CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.

uk
Provided by VCU Scholars Compass

Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Scholars Compass
VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications VCU Libraries

2015

Strengthening the Pipeline— Talent Management

for Libraries: A Human Resources Perspective
Agnes K. Bradshaw
Virginia Commonwealth University, [email protected]

Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/libraries_pubs

Part of the Library and Information Science Commons

Copyright © respective authors, 2015.

Recommended Citation
Bradshaw, Agnes K. "Strengthening the Pipeline— Talent Management for Libraries: A Human Resources Perspective," in Where are
all the Librarians of Color? The Experiences of People of Color in Academia. Sacramento, CA: Library Juice Press, 2015. Available
from VCU Scholars Compass, http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/libraries_pubs/37/

This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the VCU Libraries at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in
VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact
[email protected].
Chapter 5
strEngthEning thE PiPElinE-talEnt managEmEnt
for librariEs: a human rEsourCEs PErsPECtivE

Agnes K. Bradshaw

Introduction

Within any profession, there is a need to have talent (skilled employees)

currently working in the profession. In addition, there is also a need
to have employees “in the pipeline;” those employees ready and able
or in the process of developing and preparing for higher-level roles. A
term that has been in use by the private sector for more than a decade
is “talent management.” The term originated from a 1997 report from
McKinsey Company which reported on the management consulting
firm’s study of more than 200 corporate executives. The term “talent
management” is now used within the human resources profession when
discussing the recruitment function. For purposes of this chapter, I will
use the following definition of talent management: “Broadly defined as
the implementation of an sic integrated strategies or systems designed
to increase workplace productivity by developing improved processes for
attracting, developing, retaining and utilizing people with the required
skills and aptitude to meet current and future business needs.1 If orga-
nizations outside librarianship are recognizing the need to compete for

1. Society for Human Resources Management Glossary, http://www.shrm.

org/TemplatesTools/Glossaries/HRTerms/Pages/t.aspx.

95
96 Where are all the librarians of Color?

the best talent, why isn’t librarianship? This chapter will look at talent
management practices for developing the people who will be needed
by the profession to ensure that it is seen as desirable for those from all
groups, not just those from one group. In addition, the next steps after
recruitment include the development of those within the profession to
assume managerial, executive, and leadership roles. We will look at the
representation of people of color within the profession and assess how
talent management strategies can be utilized to ensure that librarians
of color are included as a part of the organizational need to recruit
and retain the best people, while ensuring that all groups of the user
population are represented in the professional ranks.
There are many segments of librarianship: school media, public, aca-
demic, and various types of what is considered to be special librarianship,
such as art, legal, medical, and music. In addition, library professionals
may also be academics, such as being an LIS (Library and Information
Science) educator. This chapter will concentrate on librarianship outside
of LIS educators, although the lack of diversity within LIS educators is
also an area of note. However, the role of an LIS educator is different
from that of a librarian. The primary work of LIS educators is academic;
it is not that of a practitioner, although many will also have a master’s
degree in library and information science in addition to the doctoral
degree. This chapter will also focus on libraries within the United States.

Talent Management - Why Do Libraries Need It?

Talent management is the process that an organization uses to attract,

develop, and retain skilled and valuable employees. In many orga-
nizations, talent management is a prime responsibility of the human
resources function. Human resources professionals work together with
managers on talent management processes including: workforce plan-
ning, recruitment, succession planning, leadership development, career
and professional development, and finally the rewards strategy (salaries
and employee benefits.) Human resources professionals together with
organizational leaders work to ensure that the organization has the talent
 Strengthening the PiPeline 97

it needs to meet the current and future demands of those who utilize
the products and services of the organization. There is no universal
definition of talent management, nor is there a universally acknowl-
edged way to conduct it. However, even in a poor economy, employers
are competing for employee talent. There may be greater availability
of those positions at lower levels within the organization, but even for
lower level positions, there are often more people than jobs. There are
generally more jobs at the lower ends of the organizational chart, but
this means that while employers may have a large selection from which
to choose, all those applying for positions will not have the desired skills
the employer is seeking, or will otherwise prove not to be suitable for
a specific opening. For higher-level positions, there are usually fewer
openings, but there are also fewer people with the skills and experience
for those positions.
Although the research around talent management by McKinsey
Company focused on the private sector, the conclusions drawn from the
private, for-profit sector workforce can also be applied to librarianship.
Libraries are organizations that provide a service to their constituen-
cies just like for-profit corporations: they must provide the products
and services that the user wants; they must be prepared to adapt to the
changes in external environment that set the stage for changes in the
way those services are being delivered; they must cultivate a new gen-
eration of users to utilize their services and in doing so, embrace new
technologies that provide the products that the new users want and need.
Libraries, just like for-profit organizations, do these things—except at no
direct cost to the user, and the organization is not charged with making
a profit. Libraries must have the talent necessary to not only do the
work that needs to be done for its current customer base, but must also
be prepared to forecast and plan appropriately to staff for the future.
They must have staff who can not only perform the core work that a
library does but staff who have the skills (or are willing to acquire and
develop the skills) necessary to move the organization to where it needs
to be in order to meet the challenges of the future. Fifty years ago, if
you wanted to know what materials were in the library, you had to look
98 Where are all the librarians of Color?

in the physical card catalog and you needed to be in the physical library.
In less than fifty years, library catalogs are now online and accessible to
anyone with an Internet connection and a computer. Users are obtain-
ing information in a variety of sources, not just via printed documents.
Electronic journal articles, e-books and e-readers, digital images, and
streaming video—all methods of obtaining information that did not
exist a few generations ago. Public libraries are valuable resources to
many, from young children first learning to read, to recent immigrants
longing for news in their native language, to those seeking employment
and looking for guidance on how to apply for a job online, to those
who want to check out the latest John Gresham thriller.
Academic libraries serve a different constituency—students need-
ing to research a topic for an assignment, a faculty member needing to
locate an obscure text for an article he or she is writing, a community
member needing to interpret recent online census data. All of these
needs must be met by those employees with a varied skill base, including
instruction, information technology, classification and organization, and
customer service, to name a few. K-12 librarians (often called school
media specialists) provide instructional assistance to students through-
out elementary and high school. School librarians are often the first
teachers of information literacy to students, and school libraries are
often where students first encounter formal researching skills. Special
librarians have specialized knowledge and serve in a variety of arenas,
including academia, government, and the private sector. Finding and
retaining people for these roles are where the process of talent manage-
ment plays a significant role.
The pipeline for talent would consist of those employees who have
been identified as having leadership or management potential, and can
eventually assume management or leadership roles within the organiza-
tion. For purposes of this chapter we will consider pipeline development
as the strategy for ensuring that an organization is developing the human
capital for all levels within the organization. This could mean developing
those who are new to the profession and preparing them to assume first
level management roles, or developing those who are in management
 Strengthening the PiPeline 99

roles and preparing them to assume leadership roles such as director or

dean. It could also mean preparing for those employees who will eventu-
ally leave their entry level positions and planning to fill those positions
when they become vacant. Finally, it could mean attracting those to the
profession who have not considered librarianship to be a career choice.

Does Librarianship Need to Compete for Talent?

