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 | | From: | John Roberts | | Subject: | Dear librarians/information professionals of COLOR! | | Date: | Tue, 16 Nov 2004 01:06:54 GMT |
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 | Dear librarians/information professionals of color,
You are invited to participate in a national survey of
librarians/information professionals of color, supported by a 2004 ALA
(American Library Association) Diversity Research Grant. Please take a few
minutes to complete our Web-based survey questionnaire, if you are a
librarian/information professional of color who graduated with a master's
degree from an ALA-accredited LIS program or is currently enrolled in such
a program.
The purpose of our study is to identify and suggest strategies to improve
the recruitment and retention of students of color into LIS schools. The
survey asks your opinion on recruitment and retention efforts that LIS
schools and professional associations have made. We would also like your
suggestions on improving recruitment and retention programs.
To participate in this study, please visit http://orson.lis.wisc.edu/
~survey/. The study has fulfilled the requirements for conducting human-
subject research. Your response will be strictly anonymous. You will not be
asked for your name or any other identification. To ensure that your voice
be heard, please send your responses no later than December 31, 2004.
Despite the efforts of LIS schools and professional associations such as
ALA, the number of students of color preparing for careers in LIS
professions is under-representative of the US population as a whole. Due to
the changes in the ethnic composition of the population, the gap between
LIS and US populations may widen even further; and the librarian population
will not reflect the users in the communities that the librarians serve. It
is critically important that the LIS schools and professional associations
act quickly to develop effective/efficient strategies for recruiting and
retaining students of color.
With your help, we will be able to gather valuable input from
librarians/information professionals of color. Your suggestions will help
us identify strategies to improve recruitment and retention programs of LIS
schools and professional associations.
The findings of this study will be presented at the 2005 ALA's annual
meeting, in Chicago. We will also submit our findings for publication.
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