Category Archives: Presentations, Lectures, and Resource Guides

What’s in a name?: LGBTQ+ and Latinx perspectives on access terminology–challenges and solutions / Program, June 26, 2021

Presentations, Lectures, and Resource Guides, Work, , , , ,

In 2020, I was appointed to the American Library Association’s Rainbow Roundtable (formerly the ALA LGBT Task Force) program planning committee. Last summer, the committee brainstormed programming ideas, and I came up with the idea of having a panel discussion on the term Latinx and its relevance to discussions about access terminology. I argued that this was an important discussion to have because it dealt with folks who are nonbinary–trans people essentially, and that it would help raise awareness of the issues in the broader queer community. After discussing the idea with the rest of the committee, we agreed to expand the focus some to include the broader LGBTQ+ community as well as the Latinx community. I did the bulk of the work on this program, including identifying speakers, submitting the program proposal to ALA on behalf of the RRT program planning committee, and following through on the remaining work once the program was approved. I received a lot of support from my colleague Susan Wood, a fellow member of the committee. She helped me with the program description and agreed to moderate the program, which was a huge help. The program took place virtually on a Saturday afternoon and drew a crowd of over 600 viewers. We received very positive feedback and everyone involved agreed that the program was a success.

Saturday, June 26, 2021

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CT

ALA Unit/Subunit: RRT

Over fifty years ago, Sanford Berman spoke up about serious problems with some of the word choices employed by the creators of Library of Congress subject headings. Some terms were downright offensive to different groups, while others were antiquated, and some necessary terms simply didn’t exist. Over the years, Berman and many others, including Ellen Greenblatt and Hope Olson, have worked tirelessly to raise awareness among catalogers and librarians of the need for more culturally sensitive, modern terminology. The struggle continues to this day, particularly when addressing terminology that describes diverse populations, such as trans people, queer people, immigrants, and people of color. In this session, we will discuss progress, share ongoing concerns and consider potential strategies for further improvement.

A news article about the program by Carrie Smith, appeared in American Libraries magazine on July 26, 2021. It provides an excellent summary of the panel discussion. The article is titled, “What’s in a Naming Term? Subject headings and inclusion for LGBTQ+ and Latinx communities“. Click here to read it.

Click here to view the program. Then click the button that says “video”. (Available only to ALA members who attended the conference. You must sign in with your email address and ALA Conference access code to view the video). For more information contact Bob at joserobertodiaz@cox.net.

Moderator(s)

Susan Wood

Associate Professor of Library Services
Suffolk County Community College

Speaker(s)

Jamie A. Lee

Associate Professor
The University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Emily Drabinski

Interim Chief Librarian
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

 Andrea Guzman

Library Assistant
The Oakland Public Library
Oakland, California

Learning Objectives:

  • • Upon completion, participant will be able to identify the key issues and challenges related to subject headings, metadata and cultural sensitivity.
  • • Upon completion, participant will be able to have a deeper understanding of the power of words in librarianship and the need to be vigilant and strategic in addressing inequity.
  • • Upon completion, participant will be able to identify problems with controlled vocabularies that affect access to materials, by, for and about people in marginalized communities.

Click here to see comments and questions brought up during the program.

Instruction in a Multicultural-Multiracial Environment / Workshop Presentation (1997)

Presentations, Lectures, and Resource Guides, Work,

This was a workshop that I co-presented with Karen Downing at the 1997 ACRL Learning to Teach Preconference, held in Berkeley, CA, June 27, 1997. It was based off the chapter that Karen and I had published back in 1993 in the publication, Learning to Teach: Workshops on Instruction.

See the chapter “Instruction in a Multicultural/Multiracial Environment” from the above publication here.

