about blacks from other cultures. Public film showings are sometimes accompa- nied by the live commentary of promi- nent personalities in the field. For ex- ample, the institute has offered a series of films that focused on aspects of black cinema. These films have included new works from the African continent, Hollywood's "Negro Problem" films of the 1950s, and the work of independent filmmaker Spencer Williams. The insti- tute also hosted several screenings of the 8th Asian American Film Festival. As part of the festival, several guest speakers September 1996 noted for their expertise in the genre par- ticipated in a panel discussion. These are examples of programs that can support a . multicultural student population. Hiring Minority Librarians and Networking After minority librarians have completed · the academic requirements to meet the necessary job qualifications, they should be recruited for the jobs. However, many libraries do not hire minority applicants because they assume applicants are not qualified and inexperienced. Increasing the number of minority librarians is a cru- cial aspect of changing institutional cul- ture and climate. But "engaging in the damaging rhetoric that there are no quali- fied minorities for the position is damag- ing and accounts for additional exclusion- ary beliefs and policies." 26 Many exclusionary practices that con- tribute to the underrepresentation of mi- norities are rooted in the single-mistake syndrome. According to Gillett-Karam, this syndrome is based on the assump- tion that if a woman or member of a ra- cial ethnic minority has made a mistake, that mistake is proof that the whole group is not competent. Statements along the lines of "we shouldn't have taken the risk" are aimed at racial-ethnic minori- ties and women and their positions of leadership. The question becomes, is it alright, is it permissible, for women or members of racial-ethnic minorities to make a mistake, to be risk takers, or to be change agents? Of course, they should be able to make mistakes and learn from them. However, this "I told you so, they can't do it" perception remains a part of social reality·27 As one institutional leader stated, "If affirmative action is no longer purposeful, then it does not allow for the nurturing of the idea of opportunity. This idea can easily fall out of favor and be eliminated from the consciousness of em- ployers." 28 Every institution should have an affir- mative action search policy. This policy must indicate the specific means by which the institution will make efforts to identify minority and women can- didates for jobs. Such means are ex- pected to go beyond posting and ad- vertising the availability of positions, and should include, but not be limited to, such efforts as: (1) personal tele- phone and/or written communication with colleagues or other groups who can assist in locating candidates; (2) visits by members of search committees to organi- zations or institutions; and (3) personal communication with minority and female colleagues at professional gatherings. 29 An affirmative action search policy should also include the following: (1) a minority staff development and recruit- ment program that will utilize minority staff representation on search committees; (2) discretionary funds available for mi- · nority recruitment; and (3) carefully writ- ten job descriptions for accurate indica- tion of employee requirements. Further- more, institutions should target their re- cruitment efforts on areas most attractive to minorities. According to a 1986 Office for Library Personnel Resources survey by ethnicity, "minority students were at- tracted to the field because of the 'hi-tech' nature of the work. African Americans scored this characteristic the highest at 39.2 percent, compared to the overall popula- tion who scored it at 29.5 percent. African Americans also scored management op- portunities as an attraction to the field at a higher rating (46.3 percent) than the over- all population who scored it at 27.8 per- cent."30 Mentoring and networking also are important measures for inclusionary practices, and such measures are respon- sible for turning national attention to the underrepresentation of women and mi- norities in positions of leadership. Men- toring involves the care and concern of a visionary or a decision maker who breaks away from the mold of self-preservation and seeks to help others demonstrate their unique competencies.31 Researchers have A Multicultural Library 411 listed several benefits that might accrue from mentorships with diverse students: • It allows students to work in a noncontrolled setting, requiring them to interact with others who are fundamen- tally different from themselves. This dif- ference might include age, race, sex, cul- tural, or socioeconomic orientation. • Students acquire marketable skills necessary to qualify for a job. • Students are forced to test and de- velop career goals by experiencing work- ing conditions in their field and by dis- cussion with mentors and at school. 32 One organization that provides men- toring and networking opportunities is the President's Roundtable, a nationwide network of African American expertise and an affiliate of the National Council on African American Affairs. Its mission is to provide African American commu- nity college presidents with an opera- tional network to identify and respond to issues affecting African Americans in community colleges. The network also provides mentoring opportunities for African Americans; the sharing of profes- Mentoring and networking also are important measures for inclusionary practices, ... sional resources; national and interna- tional professional opportunities for Af- rican American chief executive officers (CEOs); and support for the goals and ob- jectives of the. National Council on Afri- can American Affairs. In pursuit of its mission, President's Roundtable also pro- vides many services. Some of the services