ALA awards 2017 Diversity Research Grants

CHICAGO — The American Library Association’s Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services has announced the recipients of the Diversity Research Grant for 2017-2018.

The grants consist of a one-time $2,500 award for original research. Recipients will conduct their research over the course of the year, are expected to compile the results of their research into a paper and will be asked to present and/or publish the final product in conjunction with the American Library Association.

The first grant is awarded to Dr. Nicole A. Cooke, Assistant Professor and MS/LIS Program Director, School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-­‐Champaign and Dr. Miriam E. Sweeney, assistant professor, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama, for the project, “Minority Student Experiences with Racial Microaggressions in the Academic Library.” This study uses surveys and focus groups to garner further insight into the specific experiences surrounding racial microaggressions directed at racial and ethnic minority students in the context of accessing library spaces and services on campus.

The next grant award goes to Justin de la Cruz, unit head, E-Learning Technologies, Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library; Amy Winfrey, electronic resources and serials librarian, Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library; and Stephanie Solomon, assistant department head, Information & Research Services, Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library. Their project, “Information Behaviors Among LGBTQ Students at Single-Sex HBCUs,” studies information seeking and sharing behaviors of LGBTQ students attending HBCUs and seeks to identify common themes or shared experiences that may assist with the development of library services and outreach efforts.

The third recipients are Dr. Sandra Hughes-Hassell, professor, School of Information & Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Dr. Amelia N. Gibson, assistant professor, School of Information & Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their project, “Examining Youths of Color's Perceptions of Library Inclusiveness,” seeks to develop preliminary guidelines that library staff can use to increase youth of color’s access to (and ownership of) the library as a learning space, a social space, and a public commons.  This pilot study explores an issue at the intersection of the researchers’ work on information access, equity, and poverty in traditionally marginalized communities.

ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services offers thanks to the Diversity Research Grants Advisory Committee for their work on selecting the 2017 Diversity Research Grant Recipients: Dr. Leslie Campbell Hime (chair), Thura Reed Mack, Alanna Aiko Moore, Dr. Jamie Campbell Naidoo, and Cynthia Mari Orozco.  

The Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services began sponsorship of the ALA Diversity Research Grants in 2002. Grant proposals may address any topic that speaks to critical gaps in the knowledge of equity, diversity, and inclusion issues within library and information science.  For more information on the Diversity Research Grants, please visit http://www.ala.org/research/larks/diversity.