The Institutionalization of Diversity at the University of Arizona Libraries / Poster Session (2000)

Presentations, Lectures, and Resource Guides, Work,

I put this poster session together in April, 2000 for the Diversity Now! Conference held in Austin, Texas when I was the Assistant to the Dean for Staff Development, Recruitment and Diversity at the University of Arizona Libraries. I had worked since 1992 as Carla Stoffle’s assistant, and my main goal in this position was to help the Library move forward in becoming what at the time we called a “multicultural organization”. I worked with the Library’s Diversity Council on providing programming and training for the staff, and with the Library’s Cabinet to formulate policy statements and workplace expectations. The documents below all come from that time period. This poster session took place the same year that I stepped down from my position as Assistant to the Dean for Staff Development, Recruitment and Diversity to join the Fine Arts/Humanities team and begin a new chapter in my career as a music and dance librarian.

Abstract:

For the past ten  years, the University of Arizona Library has maintained a strong commitment to promoting and incorporating  diversity into the everyday life and culture of the organization. The purpose of this program is to describe the key components of this initiative, which include adding diversity in the mission, vision, and values of the organization, creating a half time administrative position dedicated to promoting diversity, the formation of an active Diversity Council whose mission is to model and promote diversity through educational programming and training, and the active pursuit of campus and community partnerships that foster and promote diversity. Numerous examples of the varied programming, training and cooperative efforts will be highlighted.

INITIAL CAMPUS EFFORTS

In the late 80’s, following the lead of other institutions like the University of Michigan and Stanford University, University of Arizona President Henry Koffler mandated that diversity become an campus-wide priority. The Campus  Diversity Action Plan was published shortly thereafter.

Diversity at the campus level was defined as:

Diversity encompasses differences in age, color, ethnicity, gender, national origin, physical or mental ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, Vietnam Era veteran status, or unique individual style.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of the Diversity Action Plan is to develop a campus climate which understands, accepts, and embraces the value of diversity among students, faculty and staff. This will be accomplished through a comprehensive and broad application of the concept of diversity. Diversity encompasses differences in age, color,  ethnicity, gender, national origin, physical or mental ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, Vietnam Era veteran status, or unique individual style. The program comprises the following components:

Initial and ongoing assessment of the attitudes, expectations, and needs of students, faculty, staff, and administration relevant to issues of diversity

Provision of educational information and resources regarding the unique characteristics of various groups

Facilitation of personal understanding, tolerance, acceptance and valuing of diversity through structured training programs which will be required of all

members of the University community

Enhancement of general social awareness of the value and importance of diversity through public activities, celebrations, and events

Integration into academic and training curricula specially-designed courses which promote positive attitudes and understanding of diversity and the

incorporation of materials addressing diversity into all areas of the academic curriculum

Evaluation of the impact of the program through utilization of a variety of assessment methods

The focus of this program will be to assure that all persons affiliated with this institution believe that their individual characteristics, talents, and contributions are valued.

University of Arizona Library Mission Statement

The University of Arizona Library is dedicated to meeting the diverse information, curricular and research needs of students, faculty, staff and affiliated customers. In an environment of free and open inquiry and with a commitment to excellence, the Library participates in the scholarly communication process to promote life-long learning skills and continuous educational achievement.

The University of Arizona Library Vision Statement   

To be recognized as the primary community for access and appropriation of information

By developing excellent services that meet expressed and anticipated needs of the learner, and that aim to exceed expectations

By building a diverse staff, valued for their knowledge and abilities in gathering, organizing, and distributing information, prepared for collaborative learning and recognized as partners contributing to the research enterprise

By outreach with students, staff and faculty

INITIAL LIBRARY EFFORTS

In 1990-91, the University  created a Diversity Task Force, later renamed the Library Diversity Council.

The Task Force set to work on studying the efforts of other Universities and made a number of recommendations to the Library administration that were intended to move the Library forward in achieving diversity.