For several years, the American Library Association (ALA), the

largest professional organization for librarians, has been sounding an
alarm about the “graying of the profession,”2 when huge numbers of
librarians would reach retirement age and stop working. According to
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2012
report, job growth for librarians was predicted at a 7% increase from
2012-2022. This growth was defined as “slower than average” for all
occupations. In the “Job Outlook” section of the report “budget limi-
tations especially in local and educational services may slow demand.”3
The report also predicts that fewer librarians will be needed as people
become more proficient with using electronic resources and that librar-
ies may concentrate on the hiring of library paraprofessionals to save
costs. By contrast, the BLS report predicts a 12% growth increase (as
fast as average) for the same period of time for library paraprofessionals.
As do many professional organizations, ALA maintains demographic
information on its members. In 2006, ALA released a report, Diversity
Counts, which was updated most recently in 2012. The study provided
data on librarians in six library types: K-12, Academic, Public, Hospital,
Legal, and Other. The study revealed data that should not be surpris-
ing to any librarian of color currently working in the profession, or
who has worked in the profession in the past—that the profession is

2. Rachel Singer Gordon, “Get Over the Graying’ Profession Hype,” Library
Journal, 129 (January 15, 2004): 62.
3. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook
Handbook, 2014, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/
librarians.htm (accessed July 15, 2015).
100 Where are all the librarians of Color?

overwhelmingly comprised of white females who are over 45 years of

age. The study also pointed out that although there are students in LIS
programs who are under age 35, there is a failure to incorporate those
students into the profession. The report looked at statistics from the
2000 United States Census and the National Center of Education Statis-
tics (NCES) that reports on national, state and individual library statistics.
The study revealed that “the 110,000 credentialed librarians in public,
school and academic librarians are predominately white, regardless of
age group or gender.”4 ALA keeps statistics on its membership and while
all librarians do not belong to ALA, the figures compiled on its mem-
bership coincide with the figures of the 2000 Census estimates: White,
89% African American, 5% Latino, 2% Native American (including
Alaskan), less than 1% Asian Pacific Islander, 3% Two or more racial
groups, 1%. The study also showed that the greatest percentage of all
librarians by age was in the range of 45-54, although for this report-
ing on age groups there was a substantial difference between the ALA
demographic responses and the 2000 census estimates. The study also
revealed the distribution of the type of credentialed librarians. Most
of the minority librarians work in public libraries.
A report from the ALA Office of Research and Statistics “Planning
for 2015: The Recent History and Future Supply of Librarians” was
prepared in 2009. The focus of this report was “credentialed librar-
ians” defined as “persons who report their occupation in the Census
of American Community Survey as librarians, and also report having at
least a masters degree.”5 As with any strategic plan, there is no way for
the writers to see into the future. In 2009, it would have been impos-
sible to predict the lingering economic woes in the United States, and
see the budget cuts that would impact municipalities, higher education,

4. American Library Association, Office for Research and Statistics Office

for Diversity, Diversity Counts, revised January, 2007, 9, http://www.ala.org/
offices/sites/ala.org.offices/files/content/diversity/diversitycounts/diversi-
tycounts_rev0.pdf.
5. American Library Association, Office of Research and Statistics, Planning
for 2015: The Recent History and Future Supply of Librarians, June 2009, 5.
 Strengthening the PiPeline 101

and the private sector which would impact the creation of new jobs,
job eliminations and the delayed retirements. According to Michael
Kelley in the 2012 Annual Budget Survey published in Library Journal,
“many public libraries are, at best, furiously treading water.”6 Those same
economic woes would be responsible for layoffs, the elimination of
permanent positions, and more employers relying on hiring part-time
and/or contingent workers (in many instances, so they would not be
required to pay for employee benefit costs) to fill positions in attempts
to save money. In addition, public libraries, as well as school systems,
are reliant on tax revenues for funding. Municipalities throughout the
United States have suffered from decreasing tax revenues which has
resulted in cutbacks to municipal services, including library services.
In spite of these predictions of slow job growth, enrollment in gradu-
ate Library and Information Science (LIS) programs continue to increase.
According to the Association for Library Science Education (ALISE)
we are seeing (and have seen over the past several years) LIS programs
enrolling and graduating students to an employment picture that does
not look bright. BLS is predicting a change of 11,000 jobs for a 20-year
period. Table 1 shows the numbers of students library related programs
in 2011 and Table 2 shows the demographics of the graduates from
library programs in 2011. While program enrollment does not guarantee
program completion, the numbers of graduate students enrolled does
seem to exceed the number of available jobs.
With an abundance of talent seeking employment, why is talent
management needed by libraries? Even if supply exceeds the demand
for available jobs, employers must still focus on recruitment, selection,
employee development, and succession planning. It is not easier to
recruit talent in a competitive environment. Even with high numbers of
people entering and completing MLS programs, one must be mindful
that the majority of those graduates will be seeking (and probably only
qualified for) entry level positions. Annual salary surveys published by
Library Journal conclude that most of the jobs that open up annually are

6. Michael Kelley, “The New Normal,” Library Journal (January, 2012): 37.
Table 1. Student Enrollment in LIS Programs
102

(Wallace, Danny P. ed., Library and Information Science Educational Statistical Report 2012, Association for Library and Information
Science Education, p. 67).
Where
are
all
the
librarians
of
Color?
Table 2. Degrees and Certificates Awarded by Gender, Ethnicity, and Race
(Wallace, Danny P. ed., Library and Information Science Educational Statistical Report 2012, Association for Library and Information Science
Education, p. 119).
Strengthening
the
PiPeline
103
104 Where are all the librarians of Color?

not entry-level positions. Statistics from BLS do not include the types
and levels of positions they expect to become available in the forecast,
only the numbers of positions. While jobs are expected to be available,
as in any profession, we should assume there will be a variety of skillsets
and specializations needed, as well as depth and breadth of experience.
An effective talent management strategy ensures that an organization
is prepared to fill positions when they become vacant, allows the orga-
nization to provide career development practices for those employees
currently working in the organization to prepare to assume supervisory
or leadership roles when possible, and develop succession plans for
those in key leadership positions. As a way to prepare for the future,
that strategy will also include planning to incorporate recent MLS grads
into the workforce,

Demographic Information

The lack of diversity within librarianship was discussed earlier in the

chapter. While there is greater ethnic and gender diversity within the
profession among those working as library clerks than those working as
credentialed librarians, the profession as a whole is mainly comprised of
white females. Some would not see this as an issue of concern. As seen
in our most recent United States Census data, the demographics of the
United States are changing. The greatest population growth is coming
from the Latino/Hispanic and Asian populations. “The U.S. popula-
tion will be considerably older and more racially and ethnically diverse
by 2060, according to projections released today by the U.S. Census
Bureau. These projections of the nation’s population by age, sex, race
and Hispanic origin, which cover the 2012-2060 period, are the first set
of population projections based on the 2010 Census. ‘The next half
century marks key points in continuing trends — the U.S. will become a
plurality nation, where the non-Hispanic white population remains the
largest single group, but no group is in the majority,’ said Acting Director
 Strengthening the PiPeline 105

Thomas L. Mesenbourg.”7 As the racial and ethnic makeup of the nation

changes, there are those that would argue that initiatives to make the
profession “more diverse and inclusive” are unnecessary and perhaps
unwanted. Reasons for reluctance and opposition are varied, includ-
ing opposition to government intrusion into hiring and promotional
practices by way of equal opportunity legislation and/or affirmative
action requirements put in place as a remedy for previous acts of dis-
crimination; the increasing outcries of “reverse discrimination” from
certain groups and even the reluctance of those in groups that may be
granted treatment that they do not feel they want or need. There may
also be a need to preserve the status quo of the current demographics
of the profession by those currently in positions who feel they would
suffer if opportunities for those in the majority shift. An effective talent
management strategy ensures recruitment and promotional opportuni-
ties are open to a wide segment of the available population. To assume
that the best and most qualified talent comes only from a single group
is to limit the possibilities of the organization to succeed.