include: (1) mentoring opportunities for African Americans within member insti- tutions; (2) monitors to review inequity in the delivery of educational and other services provided to African Americans in community college education; (3) a continually updated list of African Ameri- can CEOs with information about each president's availability as a resource; and 412 College & Research Libraries (4) a third-nation support package that emphasizes current and emerging tech- nology for appropriate nations as re- quested.33 Mentoring is important to the inclusionary process of minority employ- · ees. Too often, new minority employees feel isolated and not fully accepted in the organization's mainstream. The purpose of mentoring is to: (1) streamline the as- similation process of new employees; (2) promote the professional development of their proteges and contribute to an effec- tive and productive library operation;· and (3) promote the exchange of viewpoints and ideas by sharing knowledge and ex- perience. These goals contribute to a staff with improved morale, lower turnover, greater efficiency, and a better understand- ing of one another's responsibilities.34 Conclusion To achieve a multicultural library, insti- tutions must be committed to creating an environment conducive to a diverse population. Creating such an environ- ment requires a commitment to recruit- ment in education and employment, mentoring, and networking. Faculty and September 1996 administration of library schools should be motivated to provide strategies to eliminate the gap between access and the completion rate of minorities in library education. The strategies can include the establishment of diversity committees that will have three primary roles: (1) to advise the administration; (2) to educate and serve as an organizational model for other staff members; and (3) to participate in and organize diversity programs. Fur- thermore, the strategies should include programs that provide academic support, financial aid, and job opportunities. All of these strategies require a commitment to affirmative action initiatives. Institu- tions have the responsibility and the ob- ligation to establish diversity. They must realize that education for all diverse populations is a catalyst for change within the community. People need to work on core values, and there are no shortcuts. Affirmative action require- ments cannot be met without comment and commitment. As an anonymous li- brarian said, "Librarianship is about shar- ing and increasing one's knowledge. Those who are not willing to share should not be in the profession." Notes 1. Marilyn Loden, Workforce America: Managing Employee Diversity As a Vital Resource (Homewood, ill. : Business One Irwin, 1991). 2. Rosemary Gillett-Karam et al., Underrepresentation and the Question of Diversity: Women and Minorities in the Community College (Washington, D.C.: Community College Pr., 1991). 3. Ibid., 16. 4. Loden, Workforce America, 30. 5. Serbrenia J. Sims, Diversifying Black Colleges and Universities: A New Higher Education Para- digm (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Pr., 1994). 6. Loden, Workforce America, 33. .. 7. Ibid., 27. 8. James E. Pearson, Statistical Forecast of the United States (Detroit: Gale Research, 1993). 9. Manuel J. Justiz et al, Minorities in Higher Education (Phoenix: Oryx Pr., 1994). 10. U.S. Department of Education (Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statis- tics, 1994). The statistics were compiled from an Integrated Post-secondary Education Data Sys- tem "Completions" survey. 11. Gillett-Karam et al, Underrepresentation and the Question of Diversity, 217. 12. Sims, Diversifying Black Colleges, 165. 13. Ibid., 59. 14. Benjamin F. Speller, Educating Black Librarians (Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, 1991). 15. ''Minority R~cruitment and Retention," Spec Kit 167 (Washington, D .C.: Office of Man- agement Services, ARL, 1990). A Multicultural Library 413 16. Sims, Diversifying Black Colleges, 122. 17. "Minority Recruitment and Retention," 20. 18. Sims, Diversifying Black Colleges, 72. 19. Gillett-Karam et al, Underrepresentation and the Question of Diversity, 210. 20. Ibid., 236. 21. Joseph A. Boisse and Connie V. Dowell, "Increasing Minority Librarians in Academic Research Libraries," Library ]ournal12 (Apr. 15, 1987): 52-54. 22. Ibid., 53. 23. Donald E. Riggs and Patricia A. Tarin, Cultural Diversity in Libraries (New York: Neal- Schuman, 1994). 24. Ibid., 95-98. 25. Taken from the "Annual Report of the University of the District of Columbia Learning Resources Division." 26. Justiz et al, Minorities in Higher Education, 14. 27. Gillett-Karam et al, Underrepresentation and the Question of Diversity, 154. 28. Ibid., 12. 29. "Minority Recruitment and Retention," 363. 30. Speller, Educating Black Librarians, 109. 31. Gillett-Karam et al, Underrepresentation and the Question of Diversity, 154. 32. Sims, Diversifying Black Colleges, 75. 33. Gillett-Karam et al, Underrepresentation and the Question of Diversity, 154-57. 34. "Minority Recruitment and Retention," 72. Letter To the Editor: Thank you very much for publishing my article, "Publishing in the Journal Lit- erature of Library and .Information Sci- ence" in the July 1996 issue of C&RL. I am writing to apologize for a couple of errors that I did not catch in the page proofs. They are in Table 1. Fortunately, the errors do not affect the text, discus- sion, or conclusions in any way. However, I would like to set the record straight. My sincere apologies for letting these errors slip into the final manuscript. I in- tend to e-mail the editors of the journals where the errors were made to let them know that I recognize the errors. Thank you. The correct numbers are as follows: Journal Title Library Mosaics RBML School Libr. Media Qrtrly. Table 1 %of fea- ture art. 25 #of %of unsolic. unsolic 20 90 25-50 varies Barbara Via University at Albany, SUNY bv848@cnsvax.albany.edu