One of its first accomplishments was the creation of a Library Diversity Mission Statement and formation  of the LIBRARY DIVERSITY COUNCIL.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA LIBRARY DIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT:

The University of Arizona Library has a dual dimension:  (1) it is an institution whose function is to collect and provide access to information and ideas that have derived from varied intellectual traditions representing peoples and cultures over many centuries;  (2) it is a community of people, a microcosm of the University community,  which seeks to represent the richness of human diversity and to integrate and promote this pluralism.  Through its collections and services, the Library seeks to be a MODEL OF and a MODEL FOR this intellectual and social diversity.  Our vision for diversity represents a new effort to move beyond statements of concern to plans for action which will encourage diversity among our patrons and staff as well as our collections and services.  The University of Arizona Library guarantees students, scholars and staff equitable access to its resources and for employees, equal access for advancement, without regard to their race,  color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation,  ancestry, age, marital status, handicap, or Vietnam veteran status.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA LIBRARY DIVERSITY COUNCIL BYLAWS

1. Constituency

The Diversity Council consists of 9 members who are appointed to staggered two year terms. Before being appointed chair of the Council,  a person must have served at least one year on the Council and can be either appointed or classified staff.

Members will be selected from Library staff who have expressed interest, via memo or other means, to serve on the Council and will be broadly representative of the diversity in the community and all job categories in the Library. Staff from diverse groups are encouraged to

become members of the Council, but the most important factor for membership is interest. The Council will make recommendations to the Dean for Libraries for new council members at the end of the fiscal year.

Ex officio members of the Council are the Dean of Libraries and the Assistant to the Dean for Staff Development, Recruitment an Diversity.

At the end of their two year term, council members may request to continue for a full term or for one year only. They may also continue on committees on a year-to-year basis as non-council members.

2. Committees (task forces of the council):

In order to accomplish specific tasks or goals, the council may initiate committees that consist of members of the Council and other interested Library staff. Some committees may be standing committees of the Council; others may be formed to accomplish a specific task,  such as the Diversity Film Series. Non-council members serving on committees will be appointed on a year-to-year basis. Before being appointed chair of a committee, a person must have served at least one year on the Diversity Council.

3. Authority and Charges:

The Diversity Council reports to the Dean of Libraries with the following authority and charges:

The Council will be an advisory board for the Dean and the Library Cabinet and will make recommendations concerning diversity issues and their impact on existing policies and procedures. It will also make recommendations for changes to policies and procedures or make recommendations for implementation of new policies and procedures.

The Council will work to be a model for the Library for creating a multi-cultural organization.

The Council will be a resource on issues of diversity to all staff.

The Council will assess needs and assist the Library in moving towards a diverse environment.

The Council will set long range goals to meet the University and Library mission statements.

The Council will provide training on diversity issues.

The Council will communicate and coordinate programs and events with related committees and groups within the Library, the University, and the Tucson community.

Subsequent efforts to incorporate  diversity at all levels of the organization have included:

  • adding diversity to the Library’s mission, vision and values statements.
  • creating a half time administrative position devoted to diversity
  • including diversity in the Library’s strategic planning efforts.
  • adding diversity related questions to all job interviews.
  • incorporating diversity expectations  into all job descriptions, including those of work team leaders and team leaders.
  • aggressive programming and training efforts, in collaboration with other campus units,  aimed at all levels of staff, including administrators.

TEAM LEADER INTERVIEW PROCESS

Whenever the Library recruits for a new team leader, the Diversity Council is included in the interview schedule. Other groups that meet with a candidate also typically ask diversity related questions. A sampling of such questions is listed below.

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The Library is a multicultural environment and is committed to maintaining diversity to serve our customers. Describe where you have worked with diversity and how you have promoted it in positions you have held.

The Library’s Diversity Value Statement is: We value, respect, and are strengthened by viewpoints and experiences outside the dominant culture. We strive to build a multicultural organization. Describe situations where you have acted on this value.

As a team leader, part of your job will be to chair selection committees for open positions within your team. Please explain your understanding of diversity related issues as they pertain to recruitment and selection of employees. How would you balance the need to create a multicultural institution with other compelling factors?

How have you participated in diversity education and how have you encouraged diversity  in your previous positions? Are there other related activities that you have taken part in?

Describe any challenging situations in your previous positions where diversity was an issue. How did you deal with the situation and what was the outcome?

As a team leader, what programs can we count on you to implement to encourage diversity thinking on your team?

Can you share with us an experience you have had where diversity within a team precipitated conflict–and share with us what your response to that conflict was?

How have you learned to work effectively with people who are very different from you–either in culture, gender, sexual preference, age, temperament, etc.? 