Focus on Minorities or Underrepresented Populations

It is important to provide some historical background on the concept

of minority groups and their representation in the workforce as a whole
to better understand the concern about what may be termed the lack of
adequate minority representation within librarianship. Over the last 50
years, there have been several instances of legislation enacted against
discrimination in various forms. Probably the most sweeping legisla-
tion regarding civil rights in the United States was the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, specifically Title VII, which made it illegal to discriminate in

7. United States Census Bureau, “U.S. Census Bureau Projections Show a

Slower Growing, Older, More Diverse Nation a Half Century from Now,”
last modified December 12, 2012, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/
releases/archives/population/cb12-243.html.
106 Where are all the librarians of Color?

human resources activities such as hiring, pay, employee benefits, and

promotional opportunities. Title VII “bars discrimination in all HR
activities, including hiring, training, promotion, pay, employee benefits,
and other conditions of employment. Discrimination is prohibited on
the basis of race, color, religion, sex (also referred to as gender), or
national origin.”8 While there have been several amendments to the
original Act, as well as various litigation regarding how the Act should
be interpreted, laws prohibiting employment discrimination are still in
effect. In additional to the federal requirement, many, if not all states
and municipalities have similar laws against discrimination. Under Title
VII, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was
created to enforce the provisions of the Civil Rights Act. The EEOC
has responsibility for ensuring that “covered employers comply with
the intent of this Act.”9 Another development impacting civil rights
and equal opportunity employment issues was the signing of Executive
Order 11246, which created the Office of Federal Contract Compliance
Programs (OFCCP), which has the authority to ensure equal opportunity
for federal procurement. Federal contractors or subcontractors with
“contracts in excess of 50,000 must develop affirmative action plans.”10
There is often confusion between affirmative action and equal
employment opportunity. “Affirmative action policy that goes beyond
equal employment opportunity by requiring organizations to comply
with the law and correct past discrimination practices by increasing
the numbers minorities and women in specific positions.”11 “Affirma-
tive action aggressively includes individuals from protected groups as
candidates in search processes, whereas equal employment opportunity,

8. George Bolander and Scott Snell, Managing Human Resources, 13th ed.
(Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, 2004), 53-54.
9. Ibid., 73.
10. Ibid., 755.
11. Ibid.
 Strengthening the PiPeline 107

in a more passive fashion, addresses the avoidance of discrimination

based upon protected group members.”12 It should be noted that most
colleges and universities in the US are federal contractors (as well as
many municipalities), and thus are required to have an Affirmative
Action plan in place. It is this requirement (and the perception that an
individual was hired only to fill a quota, despite that person’s qualifica-
tions) that is the source of much of the controversy surrounding hiring
of members of minority groups.
The justification often used for increasing diversity within for-profit
organizations is the “business case,” which may be defined as the ratio-
nale for undertaking a strategy or a project. The hope is that the
successful strategy or project will lead to greater profits, an increased
customer base, higher sales, etc. Libraries are not profit-making organi-
zations, so the argument for increasing diversity within the profession
is not the drive to increase customers, etc. but to have the employees
within the profession who are more reflective of the constituencies
they serve. According to Howland, “an equally wide range of well-
researched scholarship has been published addressing the concern that,
as demographic indicators point to increasingly culturally and racially
diverse communities, libraries need to recruit increasingly diverse pro-
fessional staffs.”13 While the notion of “celebrating diversity” is quite
common today, it is doubtful that there is a universal agreement on the
definition of diversity. In fact, the application of the term “diversity” is
not the same as legislative measures taken to redress prior instances of
legalized discrimination. “Prior research has posited that diversity, as a
term and a concept, is essentially a euphemism, designed to avoid the

12. Deetta Jones, “The Definition of Diversity” Journal of Library Administra-

tion 27, no. 1-2: (1999): 12.
13. Joan S. Howland, “Beyond Recruitment: Retention and Promotion Strat-
egies to Ensure Diversity and Success.” Library Administration & Management
13, no. 1 (1999).
108 Where are all the librarians of Color?

complexity and emotion laded natures of terms, such as race, racism,

sex and sexism.”14
Librarianship is no different from any other profession such as law
or accounting. There are various stages of employment within a pro-
fession: entry level, supervisory/management, and executives (deans/
directors.) For librarianship, the first stage of recruitment may be the
marketing of the profession, preparing those with an interest in library
work (perhaps generated by library use as a child or by working in a
library in high school or college). ALA has created a page on their
website about librarianship as a career, and has also created a website
about careers within librarianship (www.librarycareers.org). There is also
a page on the careers website specifically addressing diversity, which
makes mention of the ALA ethnic caucuses and scholarship programs
directed at minority students (http://librarycareers.drupalgardens.com/
content/diversity-libraries).
Winston’s Recruitment Theory identifies factors that influence the
career choice of individuals, and according to Winston the factor that
stands out for many in recruitment for librarianship is the desire to
make a contribution. Better marketing of the profession and the skills
necessary might take the profession beyond the impression of the “lady
with bun and glasses” telling patrons to shush, and would probably go
a long way to enhance the profession’s reputation. While some efforts
have been made to change the perception of the profession, it is debat-
able as to success of those efforts.

Increasing Diversity – Educational Opportunities

Ask any librarian if they have spoken to someone who expressed

surprise that being a librarian required a master’s degree, they would
probably say “Yes.” Librarians are aware that many outside the profession

14. Mark Winston, Diversity in Librarianship: Is There a Color Line? in The

21st Century Black Librarian in America: Issues and Challenges, eds. Andrew P. Jack-
son, Julius Jackson, Julius Jefferson, Jr. and Akilah S. Nosakhere. (Lanham,
MD: Scarecrow Press, 2012), 204. (Winston on p. 131 in original document.)
 Strengthening the PiPeline 109

have no understanding of the work they do and the skills and knowl-
edge needed to do that work. However, for those who wish to be a
credentialed professional librarian, a master’s degree is almost always
required. Graduate school is an investment and a commitment of numer-
ous resources including finances and personal time. There are also the
opportunity costs associated with committing to a graduate program.
In recent years, there have been several programs designed to increase
minority representation within professional librarian ranks by providing
financial assistance for graduate education.
In 1997, ALA created the Spectrum Scholarship Program, designed
to provide assistance to members of ethnic minority groups (American
Indian/Native American, Asian, African American, Hispanic/Latino, and
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander) seeking a career in librarian-
ship.15 The Spectrum Scholarship provides financial assistance for use
towards an ALA accredited master’s program, as well as connection to
library professionals by using methods such as mentoring, networking
assistance, stipends for professional association (ALA) membership
dues and financial assistance for professional conference attendance
(the annual ALA conference). According to Cooke, the creation of the
Spectrum Initiative was not without controversy.16 As of 2009, there
had been more than 600 graduates of the Spectrum Initiative. We have
no way of knowing how many Spectrum Scholars (as they are known)
would have entered LIS programs and become librarians without the
assistance of the scholarship. However, if this program or others similar
to it has had an impact on easing the entry barrier to the profession, we
should celebrate the program and consider it to be a success.
Another initiative under the Spectrum program is the Spectrum Doc-
toral Fellowship, created to broaden diversity among those interested

15. American Library Association. “Spectrum Scholarship Overview,”

http://www.ala.org/offices/diversity/spectrum/scholarshipinformation.
16. Nicole A. Cooke, “The Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program:
Enhancing the LIS Professoriate,” InterActions: UCLA Journal of Educa-
tion and Information Studies 10, no. 1, (2014), http://escholarship.org/uc/
item/7vb7v4p8.
110 Where are all the librarians of Color?

in becoming LIS educators. The program was created in 2006 by ALA

and the University of Pittsburgh, and was funded by the Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which was established in 1996
under the National Foundation for Arts and Humanities. As with the
Spectrum Scholars at the master’s level, Cooke indicates that there was
also resistance to supporting a program directed at minority groups for
doctoral studies. In addition to the Spectrum programs, there are other
programs designed to increase representation of minority groups within
the profession (see Table 3).

