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Lorena Juarez
October 31st, 2022

Leadership and Diversity Within the Library

One of the core values of librarianship listed by the American Library Association (ALA)

is diversity. On their website, ALA defines diversity “in all its complexity in order to recognize

and honor the uniqueness of each ALA member, all members of our profession, and our very

diverse communities” (American Library Association, 2018). This takes into account all aspects

that can make an individual different, such as race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual

orientation, etc. Bethaney B. Wilkinson, author of The Diversity Gap: Where Good Intentions

Meet True Cultural Change, introduces diversity as “the state of having multiple races,

ethnicities, nationalities, and cultural perspectives on your team” (Wilkinson, 2021, p. xi). It is

not enough to recognize diversity, there must also be a push to diversify an organization. Action

should follow the intention. As a leader, it is their responsibility to advocate and encourage the

necessary change needed for everyone in the library, staff and community members, to feel

welcomed and accepted.

The 9th statement listed on the ALA website under the code of ethics states the following,

“we work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases” (ALA, 2021). Everyone

was raised with different cultures and is exposed to different beliefs, values, and experiences. It

is these differences that can strengthen a team by bringing different perspectives to the table.

However, it is the same differences that can hinder cultural growth if the biases aren't recognized

and dismantled. In her book, Wilkinson encourages leaders to reflect on their origin story as a
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way of helping individuals raise awareness of any biases they may carry. In an exploratory study

by Roya Ayman and Karen Korabik, they explore the different reasons why culture and gender

matter in the leadership of an individual. In summary, they found that culture and gender can

affect the way a leader behaves and their effectiveness in their leadership style. Culture and

gender may form bias in some cases. Conscious and unconscious bias demonstrate themselves in

the way individuals interact with those around them. Librarian professionals should bring

awareness to their biases in order to build a strong foundation that will allow them to welcome

diversity and inclusion in their workplace.

In an article in 2016 by Jennifer Vinopal, she used ClimateQUAL, an organizational

climate and diversity assessment run by the Association of Research Libraries, to illustrate how

being unaware of biases can negatively impact the perception of an organizational culture and

the overall diversity of the team. This is a tool that is based on the perception of the staff

members being evaluated. If the team is ignorant of their biases, it will create a false impression

of the true culture climate. This can obstruct the action of any diversity programs that could

otherwise benefit the team and the work culture. The ALA provides a general policy to push

professionals to deconstruct their biases, but the ultimate encouragement should come from the

leaders within the profession. They should hold their team accountable for any unacceptable

behavior that may cause individuals to feel excluded at the library.

The ALA’s office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services' mission highlights the

importance of providing an all-inclusive space for the entire community. However, in 2012, the

ALA released a study, ‘Diversity Counts,’ that surveyed gender, race, and age in the library

professions. It demonstrated the need for ethnic minorities in the profession across academic,

public, and school libraries. The data found that minorities make up 12% of the workforce, with
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the majority of the professionals identifying as female and white. In an article by Mark Winston

and Haipeng Li, they discuss the notion of Diversity Leadership Theory. In which the main focus

of the leaders is the “diverse representation among organizational leaders and boards and among

employees” (Winston & Li, 2007, p. 64). The library profession is a long way from where they

need to be. There are clear changes that need to be made throughout all levels of administration

to get the profession to a more diverse place. A strong leader who is passionate and understands

the benefits of having a diverse team is needed. In her article Jennifer Vinopal, states how the

organizational culture is largely controlled by the library leaders. They are the ones who are

responsible for the money, resources, and power. These are all the things that are needed to move

an organization from awareness to action.

Having a diverse staff in the library not only brings diverse perspectives to the team, but

they can also bring an array of talents and ideas. The library is often serving a diverse

community, and to be able to provide the finest experience to all of those who visit the library,

the staff needs to be able to understand their needs and offer a range of services. Chicago Public

Library Branch Manager in West Lawn, Guillermina Duarte, expressed the need for staff to

mirror the community they serve. This is something that can be difficult when only 12% of

credentialed librarians identify as nonwhite. When asked what is something she does to

encourage inclusion and racial diversity in the library, Duarte explained the importance of

understanding the community and “to give chance for the unseen to be seen” (Duarte, personal

conversation, 2022). In LIS, promoting inclusion goes beyond the staff, it must also be seen in

the way communities are being served.