As a team leader, what would you expect from the Diversity Council?

DIVERSITY IS BUILT INTO TEAM LEADER AND WORK TEAM LEADER EXPECTATIONS DOCUMENTS. EACH TEAM LEADER  IS EVALUATED BASED ON HIS/HER  ABILITY TO MEET EACH EXPECTATION.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA LIBRARY

EXPECTATIONS OF  TEAM LEADERS

1. Understands and communicates the Library’s mission, vision, values, goals, and while conveying the larger context in which the Library operates, exhibits personal commitment and takes leadership in creating team commitment to achieving them. Leads team in translating library and team strategic goals into action.

2. Promotes team commitment to a customer focus.

3. Works proactively and constructively to identify, define, and solve problems within their own team and between teams and other individuals and teams. Works with team members to develop coaching mechanisms to help individual team members who are having performance problems.

4. Facilitates and involves all team members in team planning, objectives setting, and problem solving, empowering and holding team members accountable for participation and results.

5. Works with team to define team and team leader roles and appropriate methodology for decision-making. Seeks and utilizes data and objective criteria for decision-making. Helps team recognize options and consequences of team decisions. Has final accountability for seeing that decisions get made and that there is appropriate follow through.

6. Fosters an environment that encourages risk taking and creativity.

7. Works proactively and constructively to develop and coach team members to be self-motivated; ensures professional, career, and skill development; ensures structure is in place for all team members to participate in the coaching and development of all staff.

8. Communicates and leads development of team understanding and support of library-wide decisions and priorities; helps the team communicate and create understanding of team issues library wide.

9. Helps promote and support diversity within the team and the Library.

10. Works with the team to build self-managing capabilities including effective delegation to sub-teams and individuals.

11. Champions cross-functional efforts to improve quality, service, and productivity.

12. Anticipates, initiates, and responds to changes in the environment to help the Library move forward.

13. Leads in management of budgets and fosters understanding of and responses to internal and external funding opportunities and constraints.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA LIBRARY

EXPECTATIONS OF WORK TEAM LEADERS

Definition

The primary purpose of a Workteam Leader is to take leadership in facilitating processes within the scope of a specific  workteam to enable the workteam to accomplish its work.

Assumptions

1. That the Performance Learning Project will result in each team developing work and behavioral expectations for all members and a mechanism for holding each other accountable.

2. Team will use these expectations as a basis for a dialog about observable outcomes.

Expectations

1.  Understands and communicates the Library’s mission, vision, values, goals, and, while conveying the larger context in which the Library operates, exhibits personal commitment and takes leadership in creating workteam commitment to achieving them. Leads workteam in translating library and team strategic goals into action.

2.  Promotes workteam commitment to a customer focus by modeling appropriate customer service behavior and responding appropriately to customer needs.

3.  Works proactively and constructively to identify, define, and solve problems within their own workteam and between workteams and other individuals and teams.

4.  Facilitates and involves all workteam members in workteam planning, objectives setting, defining expectations, and problem  solving, empowering and holding workteam members accountable for participation and results.

5.  Works with team to define team and work team leader roles and how decisions are made. Helps  workteam  recognize options and consequences of workteam decisions. Is individually accountable for seeing that decisions get made and that there is appropriate follow through. It may be necessary for  workteam leaders to make decisions for the workteam in limited circumstances such as the workteam being unable to reach a decision or during special circumstances.

6. Coordinates the gathering, analysis, and utilization of data and information to make decisions.

7.  Models and encourages creativity and informed risk taking.

8.  Works proactively and constructively to develop and coach workteam members to be self-motivated and to be lifelong learners.

9.  Communicates and leads development of workteam understanding and support of library-wide decisions and priorities; helps the workteam communicate and create understanding of team issues library-wide.