Table 3. LIS Diversity Programs

Increasing minority representation within a profession does not

stop at education. The next step is professional recruitment. As with
so many other areas of our lives, technology has had an impact on
 Strengthening the PiPeline 111

employment recruitment. Two generations ago, print advertisements in

newspapers and professional association publications were probably the
most common way of advertising for a job opening. Less common was
college recruiting (usually used for entry level positions and for those in
professional graduate programs such a law or business). For executive
positions, a professional search firm may have been used. In a short
period of time, employment recruitment has gone almost completely
online. Employers advertise positions on their own websites, or advertise
on online recruitment sites, including professional organization websites
(ALA JobList, Special Librarians, etc.), or publications dedicated to a
specific market, such as the Chronicle of Higher Education. There are also
hundreds, perhaps thousands, of discussion lists dedicated to various
branches of any profession and librarianship is no exception. Job post-
ings are sent via email to members of a particular list and from the
original email, the notice of the opening may be passed by the recipients
to any number of other interested parties. Social media has also become
a part of recruitment efforts, the most common probably being Face-
book, LinkedIn, and Twitter. However, seeing an ad is not enough the
advertisement must be attractive enough to a sufficient candidate pool
in order to generate applicants worthy of consideration for an interview.
Talent management is a lengthy process and advertisement is only one
step in the recruitment process.
A common refrain from employers concerning recruitment is that
they are not getting the talent that they need. Moreover when it comes to
minority recruitment, according to the Association of Research Librar-
ies Minority Recruitment and Retention in ARL Libraries Systems and
Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) report, “while some libraries are
getting results, none are experiencing significant success.” 17 If an orga-
nization is having difficulty attracting qualified candidates, they should
take a strong look at their recruitment practices and assess both what

17. Association of Research Libraries, “Minority Recruitment and Reten-

tion in ARL Libraries - SPEC Kit 167,” (Washington, DC: Association of
Research Libraries, 1990), Introduction.
112 Where are all the librarians of Color?

they are doing and what they are not doing to attract candidates. Issues
resulting in a less than satisfactory talent pool include a less than com-
petitive compensation and benefits structure or geographical locations
that people may consider less than desirable for any number of reasons.

Providing Steps on the Career Ladder

In recent years, it has become increasing difficult to find entry-level

full-time professional librarian positions. Library Journal conducts an
annual survey of library schools and their graduates. Participation is
voluntary, and many LIS programs do not respond, nor do the gradu-
ates of the program. In the results published in 2013, data gathered
from the 2012 graduates indicates that 30.7 percent of the approximate
1900 LIS graduates from that year responded to the survey.18 Accord-
ing to Gordon, many LIS graduates are pursuing a second or third
career.”19 So while the problem of finding an entry-level position may
be problematic within the profession, since the numbers of non-white
librarians are so small in comparison, it would appear that it would be
even more difficult for librarians of color to find an entry-level position.
One way that some academic and governmental libraries (specifically
the National Library of Medicine and the Library of Congress) are
providing increased opportunities for recent graduates is by offering
a post-graduate residency program. Often these programs are geared
towards members of underrepresented populations, as is the Diver-
sity Residency programs. These residencies are usually not permanent
positions; they normally last from one to two years and are designed
to expose the resident to various segments of academic or specialized
governmental librarianship.
Residency programs may have a generalist or a specialist focus. Other
academic library residency programs that while not geared to minority
populations (North Carolina State University, University of Pennsylvania,

18. Stephanie L. Maatta, “The Emerging Databrarian,” Library Journal 138,

no. 17 (2013): 26.
19. Gordon, 62.
 Strengthening the PiPeline 113

and University of Illinois at Chicago) should certainly be considered by

people of color as a way to gain entry to librarianship, and ultimately
gain an advantage in the job market when seeking a permanent position.
Of course, diversity residency programs (and there are actually very
few of them) can give members of minority groups valuable exposure
to professional librarianship, but should not be viewed as an all-com-
passing solution to the lack of diverse representation. Concerns noted
by former residents include: being considered “interns as opposed to
professional librarians, being singled out for representation when the
libraries needed assistance with a multicultural or diversity initiative or
having their minority status emphasized” according to Hu and Patrick.20
In addition to academic libraries, two of the country’s largest library
systems have programs similar to academic residencies: the New ork
Public Library and the Los Angeles County Public Library. While the
residencies at the public libraries are not geared specifically towards
underrepresented populations, public libraries, especially those in large
urban areas like New York and Los Angeles, have very diverse popula-
tions. Such programs are a good way to attract librarians that mirror the
communities in which they live and work, and perhaps more importantly,
those who may be bilingual and have the language skills necessary to
communicate with the patrons they are serving. Other initiatives to help
retain and foster career development of minority librarians include the
Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Leadership and Career Devel-
opment Program and the Minnesota Institute for Early Career Librarians.

Is Recruitment Still Necessary?

Recruitment into a profession by an organization is a multi-step

process and may take many routes. Although it is not possible to see
into the future, organization executives (library directors, deans, etc.)
must somehow be able to determine a way to estimate what kind of
work will need to be done in the future and the skills needed to do that

20. Sylvia Hu and Demetria E. Patrick, “Our Experience as Minority Resi-

dents,” College & Research Libraries News 67, no. 5 (2006): 297.
114 Where are all the librarians of Color?

work. Workforce planning is a critical element of strategic planning, for

which all library leaders will have at least partial responsibility. Elements
that should be considered for workforce planning include, but are not
limited to: economic factors (almost impossible to predict) competitive
trends; technological changes; political and legislative issues; social con-
cerns and demographic trends. For some careers, recruitment is done
at the college or graduate school level and begins while the potential
recruit is still a student. To reach those who are no longer students,
but actually working within the profession or desiring to work in the
profession, recruitment involves making the job appear desirable to as
many candidates as possible. Of course, all of this assumes that there
is a vacant position that needs to be filled. In recent years, libraries have
at best seen flat budgets, and at worst seen declining budgets. Library
Journal reports that libraries have responded to these budget challenges
in a variety of ways, including eliminating positions, personnel cross-
training, using volunteers, hiring non-MLS holders to save salary dollars,
outsourcing some professional tasks, and reducing hours and services.
Work conditions are another factor that can contribute to successful
recruitment. For several years now we have seen a growth in part-time
professional positions, and for many, part-time work is not desirable.
It is probably safe to say that no one becomes a librarian because they
want to be rich, but expecting to find a full-time job earning enough
money to support oneself should be not unreachable.
We know that there are many new and recent LIS graduates looking
for jobs and we know there are not enough jobs for all those who are
looking for work. However, there are jobs openings within librarian-
ship and those job openings include replacements for an employee who
left the organization a position that was reworked or reclassified based
on some organizational change, such as a technological change; or a
newly created position. How then, do you recruit for those jobs? More
importantly, how do you attract people of color to those positions and
get them to apply? This is especially important when you consider the
barrier for entry to the profession (a master’s degree) is higher than
 Strengthening the PiPeline 115

some other professions, such as teacher or nurse, which only require a

bachelor’s degree for an entry level professional.

