HomeEndowments for Diversity

Bulletin of the Office for Diversity American Library Association ISSN 1554-494X

MAY - JUNE 2006
SPECIAL ANNUAL 2006 ISSUE

DIVERSITY TOOLCHEST

Endowments for Diversity - A Simple Way to Make a Difference
Michael Havener

Why should we be thinking about endowments?  Let me answer that question with another question.  Do you agree with these statements?

“We aren’t recruiting enough new librarians.”  “We need more librarians of color.”  “Librarians should reflect the diversity of the communities that they serve.”   

Those of us who want to promote the recruitment and retention of talented, committed, and diverse new librarians must work actively to bring more students of color into our MLIS programs.  One of the biggest barriers to recruitment is money.  Many potentially outstanding librarians never enter our ranks because they cannot afford tuition and the other costs connected with getting a master’s degree.

Programs like the Spectrum Scholarship Program are helping to bring new leaders of color into our profession, but the sustainability of scholarship and fellowship programs on a national, regional, or state level depends on a steady flow of monetary support over time.  Endowments provide a continuing income to guarantee that scholarship support will be there when future students need it.

A gift to an endowment is a gift that generates additional funds each year.   Consider the possibility of supporting an endowment at your alma mater or a MLIS graduate program near you.  If there is not already an endowment to support LIS students of color, you can start one.  Graduate programs welcome individuals who want to support them and will work with you to establish endowments.

As Director of the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Rhode Island (URI), I have given the first $5,000 to establish the GSLIS Prism Scholarship Fund, a fund at the URI Foundation that will provide scholarships to LIS students of color.   URI GSLIS has been able to support previous Prism Fellows through multiple sources of funding including an IMLS grant, a one-time $20,000 gift from an individual, and support from the URI Library and the Providence Public Library.  However, building an endowment is a way of ensuring that monetary support will continue to be there for future students.

Don’t be afraid to start small; you can build over time and others will give if you ask for help.  I have just added another $1,000 to my original gift, and others are starting to contribute.  I’m not asking you to give to the University of Rhode Island (although I won’t turn away your gifts!), but I am asking you to find a program that is important to you and to give to an endowment to support it.  Our actions today will create the librarians of tomorrow.

Michael Havener is Director, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies.

 ©The American Library Association, 2006.  All material in Versed subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be photocopied for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement. 

Versed, the official publication of the American Library Association’s Office for Diversity, is published 5 times per year online with paper printings available twice yearly at ALA midwinter meetings and annual conferences.

True to its meaning: practiced, skilled, or knowledgeable; Versed will bring together the most progressive practitioners and the best practices in current library-based diversity work.

Please consider submitting an article or editorial; sharing a successful program or initiative; reviewing and recommending diversity-related books and videos of interest to library service (whole bibliographies and videographies are especially welcome); tackling pressing social or professional issues; and publicizing diversity related events or conferences.  Review the Submission Guidelines and Editorial Calendar for more information.

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