10.  Demonstrates support for diversity as defined by the Library.

11. Works with the workteam to build self-managing capabilities including effective delegation to workteam members.

12. Champions process improvement and other cross-functional efforts to improve quality, service, and productivity.

13. Anticipates when possible, participates with an open mind, and responds appropriately to changes in the environment.

14. Understands the allocation of budget and resources process. Leads in management of budgets and resources.

15. Attends and actively participates in  workteam meetings.

16. Models good communication skills by actively listening and giving and receiving constructive feedback.

17. Interprets, communicates, and applies relevant library policies.

18. Identifies and implements effective ways of making staff and students feel accepted and valued.

19. Leads and participates in the hiring process, primarily within the workteam.

20. Takes leadership in developing and implementing a training program for staff and students which may include customer service.

21. Schedules work to ensure that time is available for consultation with and coaching of staff and students. Maintains an open attitude to staff,

students, and their ideas.

22. Develops facilitation skills, uses them, and supports workteam members in doing the same.

1998/99 LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLAN (partial)

GOAL 4, “STAFF ENVIRONMENT”: To transform the Library work environment and culture to improve the way staff are supported through programs and activities that enhance their ability to achieve the Library’s Mission.

CONTEXT STATEMENT: Sustained support and effort on both the individual and group level is instrumental to the success of a team-based learning organization. We hold ourselves and each other accountable for achieving the Library’s mission and for resolving any conflicts that arise in this process. Creative flexibility is needed in the ways in which the Library manages work assignments, promotes career progression, and promotion, pursues and provides competitive salaries, supports continuous education and learning, evaluates performance, and recognizes and rewards staff achievements.

To serve an increasingly diverse population, the Library recognizes that diversity among its staff is a strength in understanding, responding to, and respecting the needs of our customers.

Staff need opportunities to develop proficiencies in utilizing technologies and other tools to achieve new and higher performance  satisfaction levels.

OBJECTIVES:

1. INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM DEVELOPMENT: To support individual and team development through the continuing work of the Performance Project Team, through December 31, 1998; and through the developmental systems that are created by this project, by June , 2000.

2. REWARDS AND RECOGNITION: To strengthen employee rewards and recognition by enhancing existing programs and developing new ones, by June, 1999.

3. MINORITY RETENTION: To increase the retention of minority individuals within the Library by openly addressing issues of participation and mentoring, as well as white privilege, racism and other forms of injustice by June, 2000.

4. MINORITY RECRUITMENT: To increase the diversity of the Library and better serve our increasingly diverse customer base by proactively recruiting and hiring minority librarians and career staff by June, 1999.

University of Arizona Position Description

Position Title:  Assistant to the Dean for Staff Development, Recruitment and Diversity

Position type:   Appointed personnel, full time, exempt.

Department: Library Support Team

Reports to:  Dean of the Library/LST Team Leader

Regular Hours of Work (indicate if changes occur)

8am to 5pm

The Library is an innovative, team-based organization committed to continuous learning, increasing customer self-sufficiency and fostering a diverse environment.  Our mission includes furthering cultural transmission, preservation and the educational roles of the Library.

All work that addresses customer needs will be performed (e.g. circulation, reference, check-in, cataloging, process improvement, etc.).  Individuals can expect that this work will include team-wide and Library-wide work (e.g. process improvement teams, meetings, planning, Strategic Long Range Planning, etc.).  As customers’ needs change, our work formula or patterns may change.  As a result, team and Library work is negotiated within the team, the end product being an agreement in writing in the performance evaluation.

The incumbent performs the work appropriate for a  librarian, as needed within the team, to meet the changing needs of the Library’s customers.  As those needs change or disappear it may be necessary to reassign staff to areas in greater need of support and to change work hours to accommodate our customers.

Each team member is responsible for:

*          understanding and communicating the vision, mission and priorities of the Library and the team(s) in order to move the Library and team(s) to their goals

*          committing to excellence, process improvement and continuous learning

*          participating in the planning and decision-making processes for customer services

*          obtaining the information necessary to perform his/her job

*          accepting change and exhibiting flexibility in working within teams and dealing with team and Library-wide issues and concerns

*          helping fellow team members in a team-based work environment and participating on cross-functional and process improvement teams in the Library as necessary

*          attending and participating in team meetings and projects as assigned and facilitating and leading meetings as needed

*          solving as many of their own problems as possible; expected to resolve issues close to the action rather than to pass responsibility for solutions to others and are empowered to do so