Shifting Focus to Diversity

Over the years since the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
there has been a shift from a focus on discrimination (perhaps by the
mistaken belief that it no longer exists) to an emphasis on diversity.
According to Kelly and Dobbin, “EEO/AA practices were soon recast
as the diversity management component of the new human resources
management paradigm. Practices designed to achieve legal compliance
were re-theorized as efficient when the original impetus for adopting
them was removed .” 21 Ensuring equal opportunity by law is not the
same thing as embracing diversity. Rarely will someone on a hiring
committee come out and specifically say that they are not going to hire
someone because of their gender, race, ethnicity, or religion; or at least
say it out loud. Cotton, O’Neill, and Griffin indicate that bias in the
hiring or promotional practice is more difficult to detect, and may not
be known to the decision maker(s). Bias may be defined as “intentional
and unintentional, conscious and subconscious, attitudes, behaviors and
actions that have a negative and differential impact on segments of the
society or favor one segment of society.”22

These subtle forms of bias subtlety impact the hiring and promotion
process. For example, when selecting between two equally qualified
candidates,’ raters often will select the candidate who matches their ste-
reotypical picture of the “right fit” for the position. They will arrive at
this decision by accentuating the positive attributes of the traditional

21. Erin Kelly and Frank Dobbin, “How Affirmative Action Became Diver-
sity Management: Employer Response to Antidiscrimination Law, 1962 to
1996” American Behavioral Scientist 41, no. 7 (1998): 962.
22. William Shakelford, “The New Face of Bias in the Workplace 2011,
Part 1 The Subtlety of Bias,” Workforce Diversity Network, http://www.
workforcediversitynetwork.com/res_articles_newfaceofbias_Shackelford.
aspx.
116 Where are all the librarians of Color?

candidate and, likewise, focusing on the negative attributes of the other

candidate, or look for similar personal experiences to find common
ground as justification for a hiring decision, experiences people of color
may not have had. In addition, they may use the diversity characteristics
of the candidates as strikes against them Or, they may raise concerns
about how customers (or employees) will respond if the person of color
is hired/promoted.
Under these circumstances, the decision to hire/promote is not based
solely on the qualifications of the candidates (objective criteria). It is
greatly influenced by subjective criteria (their “fit”). When these sub-
jective criteria relate to fixed diversity dimensions of candidates (race,
gender, age, sexual orientation, etc.), the resulting decision is inherently
bias. The organization may be blind to the biases and insist the process
was fair and unbiased.23
We can’t attribute to bias or overt discrimination every instance of a
person of color not getting an interview or a job offer or not being
promoted. There are almost always more applicants than jobs, and there
is usually only one vacancy. In a promotion situation, only one person
can receive the promotion.
In one study, Hodge and Spoor found that 70% of the respondents
identified personality/attitude and institutional fit to be “very important”
criteria for job selection.24 The same study found that the top three char-
acter traits for selecting a candidate were: intelligence, enthusiasm, and
cooperativeness. While very few people want to work with colleagues
who are considered unintelligent, there is no objective measurement
for enthusiasm or cooperativeness. Those in hiring positions or serving
on hiring committees might want to review their personal definition of
“enthusiasm” and “cooperativeness” to see how the group defines those
terms. They should consider how a candidate whose first language is
not English and is being careful to not to use jargon that native English
speakers take for granted as “unenthusiastic” or “uncooperative” or
even “unintelligent.” Using “organizational fit” as an acceptable way
to judge whether or not someone is qualified for a position may also

23. Ibid.
24. Megan Hodge and Nicole Spoor, “Congratulations! ou’ve Landed an
Interview,” New Library World 113, no 3 (2012): 139-161.
 Strengthening the PiPeline 117

be an excuse not to hire them because the candidate does not fit the
preconceived notion of “qualified” by the selection committee. Care
should also be taken to avoid making assumptions that a candidate who
has an outgoing personality is a more appropriate person for a position
than a person who does not.
In spite of ALA’s diversity initiatives over the decades, the diversity
of the profession has not increased significantly. Within all types of
librarianship, but especially within academic libraries, the numbers of
librarians of color have also not increased significantly in more than
a decade. Academic librarians, especially those who are hired within a
tenure/tenure track system, have additional hurdles such as the can-
didate being deemed qualified to do the scholarly work, research, and
publishing that are necessary to obtain tenure. These are professional
requirements not faced by librarians in non-academic settings. Publishing
and service to the profession (and in some cases, service to the univer-
sity) are important factors in order to obtain tenure; but perhaps more
crucial is securing the votes of colleagues in support of your tenure
candidacy. Types of research interests may also have an impact on tenure
attainment. Tenured colleagues who have a vote on candidates’ tenure
may not value the research done by colleagues from underrepresented
populations if the research interest is not seen as important or scholarly.
For librarians at academic institutions that offer tenure (including
those institutions that offer rank and promotion) developing a support
network is even more crucial. There are numerous publications about
the daunting and often subjective process of obtaining tenure, some
specifically targeted at academic faculty members of color. However,
the literature on tenure and librarians of color is not as prolific. In spite
of the limited amount of professional literature on librarians of color
achieving tenure, there is enough to provide evidence that the percent-
age of those not receiving tenure is higher for people of color than
those of the majority population, according to Damasco and Hodges.25

25. Ione T. Damasco and Dracine Hodges, “Tenure and Promotion Experi-
ences of Academic Librarians of Color.” College & Research Libraries 73, no. 4
(2012): 279-201.
118 Where are all the librarians of Color?

Successful navigation of a career takes skills and acumen beyond just

excelling at the job one was hired to do and librarianship is no different.

Beyond Recruitment: Retention

According to the Diversity Counts study, “that credentialed librarians

under age 45 comprised almost a third, 30% of the total for that cat-
egory in 2000, yet accounted for 44% of credentialed librarians leaving
the work force, speaks not so much to an inability to effectively recruit
individuals to LIS education and practice as an inability to effectively
retain them.”26
People make decisions to leave a job or a career for many reasons,
some of which may be unrelated to work conditions. Over recent
decades we have seen workforce trends such as the emphasis on work-
life balance. Employers know that retention of employees is a part of
a successful talent management strategy. It is expensive to replace an
employee who leaves a job. Library budgets are already stretched; using
resources as a result of staff turnover in response to circumstances that
can be controlled is not a good use of resources. Hiring an employee
is an expensive investment. When you consider the costs (actual cash
expenditures of recruiting and hiring an employee including marketing
costs, travel expenses for the candidates, and relocation expenses; and
non-monetary expenses, such as search or hiring committee time for
reviewing applicant pools), as well as the opportunity costs of those
employees whose normal job responsibility is not recruitment, it is clear
that recruitment is expensive.
While less has been written about retention and librarians of color,
there is no reason to expect that librarianship is any different from any
other profession that loses employees because of the lack of opportunity
for advancement or the feeling that their achievements are not valued in

26. American Library Association, Diversity Counts, 11.

 Strengthening the PiPeline 119

the same manner as their white counterparts. St. Lifer and Nelson note
that professional librarianship is no different than other professions
regarding the concerns about a diverse workforce and the diversity of
those within the higher ranks.27 However, professions such as law and
engineering do attract larger numbers of minorities, perhaps due the
higher compensation for those professions. Given that it appears that
minority librarians are underrepresented within the profession, when
they are able to get professional librarian positions, why don’t they
stay? Why don’t they rise to senior positions within the organization?
As with other professions, the reasons are many. However, while there
has been less written in library literature about retention of minority
professionals, there is plenty of literature within management literature
about employee retention. Here again, retention, leadership development,
and succession planning are key components of the talent manage-
ment strategy. According to Sullivan, little to no turnover might be bad
news.28 However, high turnover or turnover of only of specific types
of employees should generally be a cause for concern. Each time an
employee makes a decision to leave, the organization must revamp its
operations until a replacement employee is recruited, hired, and trained
to be able to provide value to the organization. Within the profession,
in today’s economic climate, it is not unusual to have a position not
replaced or replaced by a part-time position. The entire organization
suffers when competent people leave because they feel their talents are
not recognized.
According to Klein, Mendoza, and Allers “diversity initiatives put in
place may have the best intentions, but there are studies to show that

