Event Type
Presentation
Location
WHH 117
Track
Recruitment and Retention of POC in LIS
Start Date
13-7-2018 11:00 AM
End Date
13-7-2018 12:30 PM
Description
Librarian residency programs have served as one means by which libraries have attempted to recruit people of color to the profession. These programs are aimed at recent graduates of MLS programs and are meant to provide them with professional experience, often by exposing them to different areas of librarianship through departmental rotations during a 1-3 year term position. While these programs are by no means new, there has been an increase in interest in residency programs, as evidenced in the recent creation of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance, a group of over 30 universities that have committed to creating residencies specifically for early career librarians from underrepresented groups. But how successful are residency programs in recruiting and retaining people of color to the librarian profession?
There is a relatively small volume of literature on residency programs, though there are some personal narratives and general surveys of former residents that serve an important role in documenting the experiences of residency program participants. However, one area that has been particularly underrepresented in the literature is the retention of former library residents in the profession. This presentation will provide an overview of the history and present state of residency programs in the United States and will also begin to explore retention by looking at the positions of a sample of former library residents. Where possible, I will explore what types of positions former library residents hold (librarian and library-related positions vs. non-library positions, etc.) and attempt to tie these findings to the larger literature about librarian residencies and the retention of people of color in librarianship.
Session 1A: Retention of Former Residents in Librarianship: A Preliminary Exploration
WHH 117
Librarian residency programs have served as one means by which libraries have attempted to recruit people of color to the profession. These programs are aimed at recent graduates of MLS programs and are meant to provide them with professional experience, often by exposing them to different areas of librarianship through departmental rotations during a 1-3 year term position. While these programs are by no means new, there has been an increase in interest in residency programs, as evidenced in the recent creation of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance, a group of over 30 universities that have committed to creating residencies specifically for early career librarians from underrepresented groups. But how successful are residency programs in recruiting and retaining people of color to the librarian profession?
There is a relatively small volume of literature on residency programs, though there are some personal narratives and general surveys of former residents that serve an important role in documenting the experiences of residency program participants. However, one area that has been particularly underrepresented in the literature is the retention of former library residents in the profession. This presentation will provide an overview of the history and present state of residency programs in the United States and will also begin to explore retention by looking at the positions of a sample of former library residents. Where possible, I will explore what types of positions former library residents hold (librarian and library-related positions vs. non-library positions, etc.) and attempt to tie these findings to the larger literature about librarian residencies and the retention of people of color in librarianship.
