Contacts: Larra Clark
ALA Media Relations Manager
312-280-5043
lclark@ala.org
For Immediate Release
December 13, 2004
New librarians reject stereotypes, embody nation's diversity
In effort to mirror nation's shifting demographics, American Library Association
expands number of diversity scholarships
(CHICAGO) "Librarians are not people who hide behind books and hate talking to people. They are people with strong passions and interests, a large body of knowledge and the ability to talk to anyone on almost any topic," says library student Vi Ha, who works in the Chinatown Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library.
Newcomers to the library profession are rejecting stereotypes and embracing a dynamic career as diverse as they are. And the American Library Association (ALA) is making it even easier for future library school students of color by nearly doubling the number of available scholarships through its Spectrum Initiative.
"Growing up, I never thought, 'I want to be a librarian,'" said Amy Gonzalez Ferguson, who works at Richland College in Dallas. "I still had to pay the bills after finishing college, though, so I took a job in a library. I quickly realized that librarianship was the best career for me. I could use my information, technology and people skills in a higher-paying job, but I wouldn't have as much fun, and I wouldn't get to meet so many interesting people."
Recent graduate Toni Olivas chose librarianship "because I knew I could make a difference. Everything from helping repatriate Mayan artifacts to Honduras to seeing my mother's face when she received her first library card at the age of 62; it's worth more than money to me." Olivas works as a reference librarian at Auburn University Libraries and part-time at the Auburn Public Library in Alabama.
The ALA Office for Diversity hopes to inspire even more stories like these thanks to a new $928,142 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The grant will significantly increase the number of ALA Spectrum scholarships awarded over the next three years; assist national coordination of diversity recruitment and education initiatives; promote collaboration among library school professors and librarians working in libraries; and provide support to graduate schools of library and information science. Sixty scholarships of $6,500 each will be available each year for the next three years. The 2005 deadline for scholarship applications is March 1.
Founded in 1997, the Spectrum Initiative has provided more than 275 scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native; Asian; Black/African American; Hispanic/Latino; and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students for graduate programs in library and information studies. Ha, Ferguson and Olivas are Spectrum scholars.
"Our libraries and profession must reflect both the communities we serve as well as the larger global community," said ALA President Carol Brey-Casiano, who also directs the El Paso (TX) Public Library and is bilingual. "With more financial aid being made available, and more jobs opening up, the opportunities for new librarians only continue to grow - particularly in an otherwise tight job market."
There are 57 ALA-accredited graduate programs in the United States and Canada, many of which offer the increasingly popular online and distance education programs that attract students from around the world. Every year since 1990, close to 5,000 people receive master's degrees from these programs.
"Information Science is an exciting field for me because of the Internet. In fact, digital technology is redefining the way in which librarians assist their users in locating information," says Spectrum Scholar LaVera Rose, who heads up South Dakota State Library's Digitization Program and received her master's degree through an online-only program.
Library school placement centers report that a vast majority of their graduates find work within six months after graduation. "Many institutions invited me to apply for their system before my graduation," said Spectrum scholar Terry Carlson. "These kinds of opportunities - where the employers come looking for you - do not happen too often, usually the opposite."
Based on 2000 Census data, the number of librarians reaching retirement age will double in 2005 to 2009 over the previous five years, and the decade beginning in 2010 will see 45 percent of today's librarians reach age 65. This data does not take into account early retirement, death or other reasons for leaving the profession before the age of 65. The most recent data available also shows that more than 75 percent of all librarians in the United States are white, despite shifting American demographics.
With more than 116,000 libraries nationwide - including public libraries and those in schools, universities and colleges, government agencies, hospitals, law firms and corporations - there are a range of workplaces and specializations within the profession.
"There are libraries everywhere - so you can work in diverse settings and earn diverse salaries. I like the options, plus you can build on the degree and job experience you already have," says Spectrum Scholar Connie Song, who works in a law firm library.
For more information on the Spectrum Scholarship initiative, recruitment and retention efforts, please contact the Office for Diversity at 1-800-545-2433 ext. 5048 or visit www.ala.org/spectrum.
Media interested in scheduling interviews with ALA English or Spanish-speaking national spokespersons may contact Larra Clark, media relations manager, 312-280-5043 or Macey Morales, PR coordinator, 312-280-4393.
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