27. Evan St. Lifer and Corinne O. Nelson, “Unequal Opportunities: Race
Does Matter,” Library Journal 122, (1997): 42-46.
28. John Sullivan, “A Low Turnover Rate Could Mean That ou Have
Ugly Employees,” ERE.NET, last modified August 8, 2011, http://www.
ere.net/2011/08/08/a-low-turnover-rate-could-mean-that-you-have-ugly-
employees/.
120 Where are all the librarians of Color?

such programs are not effective. For people of color, gay, lesbians and
women of all backgrounds, hidden biases can become hidden barriers
in three major areas: commitment of the leadership, career development
and feedback, and an unwelcoming environment.”29

Commitment of the Leadership

Commitment of the leadership to having a diverse staff at all levels

is essential. That commitment must also be put in practice by lower
levels within the organization. One possible way to increase minority
representation within management and leadership ranks is a version of
the National Football League (NFL) “Rooney Rule, which says for all
coaching and general manager jobs openings there must be a minority
candidate who had to at least get an interview.”30 While such a practice
may be helpful, others may see the practice as offensive, as if the only
qualification for the interview was race or ethnicity.

Mentoring

Mentoring is frequently cited as an important component to career

success for all employees. For people of color, mentoring may be an
even more crucial component, because “mentors help new employees
understand the unwritten rules of the workplace such as the importance
of socializing, the preferred organization style of communication, and
the ins and outs of departmental politics.”31 These items are not written

29. Freada Kapor Klein, Martha Mendoza, and Kimberly Allers, Giving
Notice: Why the Best and the Brightest Leave the Workplace and How You Can Help
Them Stay (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008), 2-5.
30. Monte Burke, “Why the NFL’s Rooney Rule Matters” Forbes, last modified
January 26, 2013, http://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2013/01/26/
why-the-nfls-rooney-rule-matters/.
31. Joe Steele “Sharing the ‘Unwritten Rules’ Impacts Retention,” Cultural
Diversity at Work 9, no. 6 (July 1997): 6, quoted by Linda Musser, “Effective
Retention Strategies for Diverse Employees,” in Diversity Now: People, Collec-
tions, and Services in Academic Libraries, ed. Teresa . Neely and Kuang-Hwei
(Janet) Lee-Smeltzer (New ork: Haworth Press, 2002).
 Strengthening the PiPeline 121

in a job description, but knowing how to successfully navigate them can

mean the difference between job success or job failure. This is especially
true for higher-level positions where the expectation is less on know-
ing how to do a job, but how to get work done through other people.
Mentoring may have many approaches, and having a mentor can help
a new employee become acclimated to a new job. Mentoring can be also
valuable to employees looking to advance their careers, make a career
directional change (i.e. move from a public library to a special library),
provide assistance with and for publication collaboration opportuni-
ties (crucial for many academic librarians), or ease the transition for an
employee who has relocated to a new area.
While many mentoring relationships occur on an informal basis,
professional organizations such as ALA and state library associations
offer the opportunity for formal mentoring relationships for a variety
of purposes such as new professionals, career progression, and peer
mentoring. Librarians of color should not make the assumption that
only people who look like them can be a mentor. First, since there are
so few librarians of color, there are probably not enough to go around.
Also, not all working professionals are interested in being a mentor. The
mentoring relationship may have defined parameters for the purpose
of the relationship according to the sponsoring organization, but a
mentoring relationship is a highly personal and ultimately defined by
the people in the relationship.

Career Development

Career development is something that organizations know they must

focus on if they wish to retain quality employees. Career development
is another tenant of a complete talent management strategy. Career
development is something that every employee needs to think about,
even if that employee does not aspire to be a manager or a leader. Rarely
does an employee do the same job for their entire career or remain
employed at the same institution. Even for those employed at the same
institution, librarianship is constantly evolving so the acquisition of
122 Where are all the librarians of Color?

new skills is required in order to meet the demands of the patron base.
Failure to provide career development opportunities can be a reason
employees leave an organization for other opportunities, especially if
other employees are given opportunities to develop their careers.

Conclusions

In order to both increase the pipeline of new librarians and develop

“bench strength” (which is a human resources term used to refer to
the capabilities and readiness of potential successors to move into key
professional and leadership positions), librarians of color can work
to form and develop strong, sustaining professional networks (in and
outside the employing library) in order to help navigate the hiring pro-
cess and to develop a support network that can be utilized throughout
a professional career. Developing a professional network need not be
limited to those whose ethnicity, race and/or gender mirrors your own.
In fact limiting oneself to a single group for support may be just that,
limiting. However, the support these networks can provide when jobs
are not obtained or promotions are not received can be crucial when
trying to overcome the presumption of incompetence towards people
of color by many with hiring authority. The fallacy that the best-qualified
person always gets the job (or only the best qualified person gets the
job) is just that—a fallacy. Hiring is always a subjective practice. The
definition of “best qualified” will often vary with the person making
the decision. The belief that the reason that more people of color are
not included in the profession due to inferior qualifications and skills
is false. Incompetence comes in all colors.
While strides have been made in terms of education, there are still
barriers to entry into professional librarianship, including having an
advanced degree, and fewer job openings for those at the entry level. In
addition, many of the positions in libraries have a need for skills that are
not just utilized within librarianship, but could be utilized in a variety of
professions. When you consider that some of those professions offer
 Strengthening the PiPeline 123

higher paying salaries, in professions that may have more flexibility in

terms of experience, it is not surprising that many who could have gone
into librarianship decided on another profession.
Studies have shown that in the resume evaluation process, those with
ethnic sounding names are less likely to be called for an interview, yet
alone hired.32 Other studies have looked at the differences in how the
labor market can prevent (intentionally or otherwise) people of color
from being successful. “The whites among those DiTomaso interviewed
found 70% of the jobs they held over their lifetimes through inside
information shared by a family member, friend, or neighbor, a direct
intervention (someone walking a resume into a hiring manager’s office
or a direct request that a family member or friend get an open job) or
other means not open to the general public.”33 While none of these
studies were directed specifically at librarianship, we can assume that
librarianship hiring practices does not differ significantly from other
professions.
Leaders must be willing to invest in talent at all levels of the organi-
zation and understand that all employees do not have the same career
aspirations, but organizations must have policies in place to ensure
that those who do are provided an equal opportunity to realize those
aspirations.
There is a need for people of color within the profession, with vari-
ous skills, backgrounds and interests. As our country becomes more
diverse, it is important that libraries provide a welcoming and inclusive
environment for all that use it. Having people of color represented in

32. See: John Cotton, Bonnie O’Neill and Andrea Griffin.“The Name
Game’: Affective and Hiring Reactions to First Names,” Journal of Managerial
Psychology 23, no. 1 (2008): 18-39 and Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullain-
athan, “Are Emily and Brendan More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A
Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination.” American Economic Review
94, no. 4 (2004): 991-1013.
33. Janell Ross, “For Black Kids in American, a Degree is No Guarantee,”
Atlantic, last modified May 27, 2014, http://www.theatlantic.com/education/
archive/2014/05/when-a-degree-is-no-guarantee/371613/
124 Where are all the librarians of Color?

the profession will ensure that libraries provide the services that mirror
populations using them.

