Libraries’ Diversity Strategic Planning
Observations, Scope, Processes, Progress August 2003
Ignatios Alexander Cynthia Brown & Pearse, the Service Dog Diane Covington Mary Kay Johnsen Erika Linke Amy Pencosky Ken Rose Gloriana St. Clair Ona Taylor Prema Venkataraman James Vroom
Diversity Task Force Members
The Diversity Plan will help the Libraries to:
Persist towards the achievement of a diverse and respectful workforce Employ sound processes toward desirable outcomes Communicate the importance of diversity to an effective organization
The Diversity Plan will help the Libraries to:
Understand the primary diversity characteristics pipeline and the competitive forces in the marketplace Create a welcoming and diverse environment for candidates
Outline
Definition of diversity Scope of the plan Process for creation of the plan Workforce initiatives for - Faculty - Staff - Student employees
Outline
Collections Services Next Steps
Definition of Diversity*
Valuing our uniqueness, while Respecting all our differences, Maximizing our individual potentials, and Synergizing our collective talents and experience for Growth and Success.
*Modified from a 3M definition, 1997
Scope of the Plan
Interactions with students, faculty and staff in the University Libraries involve more than library faculty…
Scope of the Plan
Thus, the plan includes initiatives for: Recruiting faculty, staff, and student employees, Learning about respect, Building inclusive collections, Offering inclusive services, and Assessing each effort along the way.
Folks in the Libraries by Employment Type
FTE Student Employees 26%
Faculty 24%
Staff 50%
Process
Framed diversity as an issue for the 1999 Advisory Board, composed of 5 men, 7 women (one African American, one Asian American) Followed their advice in 2001 to further diversify library faculty
Process
Formed Diversity Task Force to respond to President Cohon’s 2003 Memorandum Studied CIT’s Diversity Strategic Planning Document
Process
Brainstormed at a 22-person faculty and staff diversity retreat in June Reviewed plan with an 11-member task force in July, and then with all staff in August 2003
Current Library Workforce
Status Quo in 2003
FEMALES - 63 (67%) of all 94* library employees, and 22 (85%) of 26 librarians, are female. MALES – 29 (31%) of all 94* library employees, and 4 (15%) of 26 librarians are male. Males could be underrepresented. *University Libraries directory (June 11, 2003).
Status Quo in 2003
MINORITIES - 11 (12%) of all 94* library employees, and 2 (8%) of 26 librarians, have self-identified as minorities.
*University Libraries directory (June 11, 2003).
Diversity among U Libraries faculty, 1993-2003.
Minority Librarians
30 25 9.0% 8.0%
Number of Librarians
7.0%
5.0% 15 4.0% 10 5 1.0% 0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Year Librarians Minority Librarians % Minorities 0.0% 3.0% 2.0%
% Minorities
20
6.0%
University Libraries Faculty Compared to All U. S. Librarians
90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Female Black
8.00% 85%
85%
U Libraries Faculty (2003) All U.S. Librarians (2002)
10.80% 3.00%
0
U Libraries faculty are equal in male to female ratio, but less diverse in minority ratio than all librarians in the U.S.
Abstracts of the U.S.
2002 data from Statistical
Hispanic
Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Academic Librarians, FY 2000-2001
232 = 8% 539 = 12% 2,664 4,567 Total Male Female
Minorities
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
Currently, U Libraries have the same percentage of minority librarians as other academic libraries.
Data: ARL Bimonthly Report 214 (February 2001).
Underutilization
Affirmative Action utilization analysis compares minority employment and availability for all job categories.
JOB GROUP Faculty Computing Analyst BLK YES NO ASI NO NO NAT NO NO HIS NO NO MIN YES NO FEM NO YES
In relation to goals for Affirmative Action, minorities are currently underutilized in two library job categories.
Data: Carnegie Mellon Utilization Analysis, University Libraries, 2003 Affirmative Action Plan (November 2001-October 2002).
Library Faculty Pipeline
MLS Degrees Conferred 1999-2000, by Ethnicity and Gender
3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0
W hi te
3,141
807 198 36 89
is pa ni c
la ck
32
er Is la nd
78 22
at iv e la sk a N
13 4
es id e nt A lie n on R
111 46
B
H
si an /P ac ifi c
ia n/ A
A
Female Male
A
er ic an
In d
N
Data from LexisNexis.
Only 14% of MLS degree candidates are minorities.
m
Actions Toward A More Diverse Library Faculty
• Improved employment conditions with the librarian track • Created a search committee manual stressing recruiting for diversity • Revised position descriptions for breadth
Actions Toward A More Diverse Library Faculty
• Made aggressive use of Black Caucus of American Library Association (ALA), Reforma, Chinese-American, and Asian/Pacific American listservs for recruitment
• Supported graduate study for minority staff to move through the pipeline
Actions Toward A More Diverse Library Faculty
• Sponsored minority internships and hosted Fulbright scholars • Participated actively in Black Caucus and Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education • Sponsored professional travel somewhat generously
Observations on Faculty Recruitment
Librarian track has only 26 people, with a limited number of vacancies. The Libraries often hire at entry level.
