Diversity Research Grant

About the Diversity Research Grant The ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services sponsors this grant program which began in 2002 to address critical gaps in the knowledge of equity, diversity, and inclusion issues within library and information science.

Administered by:

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2020 Winner(s)

EDI Open Data for the Public Good and for Social Change

to Rachel Woodbrook, Data Curation Librarian at University of Michigan
This project investigates how libraries might better serve the needs of diversity scholars as they think critically about the products of their research (scholarly communication, data, interview/survey instruments, codebooks, etc.). The researchers have conducted initial mixed-methods research in this area and are using the resulting data to produce an online toolkit to share best practices for sharing data, and to share their own research objects with other diversity scholars. This grant would support further research and analysis assessing the pilot toolkit’s strengths and weaknesses, revision and enhancement of the toolkit, and presentation of the research and resource.

Exploring Library Advocacy Work by Library Workers of Color: A Qualitative Study Using Critical Race Theory

to Raymond Pun, Instruction and Research Librarian at the Alder Graduate School of Education

This exploratory research aims to highlight experiences and stories of library workers of color who participate in library advocacy work in the local and/or national levels- what are their priorities and interests, and how do they get involved in advocacy work in a profession that is predominantly White? The study applies critical race theory to frame the social relationships and the structure of inequities inherent in library advocacy work by exploring the narratives and perspectives of library workers of color. This research will address the following questions: 1. Are there common characteristics and values of library workers of color involved in library advocacy work? 2. What are the potential barriers experienced by these workers? By bringing awareness to these barriers and the perceptions of library workers of color, this qualitative study seeks to understand how the library advocacy world can become inclusive and will support library workers of color in their efforts to advocate and champion their libraries and communities at large.


We're Still Here at Mid-Career: The Retention of Academic Librarians of Color and Our Lived Experiences

to Brittani Sterling, Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies Librarian; Brittany Paloma Fiedler, Teaching and Learning Librarian; and James Cheng, Library Data Analyst at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas University Libraries
This project will conduct oral history interviews of at least twenty people - including those who left academic librarianship when they considered themselves mid-career. Its main research questions are 1) What factors influence mid-career librarians of color to stay or leave academic librarianship? and 2) What does mid-career mean to librarians of color? The primary outcomes of this research will be to have more definitive answers about who is mid-career and what efforts, such as mentorship programs or anti-microaggression trainings, affect the retention of academic librarians. This study will guide institutions, library administrators, and professional development programs in supporting librarians of color as they transition to the next stage of their career.