CPL Children’s Librarian, Elvira Camargo, communicated the ways she is responsible

for the inclusion with children. In her position, she is often searching for ways to bring together
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families of different backgrounds. Leadership in the library is not something that is limited to the

managers. Staff can be seen as leaders to the community, therefore there must be advocacy for

diversity at all the levels of the workplace. In her book, Wilkinson offers suggestions on how this

can be achieved. She emphasizes the importance of leaders getting immersed in new

communities. Through community immersion and listening to them, librarians can begin to truly

understand their needs.

When advocating for a more diverse team, Wilkinson emphasized the importance of

being motivated with good intentions. A library manager should always keep in mind the dignity

of their team members. Wilkinson states the following, “closing the diversity gap – the gap

between good intentions and good impact – requires a degree of structure and thoughtfulness”

(Wilkinson, 2021, p. 65). That thoughtfulness should also extend to the community being served.

When putting into place a new diversity plan, leaders should take into consideration how the

community might respond. The best interests of the community should always be at the core of

any changes introduced to the library. Leaders should also be aware of harmful pursuits of

diversity. In their article, Winston and Li, bring attention to programs that may have indications

of ‘minimal attempts,’ such as ethnic foods, like a taco night during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The shortsighted urgency of these events can hinder any real progress from occurring. There is a

need for programs and activities to be substantive in nature. It is not enough to promote Black

Lives Matter during Black History Month, and it is not enough to only support LGBTQ+ during

Pride Month.

At the West Lawn CPL branch, Duarte shared about an event the branch held, Drag

Queen Storytime. The first time the event was introduced at this location was during Pride

Month in 2022. She has another one scheduled for later this year. Duarte shared that one area of
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growth within her community is in the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. This is one of her

initiatives to help this underrepresented community feel seen. They have also broadened the

collection to include more LGBTQ+ materials. She wants the LGBTQ+ community to feel

welcomed not only when it is seen as relevant, like during Pride Month, but all year around. The

LGBTQ+ community does not stop existing when Pride Month comes to an end, therefore a

leader should advocate for their representation all year around. Ensuring that the collection

includes LGBTQ+ material is one way of helping the ‘unseen feel seen.’ In a panel of library

leaders in 2022, ex-president of the ALA, Sari Feldman was interviewing Roosevelt Weeks,

Director of Libraries in Austin, about the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the library.

Weeks shared his beliefs that they’re not quite there yet. He shares how in Austin, an estimated

40% of the population identifies as Hispanic, however only 7% of their collection is in Spanish.

The library is a place for everyone, and leaders should take the steps necessary to ensure the

inclusion of everyone.

In their leadership, branch manager Duarte and librarian Camargo are often encouraging

their patrons to step out of their comfort zone and move towards a place that is more accepting of

individuals of all backgrounds. An article published in 2015 by April Hathcook suggests the

significance of addressing the homophobia, racism, and sexism when seen in the library

profession, “when it is not named or interrogated, it can persist in creating a culture of exclusion

behind the scenes of LIS profession” (Hathcook, 2015). In order to see true change, acceptance

must begin at the managerial level. The staff should feel their differences embraced by their

organization. This will allow them to strengthen their actions towards promoting the same

behaviors and acceptance within the community.