ASSESSMENT The University’s underutilization table measures faculty gender and ethnicity.
Recruiting Staff
The Libraries: Generally hire staff locally rather than nationally,
Have 55 regular staff, compared with 26 librarian track faculty,
Recruiting Staff
Use local networking initiated by existing folks to recruit good pools, Use Carolyn Dillon in HR to build pools for Grade 8 (Library Specialist) and above, and to identify folks in existing pools,
Recruiting Staff
Supplement CM web posting with BlackPlanet.com, GlobalPittsburgh.org and other active focused web resources, and community networking,
Persist in communicating the importance of diversity to all staff,
Help all employees understand affirmative action, and
Recruiting Staff
Work on retention with a buddy system, orientation, and new staff gatherings.
ASSESSMENT The underutilization table also measures staff recruitment, and staff outnumber faculty by 2 to 1.
Recruiting Students
• Student employees do essential jobs, such as helping library users to locate material, and checking out and re-shelving books.
• Students are held to performance standards consistent both with their student status and the importance of their jobs in day-to-day operation.
Recruiting Students
• The Libraries have 160 part-time student employees, or 29 FTE. • Budget for student employment in the Libraries is $165,000. • Recruitment tools include an online application, walk-ins, referrals, campus job fair, and TartanTrak.
Recruiting Students
• Subsidies from state and federal work/study grants stretch budget monies, allowing many more hours of student assistance.
• International students are not eligible for work/study grants.
Observations about Recruiting Students
• The Libraries’ student workforce does not reflect the diversity of campus population. • Student application does not ask Race.
Observations about Hiring More U. S. Minority Students
• Some campus departments pay higher wages and require less work. • Work/study grants limit the # of hours students can work.
Observations about Hiring More U. S. Minority Students
• Student supervisors underutilize the student database [applicant data]. • Library units vary in utilization of student skills and treatment of students.
Actions to Improve Minority Student Representation & Retention
• Review fiscal constraints to allow hiring of more international, non-work/study, and other students • Supervisor training • Student employee sub-group (under Employee Development Committee)
Actions to Improve Minority Student Representation & Retention
• Student employee focus groups will gather suggestions for improvement. • Follow Career Center model for marketing library jobs.
ASSESSMENT Comparing the pool of library student employees with the overall university student employee pool.
Respect Initiative
In 2002, the Libraries started a series of workshops and discussions to enhance understanding of difference in our workforce and build respect for all.
Respect Initiative Actions
• Interactive Theater, “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.“(October 2002) • FIRO B, and follow-up meetings to discuss (January-February 2003) • Advanced Myers-Briggs, and follow-up meetings to discuss (July 2003)
Respect Initiative Actions
• Barker film, definition, diversity and affirmative action, Supreme Court decision (scheduled for Fall 2003) • Other respect initiatives, as designed by the Diversity Task Force, TBA
Observations about Collection
• The Web empowers small interest groups to present their views, partially supplanting the library’s need to collect some metacurricular and lifestyle materials. • Interlibrary loan and resource sharing broaden the collections available to the Carnegie Mellon community.
Observations about Collection
In a library budget focused primarily on support of undergraduate education and secondarily on research, less than 2% is directed to materials addressing metacurricular and quality of life issues and concerns.
Actions for Collection
• Million Book Project The university’s second million books will be digital, international, and multilingual.
ASSESSMENT - Number of books scanned - User studies conducted
Actions for Collection
• Student focus groups will discuss curricular and metacurricular needs of international students.
• Ask students what would create a sense on inclusion.
ASSESSMENT - Focus groups held - Results acted upon
Observations about Service
• International students have different library expectations and experiences from those of U.S. students. • Student needs require extended library hours.
Actions for Service
• Hold focus groups with students to test ideas for service improvements, such as:
- Better understanding of international
differences - Developing an introduction to Libraries in different languages
ASSESSMENT - Initiatives launched to meet student needs, feedback, and increased student satisfaction.
Actions for Service
• Improve marketing of library collections and services to students: Displays
Graduate Times
Web pages Campus groups
ASSESSMENT – Gate counts, lower payments to U Pittsburgh for borrowing, other service statistics.
Next Steps
Present to President’s Council Continue creating diversity programs - Barker film in September 2003
- Why Are Black Kids Sitting Together in the Dining Room?
Next Steps
Keep explaining diversity and affirmative action Review this plan annually