References

Adkins, Denice. “Latino Librarians on Becoming LIS Educators:

An Exploratory Investigation of the Barriers in Recruiting
Latino Faculty.” Journal of Education for Library & Information
Science 45, no. 2: (2004): 149-161.

American Library Association, Office for Research Statistics. Diver-

sity Counts. Last modified January, 2007. http://www.ala.org/
offices/files/diversity/diversitycounts/diversitycounts_rev0.
pdf

American Library Association. “Spectrum Scholarship Overview,”

accessed June 2, 2014, http://www.ala.org/offices/diversity/
spectrum/scholarshipinformation.

American Library Association. “Spectrum Scholarship Program,” ac-

cessed June 2, 2014, http://www.ala.org/offices/diversity/
spectrum.

Association of Research Libraries. “ARL/SAA Mosaic Program,”

accessed June 29, 2014, http://www.arl.org/leadership-re-
cruitment/diversity-recruitment/arl-saa-mosaic-scholarship-
program .U8FtUbHxLgU.

Association of Research Libraries. “Minority Recruitment and Reten-

tion in ARL Libraries - SPEC Kit 167.” Washington, DC:
Association of Research Libraries, 1990.

Bolander, George and Scott Snell. Managing Human Resources. 13th ed.
Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, 2004.

Bertrand, Marianne and Sendhil Mullainathan. “Are Emily and

Brendan More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field
Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination.” American
Economic Review 94, no. 4 (2004): 991-1013.
 Strengthening the PiPeline 125

Bonnette, Ashley E. “Mentoring Minority Librarians up the Career

Ladder.” Library Administration & Management 18, no. 3(2004):
134-139.

Bourg, Chris. “Working on the ‘Pipeline Problem’ in Librarianship,”

Feral Librarian Blog. March 1, 2014. http://chrisbourg.word-
press.com/2014/03/01/working-on-the-pipeline-problem-
in-librarianship/.

Brewer, Julie. “Post-Master’s Residency Programs: Enhancing the

Development of New Professionals and Minority Recruit-
ment in Academic and Research Libraries.” College & Research
Libraries 58, (November 1997): 528-537.

Bright, Kawanna, and Jayati Chaudhuri. “Seeding the Vision: De-

signing a Minority Librarian Residency Program—Part 2.”
Southeastern Librarian 53, no. 3 (2005): 6-10.

Burke, Monte. “Why the NFL’s Rooney Rule Matters.” Forbes. Last
modified January 26, 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/
monteburke/2013/01/26/why-the-nfls-rooney-rule-mat-
ters/.

Chambers, Elizabeth G., et al. “The War for Talent.” McKinsey Quar-
terly no. 3 (September 1998): 44-57.

Cooke, Nicole A. “The Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program:

Enhancing the LIS Professoriate” InterActions: UCLA Journal
of Education and Information Studies 10, no. 1 (2014). http://
escholarship.org/uc/item/7vb7v4p8

Cotton, John, Bonnie O’Neill and Andrea Griffin. “The Name

Game’: Affective and Hiring Reactions to First Names.”
Journal of Managerial Psychology 23, no. 1 (2008): 18-39. doi.
org/10.1108/02683940810849648

Damasco, Ione T. and Dracine Hodges. “Tenure and Promotion

Experiences of Academic Librarians of Color.” College &
Research Libraries 73, no. 3 (2012): 279-301.
126 Where are all the librarians of Color?

Davis, Denise M., comp. Planning for 2015: The Recent History and
Future Supply of Librarians. Chicago: American Library Asso-
ciation, 2009. http://www.ala.org/research/files/librarystaff-
stats/recruitment/Librarians_supply_demog_analys.pdf.

Eckard, Max, Ashley Rosener, and Lindy Scripps-Hoekstra. “Fac-

tors that Increase the Probability of a Successful Academic
Library Job Search.” Journal of Academic Librarianship 40, no. 2
(2014): 107-117. doi: 10.1016/j.acalib.2014.02.001

Edwards, Eli, and William Fisher. “Trust, Teamwork, and Token-

ism: Another Perspective on Diversity in Libraries.” Library
Administration & Management 17, no. 1 (December 15, 2003):
21-27.

Fine, Eva and Jo Handelsman. Searching for Excellence & Diversity: A

Guide for Search Committees. Madison, WI: WISELI-University
of Wisconsin Madison, 2012.

Freeman, Rodney. “A Snapshot of Indiana’s Librarians Leading in

Diversity Fellowship Participants After the Program Has
Concluded.” Indiana Libraries 33, no. 1 (2014): 12-15.

Fujimoto, Eugene Oropeza. “Hiring Diverse Faculty Members in

Community Colleges: A Case study in Ethical Decision Mak-
ing.” Community College Review 40, no. 3 (July 2012): 255-274.

Griffin, Karin L. 2013. “Pursuing Tenure and Promotion in the

Academy: A Librarian’s Cautionary Tale.” Negro Educational
Review 64, no. 1-4 (2013): 77-96.

Gordon, Rachel Singer. “Get Over the “Graying” Profession Hype.”

Library Journal 129, (January, 2004): 62.

Gulati, Anjali. “Diversity in Librarianship: The United States Per-

spective” IFLA Journal 36, no. 4 (December, 2010): 288-293.
doi:10.1177/0340035210388244

Hodge, Megan and Nicole Spoor. “Congratulations! ou’ve Landed

an Interview.” New Library World 113, no. 3 (2012): 139-161.
 Strengthening the PiPeline 127

Holt, Rachel, and Adrienne L. Strock. 2005. “The Entry-Level Gap.”

Library Journal 130, no. 8: 36-38.

Honma, Todd. 2005. “Tripping Over the Color Line: The Invisibility
of Race and Library and Information Studies.” InterActions:
UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies. 1, no. 2
(2005):1- 26. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4nj0w1mp.

Howland, Joan S. “Beyond Recruitment: Retention and Promotion

Strategies to Ensure Diversity and Success.” Library Adminis-
tration & Management 13, no. 1 (1999): 4-14.

Hu, Sylvia S., and Demetria E. Patrick. “Our Experience as Minority

Residents: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Suggestions.” College &
Research Libraries News 67, no. 5 (May 2006): 297-300.

Jayne, Randy. “Making Recruitment Part of Your Talent Management

Process.” In The Talent Management Handbook: Creating a Sus-
tainable Competitive Advantage by Selecting, Developing and Promot-
ing the Best People, 2nd ed., edited by Lance A. Berger Dorothy
R. Berger, 471-478. New ork: McGraw Hill, 2011.

Johnson, Peggy. “Retaining and Advancing Librarians of Color.” Col-

lege & Research Libraries 68, no. 5 (2007): 405-417.

Jones, Deetta. “The Definition of Diversity.” Journal of Library Admin-

istration 27, no. 1-2 (1999): 5-15. doi:10.1300/J111v27n01_02.

Joyce, Leslie W. “Building the Talent Pipeline.” In Strategy-Driven

Talent Management, edited by Rob Silzer and Ben E. Dowell,
123-158. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2010.

Institute of Museum and Library Studies Grant Search page, ac-

cessed June 13, 2014. http://www.imls.gov/recipients/grant-
search.aspx

Kayongo, Jessica, LeRoy LaFleur and Ira Revels. “Reaching High

School Students: Sowing the Seeds of Librarianship.” In
Achieving Diversity, edited by Barbara Dewey and Loretta Par-
ham, 102-113. New ork: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2006.
128 Where are all the librarians of Color?