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Commitment to diversity is a start but it is not enough. Leaders should follow through

with actions that demonstrate a willingness to work towards a more diverse and inclusive

workspace. The journey to becoming a more inclusive organization is not straightforward. It can

also be a long process, with trial and error. In The Diversity Gap: Where Good Intentions Meet

True Cultural Change, Wilkinson mentions that one of the greatest things a leader can do is

think with clarity where they would like to take their team. This should also be applied when

thinking about what can be done to increase diversity in their team. A study published in 2021 by

Jennifer K. Frederick and Christne Wolff-Eisenberg surveyed 638 library directors regarding

their perspectives and strategies on diversity, equity, and inclusion. They found that all libraries

had shown some level of commitment, but very few had strategies in place to achieve it. It can be

helpful to develop a long-term plan with different ‘check-point goals.’ These goals can help

provide guidance to the staff to see if the efforts are resulting in any type of growth. It could also

provide a way for leadership to measure progress. In an exploratory study by Eva Dijksterhuis

and Gilbert Silvius, they describe the design thinking approach that could be applied when

working with large projects like the growth of diversity in the library. This approach would be

beneficial to library leaders because it forces them to use a different technique such as “intensive

observation and wondering, challenging stereotypical perception, asking questions and

postponing decisions/problem definition” (Dijksterhuis and Silvius, 2017).

Management often provides diversity training to its staff, but this is rarely effective in

inducing any real change. In her book, Wilkinson highlights that when the staff isn’t receptive to

diversity training it can sometimes cause more harm than good. Instead of diversity training, a

diversity workshop that includes diversity awareness and relevant real-life implications and

events might be more successful. As mentioned earlier, CPL librarians Duarte and Camargo,
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expressed that the areas their library would like to focus on is being more inclusive of the

LGBTQ+ community. This might be different than what the CPL Merlo branch, the branch that

serves the Boystown community in Chicago, may hope to accomplish. When designing a plan, it

is crucial to not only keep in mind the nature of the team, but also the demographics and needs of

the community being served. Leaders are responsible for recognizing the areas of growth within

their institution. The diversity plan of an institution will vary from library to library. However,

there are three initiatives that library leaders can apply to help foster diverse leadership in

libraries that are stressed in an article from 2022 by Jane Morgan-Daniel. These efforts include

developing relationships with the staff, mentorship, and retainment of diverse staff.

It is impossible for management in a library to know everything that occurs, this is why it

is essential to maintain valuable relationships with the staff. By using the design thinking

approach, management is also nurturing strong relationships with their team in the workplace. In

her book, Wilkinson addresses the importance of trust in the organization leaders in order to

close the diversity gap. When leaders take the time to get to know their team, they can help

amplify the voices of diverse staff. By setting aside individual meeting time with all members,

leaders can benefit from getting to know their diverse working styles and perspectives. These

differences in perspectives could result in profiting the community. With their help, leaders can

bring forward new programs that they would otherwise not have thought of on their own. This

could also help encourage marginalized groups to share their feedback on the library’s efforts to

increase diversity. Although the ultimate goal is seeing a change in the number of

underrepresented communities in the librarian profession, it is just as vital for the current

administration to be as accepting of individuals from all kinds of backgrounds. By taking the

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time to get to know their team, leaders make them feel heard and seen by making the workplace

feel more welcoming.

Camargo and Duarte also expressed their wishes to see more diversity in higher

administrative positions. This is something that could be possible with the help of mentorship.

Leaders can be found among all levels in the library. Through the development of relationships

between management and the team, administrators will be able to identify everyone’s strengths

and weaknesses. In her article, Morgan-Daniel communicated, “as current leaders, one of the

primary goals should be to pour and invest into aspiring leaders” (Morgan-Daniel, 2022).

Mentorship could help encourage marginalized individuals to gain the skills needed to move up

int the ladder. A strong leader can serve as a guidance for their team. If the leader is someone of

privilege, they can use their privilege to uplift others. This is where the importance of being

aware of your origin story and biases come into play. Without awareness of the negative

implications that an individual’s biases can have, leaders might be unknowingly harming others

in their attempts to provide mentorship.

The third action that leadership can focus on is increasing their attention to retaining

diverse staff. There are often strong efforts in hiring individuals of diverse backgrounds, but little

is being done to ensure their retention. Otherwise, the librarian profession will not see any

significant changes. The support needed to encourage staff to stay might be seen through the

development of meaningful relationships and mentorship opportunities with the library leaders.

