2011 Diversity Research honoree Alire to open DiversiTea

CHICAGO - The ALA Council Committee on Diversity, the Diversity Research Grants Advisory Committee and the ALA Office for Diversity will welcome Dr. Camila Alire, dean emerita of the University of New Mexico Libraries and Colorado State University Libraries and 2011 Achievement in Library Diversity Research Honoree, to provide opening remarks and receive her plaque at the DiversiTea, from 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. on Sunday Jan. 22 in the Dallas Convention Center Room C150, during the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting.

The ALA Council Committee on Diversity, the Diversity Research Grants Advisory Committee and the ALA Office for Diversity recognized Dr. Alire with the 2011 Achievement in Library Diversity Research Honor for her contributions to the profession and her promotion of diversity within it. The Office for Diversity began designating this honor in 2004.

With a full career in academic and research libraries, Alire’s contributions to the professional literature include titles on leadership and diversity, recruitment and retention of librarians of color, library service to Latinos and diverse populations, library marketing and advocacy and disaster recovery. She is the author of several books and articles, including "Academic Librarianship" (Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2010), "Academic Librarians as Emotionally Intelligent Leaders" (Libraries Unlimited, 2007), and "Serving Latino Communities" (Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2007).

The DiversiTea serves as the launch of the 2012 ALA Diversity Research Grants program and provides a forum for attendees to discuss current work in diversity research and explore the opportunities provided by the Diversity Research Grants program. Sponsored by the ALA Office for Diversity, the Diversity Research Grant program seeks to address critical gaps in the knowledge of diversity issues within library and information science.

Attendance is open to all Midwinter attendees. For more information, please visit www.alamidwinter.org.

The Diversity Research Grant consists of a one-time $2,000 award for original research and a $500 travel grant to attend and present at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference. A jury of ALA members will evaluate proposals and is encouraged to award up to three awards. Grant recipients will be announced ahead of the 2012 ALA Annual Conference and will be expected to compile the results of their research into a presentation for the 2013 ALA Annual Conference.

ALA’s Office for Diversity offers thanks to the Diversity Research Grants Advisory Committee for their work in planning the 2012 DiversiTEA: Robert J. Bremer (chair), Eileen K. Bosch, Nicole A. Branch, Elizabeth Jean Brumfield, Denyvetta Davis, Kim L. Eccles, Michael Gutierrez, Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis, Cheryl Knott, and R. Niccole Westbrook.