*          making decisions at appropriate levels

*          prioritizing work

*          maintaining a customer service orientation

*          challenging him/herself and colleagues to think creatively and broadly

II. PURPOSE/OUTCOME OF THIS POSITION:          

The development of a supportive and responsive multi-cultural and diverse working environment is a top priority for the University of Arizona Library .  Creation of such an environment involves pursuing new strategies for recruitment of librarians and addressing staff development issues relating to diversity and other change processes in which the Library will be involved.  This position will be responsible for coordination of all staff development programs and professional recruitment, and will carry out special projects relating to personnel policy and procedures. The incumbent will participate fully in the Dean’s Cabinet meetings, and act as liaison with the Staff Development Committee, Affirmative Action Committee, and the Diversity Action Council.  The position reports to the Dean of the Library.

To contribute to the profession and the professional literature to fulfill the responsibilities of a library faculty member through service (e.g., active participation in library-related associations and organizations) and scholarship (e.g., presentations at local and national conferences and meetings, publication of original research).

As a member of the library profession, the Library Faculty Assembly, and the general faculty of the University:

      * To resist censorship of library materials and eliminate barriers to access to    

         information

      * To commit to intellectual freedom in the pursuit of truth  and knowledge for

          customers and staff

      * To commit to honesty and respect for customers and staff

      * To commit to the professional Code of Ethics for  Librarianship

      * To be involved in the governance of the Library and the University through service

         in the Library Faculty Assembly and on appropriate University committees

III. PRINCIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. (.5 time)   Coordinates the Library’s staff development activities.  Works with an advisory committee,  members of the Library’s Human Resources team  and a  .5 administrative secretary to conduct needs assessment,  plan and implement training and professional development for librarians and staff. Administers Staff Development Fund and Special Workshops Fund.  Coordinates new staff orientation.

2. Acts as the administrative liaison with the Affirmative Action Office, University Diversity Council, the Provost’s Office on Appointed Personnel and the University Human Resources Department (where appropriate).  Updates and monitors the Library’s Affirmative Action Plan and Diversity Action Plan in conjunction with appropriate committees. Administers Diversity Fund.

3. Works with the Library Diversity Council to coordinate programs in support of building a multicultural organization.  Provides leadership to the Diversity Council as it strives to become a model the Library in working across racial and ethnic lines.

4. Works with other members of the HR Team to assess needs for team development, systems and process change, new policies and procedures that support the continued success of the Library with its customers.

5. Works in conjunction with Library’s human resources specialist and selection teams to ensure that recruitment pools for professional positions are diverse.  Provides guidelines and support for search committees.  Insures compliance with University EEO/AA and Diversity plans.  Assists with interviews of candidates on site and at professional meetings.

6. Participates fully in leadership activities of the Library through membership on Library          

Cabinet.

7. Supports the library profession beyond primary job responsibilities through involvement in professional service and scholarship.

LIBRARY-WIDE RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Participation in library strategic project teams, cross-functional teams, and other teams required to complete the goals of the Library:

The  Library Diversity Council has proactively partnered with other campus units and groups, including the University Diversity Action Council, the College of Agriculture’s Diversity Committee, and  the Commission on the Status of Women to provide top notch programming, training and celebratory events that unite the campus and the Library community.

Recruitment of a Diverse Staff

A key responsibility of the Assistant to the Dean for Staff Development, Recruitment and Diversity has been to proactively recruit people of color to apply for open positions at the University of Arizona Library. This has been accomplished through:

  • training selection committees on diversity and affirmative action issues
  • attending conferences and handing out recruitment packets to librarians of color and other diverse individuals.
  • developing a network (database) of potential recruits and sending them invitations to apply for positions currently under recruitment
  • advertising the UA’s vacancies on listservs that reach librarians of color. These include REFORMANET, EQUILIBN,  the Chinese American Librarian’s  listserv, DIVERSITY-L, and AFAS-L, the listserv of the AFAS Roundtable.