This is something that could perhaps be seen with the growth of mutual support and respect from

everyone in the team.

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A strong leader who is aware of their own bias is needed to confront any racism, sexism,

and homophobia that may present itself in the LIS profession. They have the power and

resources needed to close the diversity gap seen in librarianship. It is not enough to have a

commitment to inclusion and diversity. Leaders must move from awareness to action.

Developing purposeful and authentic relationships with the staff and community, providing

mentorship opportunities, and increasing efforts to help with the retention of diverse staff are

some actions leaders can take. It is ALA’s goal to provide the community with equitable and just

services to all. A team composed of diverse individuals can bring different work styles and

perspectives to the library, thereby introducing a much more efficient way of serving the

community. A library cannot advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion for its community, if

diversity is not represented within its own team.

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Appendix A: Interview Questionnaire with Elvira Camargo and Guillermina Duarte

• What’s your name and your role in the library?

• Diversity can be seen in ethnicities, gender, socioeconomic status, religion, sexuality,

etc. What is the biggest diversity gap you see in your organization? In the community you

serve?

• What roles have oppressive systems had in creating problems in the community you

serve that the library is trying to solve? As a leader what can you do to try to solve those

issues?

• What systems of oppression have you seen in your leadership context?

• Within the library, what do you do to create a culture where inclusion and racial diversity

is the norm? Do you think there is more you can do?

• As a librarian you are often serving marginalized communities, what are you doing to

ensure their voices are heard?

• In your leadership, have you experienced pressure to do diversity work perfectly? What is

that like?

• “Learning how to lead requires community” What is one way community is encouraged

between all the staff?

• As a leader, where do you want to take your team? Where do you want to take your

community?

• We can find leaders in surprising places. Can you share an instance where in your role

you saw someone exhibiting strong leadership skills in the community you serve? How

has their leadership impacted you?

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References:

American Library Association. (2018, November 16). ALA Policy Manual, Section B.3 Diversity,
American Library Association,
https://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/policymanual/updatedpolicymanual/section2/3di
versity.
American Library Association. (2019, July 9). Diversity Counts, American Library Association.
https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/diversity/diversitycounts/divcounts
American Library Association. (2021, July 21). Professional Ethics, American Library
Association, https://www.ala.org/tools/ethics
Ayman, R. & Korabik, K. (2010). Leadership: Why Gender and Culture Matter. The American
Psychologist, 65(3), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018806
Dijksterhuis, E., & Silvius, G. (2017, April). The Design Thinking Approach to Projects. The
Journal of Modern Project Management, 4(3). Retrieved from
https://journalmodernpm.com/index.php/jmpm/article/view/JMPM01205
Feldman, S. (2022, June 10). What’s Next for Library Leadership. Publishers Weekly.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/89564-
what-s-next-for-library-leadership.html
Frederick, J. K., & Wolff-Eisenberg, C. (2021, March 17). National Movements for Racial
Justice and Academic Library Leadership: Results from the Ithaka S+R US Library Survey
2020. https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.314931
Hathcock, A. (2015, October 7). White Librarianship in Blackface: Diversity Initiatives in LIS.
In the Library with the Lead Pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2015/lis-
diversity/
Morgan-Daniel, J., Fial, A., Fitts, M. S., & Wilkinson, M. R. (2022, June 30). A Work in
Progress: Strategies to Foster Diverse Leadership in Libraries. Medical Library
Association. Https://www.mlanet.org/p/cm/ld/fid=1122&&blogaid=4036
Vinopal, J. (2016, January 16). The Quest for Diversity in Library Staffing: From Awareness to
Action. In the Library with the Lead Pipe.
https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2016/quest-for-diversity/
Wilkinson, B. B. (2021). Wilkinson, B. B. (2021). The Diversity Gap: Where Good Intentions
Meet True Cultural Change. HarperCollins
Winston, & Li, H. (2007). Leadership Diversity: A Study of Urban Public Libraries. The

Library Quarterly (Chicago), 77(1), 61–82. https://doi.org/10.1086/512956