Kim, Kyung-Sun and Sei-Ching Joanna Sin. “Increasing Ethnic Di-

versity in LIS: Strategies Suggested by Librarians of Color.”
Library Quarterly 78, no. 2 (2006): 153-177.

Kelly, Erin and Frank Dobbin. “How Affirmative Action Became

Diversity Management: Employee Response to Antidiscrimi-
nation Law, 1961 to 1996.” American Behavioral Scientist 41, no.
7 (1998): 960-984. doi:10.1177/0002764298041007008.

Kelly, Michael. “The New Normal.” Library Journal, 137, no. 1 (Janu-
ary, 2012): 37-40.

Klein, Frieda Kapor, Martha Mendoza, and Kimberly Allers. Giving

Notice: Why the Best and the Brightest Leave the Workplace and How
You Can Help Them Stay. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2008.

Knowledge River Institute, accessed June 19, 2014, http://sirls.ari-

zona.edu/KR/about kr1

Laroche, Lionel and Don Rutherford. Recruiting, Retaining, and Promot-

ing Culturally Different Employees. Burlington, MA: Butter-
worth-Heinemann, 2007.

Mack, Thura, and Jill Keally. “Seeding the Vision: Designing a Minor-
ity Librarian Residency Program.” Southeastern Librarian 52,
no. 1: (2004) 4-8.

Maatta, Stephanie. “Closing the Gap.” Library Journal 130, no. 17

(2005): 26-33.

———. “What’s an MLS Worth?” Library Journal 132, no. 17 (2007):

30-38.

———. “The Emerging Databrarian.” Library Journal 138, no. 17

(2013): 26.

Mack, Thura, and Jill Keally. “Seeding the Vision: Designing a Minor-
ity Librarian Residency Program Part 2.” Southeastern Librar-
ian 52, no 13 (Spring 2004): 4-8.
 Strengthening the PiPeline 129

Mahajan, Ritu. “The Naked Truth: Appearance Discrimination, Em-

ployment and the Law.” Asian American Law Journal 14, no.
1/6 (2007): 165-203.

Martinez, Elizabeth. “Chicano Librarianship.” American Libraries 41,

no. 11/12 (2010): 40-43.

McCook, Kathleen de la Pe a, and Paula Geist. 1993. “Diversity

Deferred: Where are the Minority Librarians?” Library Journal
118, no. 18 (1993): 35-38.

Michaels, Ed, Helen Handfield-Jones, and Beth Axelrod. The War for
Talent. Boston: Harvard University Press, 2001.

Minnesota Institute for Early Career Librarians, accessed June 29,

2014, https://www.lib.umn.edu/sed/institute.

Montiel-Overall, Patricia and Sandra Littletree. “Knowledge River: A

Case Study of a Library Information Science Program Fo-
cusing on Latino and Native American Perspectives.” Library
Trends 59, nos. 1-2 (2010): 67-83.

Music Library Association. ARL/MLA Diversity Inclusion Initia-

tive, accessed June 29, 2014, http://www.musiclibraryassoc.
org/?page=ARLMLADiversity.

Neely, Teresa . “Assessing Diversity Initiatives: The ARL

Leadership and Career Development Program.” Jour-
nal of Library Administration 49, no. 8 (2009): 811-835.
doi:10.1080/01930820903396830.

Neely, Teresa ., and Kuang-Hwei (Janet) Lee-Smeltzer, eds., Diversity

Now: People, Collections, and Services in Academic Libraries. New
ork: Haworth Press, 2002.

Neely, Teresa Y., and Lorna Peterson. “Achieving Racial and Ethnic
Diversity among Academic and Research librarians: The
Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement of Librarians of
Color—A White Paper.” College & Research Libraries News 68,
no. 9 (2007): 562-565.
130 Where are all the librarians of Color?

New York Public Library. “Opportunities for Students and Interns.”

Accessed June 23, 2014, http://www.nypl.org/node/81769.

Reese, Gregory L., and Ernestine Hawkins. Stop Talking Start Do-
ing! Attracting People of Color to the Library Profession. Chicago:
American Library Association, 1999.

Ross, Janell. “For Black Kids in American, a Degree is No Guar-

antee.” Atlantic. Last modified May 27, 2014. http://www.
theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/05/when-a-degree-
is-no-guarantee/371613/.

Ross, Kevin. “Purposeful Mentoring in Academic Libraries.” Journal

of Library Administration 53, nos. 7-8 (2013): 412-428. doi:
10.1080/01930826.2013.882195.

St. Lifer, Evan, and Corinne O. Nelson. “Unequal Opportunities:

Race Does Matter.” Library Journal 122 (1997): 42-46.

Salo, Dorothea. “Can We Block the Pipeline Out?” Library Journal

139, no. 6 (April 2014): 16.

San Jose State University School of Library Information Sci-

ence. “About the Circle of Learning.” Accessed June 24,
2014. http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/research/center-information-
research-and-innovation-ciri/projects/featured-projects/
circle-learnin-0.

Shakelford, William. “The New Face of Bias in the Workplace

2011, Part 1 The Subtlety of Bias,” Workforce Diversity
Network, http://www.workforcediversitynetwork.com/
res_articles_newfaceofbias_Shackelford.aspx.

Steele, Joe. “Sharing the ‘Unwritten Rules’ Impacts Retention.”

Cultural Diversity at Work 9, no. 6 (July 1997): 6 quoted by
Musser, Linda. “Effective Retention Strategies for Diverse
Employees.” In Diversity Now: People, Collections, and Services in
Academic Libraries, edited by Teresa . Neely and Kuang-Hwei
(Janet) Lee-Smeltzer, 63-72. New ork: Haworth Press, 2002.
 Strengthening the PiPeline 131

Sullivan, John. “A Low Turnover Rate Could Mean That ou Have

Ugly Employees.” ERE.NET. Last modified August 8, 2011.
http://www.ere.net/2011/08/08/a-low-turnover-rate-could-
mean-that-you-have-ugly-employees/.

Tewell, Eamon C. “Employment Opportunities for New Academic

Librarians: Assessing the Availability of Entry Level Jobs.”
portal: Libraries and the Academy 12, no. 4 (2012): 407-423.

Thomas Jr., R. Roosevelt. “The Daily Experience of Genuine Work-

place Diversity.” Harvard Business Review 68, no. 2 (1990): 115.

United States Census Bureau. “U.S. Census Bureau Projections Show

a Slower Growing, Older, More Diverse Nation a Half Cen-
tury from Now.” Last modified December 12, 2012. https://
www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/
cb12-243.html.

United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Oc-

cupational Outlook Handbook, 2014. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
education-training-and-library/librarians.htm.

Wallace, Danny P., ed. Library and Information Science Educational Sta-
tistical Report 2012. Association for Library and Information
Science.

Winston, Mark. “Diversity and the Lack of Progress.”

New Library World 109, no.3/4 (2008): 130-149.
doi:10.1108/03074800810857595.

Winston, Mark D. “The Role of Recruitment in Achieving Goals

Related to Diversity.” College & Research Libraries 59, no. 3
(1998): 240-247.

Winston, Mark D. “Recruitment Theory: Identification of Those

Who are Likely to be Successful as Leaders.” Journal of Li-
brary Administration 32, no. 3-4 (2001): 19-34.

hang, iaoyin. “Library Minority Managers: Ways to Survive and

Succeed.” Journal of Educational Media & Library Sciences 39,
no. 3 (2002): 227-234.