Diversity in the Workplace / Presentation (1996)

Community Service, Presentations, Lectures, and Resource Guides, Work

I gave this presentation on enemy turf, so to speak. It felt like I had been thrown into a lion’s den and was about to get eaten alive at any moment. These ladies were not interested in hearing that the ability to speak Spanish and communicate with the Spanish-speaking was value-added and that it should be rewarded by increasing the pay of those who had this ability. In the end, however, I survived, and felt good that I did this presentation. I might have even convinced one or two of the attendees that having bilingual skills is indeed an asset when working with the public.

Announcement from the March 4, 1996 edition of the Arizona Daily Star

Diversity presentation

Introduction

View Post

Good evening. My name is Bob Diaz. Before I begin my presentation, I’d like to tell you a little bit about myself. I’m a Mexican American with roots here in southern Arizona that go way back, a native Tucsonan, and a graduate of the University of Arizona. I have a B.A. in Psychology and a masters degree in Library Science. I’m currently employed as Assistant to the Dean for Staff Development, Recruitment and Diversity at the University of Arizona Library. Prior to that, I was an associate reference and instruction librarian at the University of Michigan Undergraduate Library from 1987- 1992. I’m very happy to be here tonight, and I hope we have a very useful and productive session.

I’ve been asked to discuss the issue of diversity in organizations. I will talk about three major issues:  First I will ask the question, why bother with diversity anyway and will provide some context for what we are dealing with. Then I’ll discuss diversity within organizations, and use examples from my own experiences at the University of Arizona to illustrate some of the points I would like to make. Thirdly, I will discuss  the issue of personal responsibility as it relates to understanding and embracing diversity. Finally, we’ll open up the floor to questions and comments from you.

Just what is diversity and why are we bothering?

Is it about race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age?

Is it about individual differences not included in the above categories? Is it about affirmative action and equal employment opportunity? The answer is yes, yes, yes. In fact, there are a multitude of definitions. One organization defines diversity as: those human qualities or characteristics that make people different, unique, the same, and similar. These distinctions are not limited to race, gender, or ethnicity,  according to this definition. Another definition is: diversity is any difference that makes a difference.

However, the focus of my presentation tonight will not be solely on “individual differences” or unique qualities or characteristics” but on racial, gender and ethnic diversity and what needs to be done within companies and organizations, as well as at the individual level to change the way things now stand. I’ve chosen this focus because race, gender and ethnicity are key factors in the diversity equation and have been throughout the history of this nation. While some people would argue that there are laws on the books that protect the rights of members of minority groups and women and that there is equal opportunity for every citizen, it is clear that we are not yet at the point where we can say there is a level playing field. White males still dominate our country’s major corporations, and are still clearly the ones that hold most, if not all of the  power at all levels of government and society. 

Here are some basic facts that will help further this discussion:

3 out of 10 Americans are persons of color. However, in less than 50 years, (some say sooner) one half of the U.S. population will be African American, Latino, Native American, or Asian American. This is now the case in California.

By the year 2000, nearly one half of the civilian workers in the U.S. will be female.

Women with college degrees earn roughly the same as men with high school diplomas.

Women earn 72 cents for every dollar a man earns for the same work.

In a study of 15 major corporations, one researcher found that minorities comprised less than 8% of middle management and only 2% of upper management positions.

There are many other well known documented facts that are important to know. For example, 

Minorities have less access than non-minorities to quality education, good jobs, upward mobility,  and representation in government, and have lower income levels and higher mortality rates than non minorities.

Historically, minorities have been viewed by the dominant culture  as either the enemy (Asians and Native Americans) or as a source of cheap labor (Asians, Latinos, African Americans) and were treated badly by members of the dominant culture, receiving lower wages and fewer societal benefits. While we cannot go back and change history, what we can do is try to understand how we got to where we are now. It isn’t a matter of placing blame either. It’s a matter of putting these issues into context.

There is an increase in racial and ethnic violence in our society. Hate groups are on the rise. There is increased anti-immigrant sentiment and less tolerance for people who choose to continue to preserve their cultural traditions and languages.

