94 College & Research Libraries January 2011

instruction, and reference services.
This well-designed, concisely written, 

and accessible survey is an essential re-
source for librarians who work regularly -
  —or even rarely—with international 
students. For readers without the time to 
track down and read the works cited in 
the bibliography, the introductory essay 
provides cogent explanations of impor-
tant issues, along with good guidance. 
And the bibliography presents ample 
resources to support their endeavors 
on behalf of international students who 
encounter our libraries for the first time.—
Raymond Lum, Harvard University.

Lori Mestre. Librarians Serving Diverse 
Populations: Challenges & Opportuni-
ties. Chicago: Association of College 
and Research Libraries, 2010. 211p. 
alk. paper, $54 (ISBN 9780838985120). 
LC2009-047658.

How do librarians work with diverse 
cultures? What is the role of the library in 
providing diversity training? Does library 
school curricula address working in a 
multicultural environment? These are just 
a few of the questions addressed in Librar-
ians Serving Diverse Populations. Author 
Lori Mestre, an academic librarian at the 
University of Illinois at Urbana Cham-
paign, explores the issues, challenges, 
and opportunities facing librarians and 
libraries that serve diverse populations. 
The book is divided into ten chapters, and, 
through the use of surveys, interviews, and 
other relevant sources, Mestre interweaves 
both quantitative and qualitative data to 
provide a framework for the discussion 
of the education, training, experiences, 
and strategies employed by librarians and 
libraries in their pursuit of diversity efforts. 

The opening chapter begins with the 
author making a case for why librar-
ies should be involved in promoting 
diversity awareness and examines who 
multicultural librarians are. It is no secret 
there have been a number of initiatives 
to increase diversity among the ranks of 
librarians. Opportunities such as intern-
ships and scholarships have been used 

as recruitment tools to attract librarians 
of color into the profession. A positive 
outcome of these recruitment efforts has 
been that these individuals then bring 
their different cultures and perspectives 
to their jobs and further the overall goal 
of increasing diversity awareness both 
inside and outside the library. Mestre 
reports that many librarians of color are 
drawn to diversity-related jobs and can be 
the ideal prospects for positions that serve 
diverse populations. Statistics, however, 
indicate that librarians of color pursue 
other options in librarianship as well. 
Mestre indicates that, as the populations 
that libraries serve become more diverse, 
the services that libraries provide need 
to be reflective of this diversity, particu-
larly in the areas of services, collections, 
and outreach. According to the research 
study, the pool of available librarians from 
diverse cultures is quite small, indicating 
that “…libraries cannot solely rely on 
finding someone from an ethnic minority 
to lead their diversity efforts.” This sup-
ports the author’s premise that libraries 
and librarians should establish connec-
tions with diverse cultures regardless of 
what jobs they hold.

Chapter 2 examines the background 
information on the job preparation for 
librarians working with diverse cultures. 
Mestre surveyed librarians about their 
preparation and qualification as well as 
the reasons for applying for these types 
of positions. Nearly two thirds (64%) of 
librarians surveyed indicated that they 
did not initially intend to seek a position 
with responsibility for multicultural or 
diversity services, and many felt they 
were not adequately prepared to fulfill all 
the responsibilities the job entailed. The 
author indicates that job descriptions for 
these types of positions can be sweeping 
in the list of responsibilities that need to 
be performed and often presume a level 
of foundational knowledge regarding 
diversity efforts. A final discussion in the 
chapter identifies “baseline knowledge” 
that librarians should have to make prog-
ress in these types of positions. 



Book Reviews 95

Chapter 3 provides an analysis of the 
survey outlining some of the challenges 
that institutions face in hiring diversity 
librarians. The area of job expectations is 
one challenge that can contribute to the 
difficulty in finding qualified applicants. 
Feedback from librarians emphasized the 
importance of making job expectations 
both clear and reasonable. The chapter 
concludes with suggestions for setting 
reasonable expectations (for those hir-
ing diversity librarians) and discussion 
on job descriptions and improving the 
search process. 

Chapters 4 and 5 draw heavily from 
the reflections and responses of librarians 
surveyed. Chapter 4 addresses the issues 
and challenges faced by those working in 
positions that serve diverse populations. 
Balancing responsibilities, budgetary 
concerns, work satisfaction, and feeling 
that their efforts were supported were 
common themes expressed as impacting 
the success of their work. The themes in 
chapter 5 address how to get started once 
in the job. Survey respondents present 
recommendations on moving past barri-
ers and offer guidance in setting priorities, 
assessing collections, establishing rela-
tionships, and gaining entrée. 

Chapter 6 includes information on 
how organizational culture, attitudes, and 
behaviors affect diversity awareness and 
training efforts; and chapter 7 outlines 
specific factors that need to be considered 
by libraries when implementing diversity 
training programs for their staff. 

A major finding from the research 
study is that librarians receiving their 
master’s degrees do so with little course-
work or training in multicultural librari-
anship. If library schools are not provid-
ing the foundational knowledge related 
to diversity, then it should come as no 
surprise that library graduates may be ill 
prepared to provide the range of services 
these positions demand. Chapter 8 not 
only looks at some of the curriculum is-
sues in library schools but also outlines re-
forms that address not only what is being 
taught but how it is being taught. Mestre 

advocates for a curricula approach to cul-
tural competency and cultural awareness 
that prepares all librarians to work in a 
multicultural environment. 

Mestre does a good job of summariz-
ing the experiences, suggestions, and 
perspectives of librarians serving diverse 
populations and comes full circle in chap-
ter 9 by outlining what she considers the 
“next steps” involved in strengthening 
diversity efforts. Chapter 10 is an exten-
sive compilation of resources related to 
diversity and serves as a useful reference 
source to anyone desiring to explore the 
topic further.

Overall, Librarians Serving Diverse 
Populations is a timely examination of the 
experiences and perspectives of librar-
ians working in the field of multicultural 
librarianship. 

The qualitative and quantitative data 
gathered from the author ’s research 
study are interwoven throughout the 
book and help to inform the discussion 
by providing first-hand perspectives on 
specific challenges and various opportu-
nities inherent in serving diverse popula-
tions.—Kelly R. McBride, Appalachian State 
University.

Advocacy, Outreach, and the Nation’s 
Academic Libraries: A Call for Ac-
tion. Eds. William C. Welburn, Janice 
Welburn, and Beth McNeil. Chicago: 
Association of College and Research 
Libraries, 2010. 224p. alk. paper, $40 
(ISBN 9780838985496). LC2010-018611.

Advocacy and outreach are two of the 
hottest topics in the profession today. 
The American Library Association’s most 
recent past President, Camile Alire, cre-
ated her presidential platform around 
the issue of advocacy and the idea that 
advocacy is everyone’s job, not just the 
people in leadership positions. Advocacy, 
Outreach, and the Nation’s Academic Li-
braries: A Call for Action is a book geared 
toward academic libraries specifically, but 
the information and suggestions can be 
used by any library professional looking 
for suggestions on implementing advo-