What does all this point to?: change is taking place and, as always, there is resistance. In fact, one writer, has noted that “diversity was never the issue. Diversity is a fact. The question is about inclusion or exclusion of whom, on what terms, and for what purpose? The issue is about fear: our fear of the stranger, our shadow side, our fear of change, and our fear of failure.”

While the outlook for our society may seem bleak, it’s where we are. And we have to do something about it. We have to begin to learn about eachother and to work together to overcome our fear of one another. This has to take place at multiple levels: at the societal level, the corporate level and the individual level.

Before moving on to looking at what can be done in corporations and at the individual level, I’d like to make one other point.

 For me personally, embracing diversity has always been akin to “doing the right thing”. Respect for all people and tolerance for difference are values I hold dear. However, the arguments or what some would call “the moral imperative”  that provided fuel for the civil rights movement and much of the legislation that followed took us all only so far. In fact, some folks argue that the conditions for minorities in this country have worsened since the sixties.

What do we need to do to take us further? One writer argues that diversity is a bottom line issue, and indeed it is: if we don’t begin to include people of color and others outside the dominant culture in our institutions and corporations, they will go elsewhere, not only for employment but for products and services. And believe me the competition is there waiting to serve and to sell. A good example is the Honda corporation. It realizes that  it has a diverse customer base here in the U.S., so it has done market studies to determine the needs of these customers and it has also hired people from these diverse communities to sell Honda’s products.  Remember that these communities are increasing in numbers too. What does this mean? Think about it.

So, what needs to be done to begin to address diversity in a company or organization? First, there needs to be commitment at the top. In study after study, the data clearly shows that the role of top management in setting the direction and agenda for implementing diversity goals, programs, and training is critical. Top management needs to set the agenda for change. It must look at its mission and values statements and change them. It must begin to address it’s hiring and recruitment practices and look at retention  and promotion issues, communication issues, supervisory practices, the services that are provided and how they are provided. Management must also encourage all of its employees to behave with respect both for their fellow employees and for their customers. Training needs to take place. But,  changes will not occur overnight. It takes practice and patience to change an organizational culture.

At the University of Arizona Library, we have a very strong  commitment from the top. Our Dean, Carla Stoffle, has written extensively on these issues and has really put her money where her mouth is. Our library has a very diverse workforce (in fact, we are far above the national average in terms of numbers of minorities at the professional level). We have also included diversity in our mission and values statements, in our team leader review process, in our job descriptions  and in many of our team objectives. We have in place my position, which oversees the efforts of the Affirmative Action committee and the Library diversity council.  We have provided our staff with many training and learning opportunities, and have even been rewarded for taking the lead on campus in the area of diversity. Many of our programs are both educational and celebratory. We’ve addressed such diverse issues as homophobia in the workplace, what it means to be Jewish in the U.S, we’ve had a Chinese New Year celebration, and we’ve sponsored programs for the entire campus on topics such as the role of women in Islam. We’ve also co-sponsored numerous events such as the recent visit by Harvard professor Cornell West. While it is clear that we have made lots of progress, there will always be more work to do. We are finding that in a team-based organization, meeting facilitation is a very important skill as it is key to fostering a environment where all staff are given a fair chance to communicate and participate in everyday meetings and events. We now are working on building these skills across the Library.

At the personal level, there are many things that can be done to understand and embrace diversity. First and foremost, I would encourage anyone to begin with a positive attitude. What an incredible opportunity this can be for learning and growth!! Begin by questioning your own assumptions about how you see the world. Question your generalizations and stereotypes (we all make them). Question what you see on television,  and what you read in books and magazines. Read a book by a person of color. Read a book about diversity. Go to a local fiesta or pow wow. Tucson is a very unique and diverse community. Explore it. Challenge your friends to a discussion of race and ethnicity. Question your assumptions again and again.

I’ll leave you with one final quote from a book entitled The Diversity Advantage by John P. Fernandez and Mary Barr. “Although the U.S. possesses the best laws in all the world to protect all its citizens, it must move from the philosophical and legal to the proactive and personal. US citizens must, in short, walk their talk. Each individual must recognize that he or she is part of both the problem and the solution….Thank you very much.