ALA awards 2008 Diversity Research grants

Contact: Gwendolyn Prellwitz
Acting Director, ALA Office for Diversity
(312) 280-5048
gprellwitz@ala.org

NEWS
For Immediate Release
July 1, 2008

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />ALA awards 2008 Diversity Research grants

The American Library Association’s Office for Diversity has announced the recipients of the Diversity Research Grants for 2008.

The grants consist of a one-time $2,000 annual award for original research and a $500 travel grant to attend and present at the ALA Annual Conference. Each year the Office for Diversity and the Diversity Research Grant Jury identify three areas of scholarship where research is needed. Typically, one proposal is chosen from within each topic for a total of three awards. Due to a lack of submissions under one topic, three grants were awarded under only two topics this year. Grant recipients are expected to compile the results of their research into a paper and are asked to present and publish the final product in conjunction with the American Library Association.

The first grant will be awarded to Dr. John Pruitt, assistant professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Rock County, and vice president, Friends of the Hedberg Public Library Board of Trustees, for a study entitled "LGBT Book Discussion Groups in Public Libraries: Seeking Compatibility." The study aims to learn how public libraries and LGBT book discussion groups together can construct a positive gay community and identity. By understanding the expectations of LGBT book discussion groups, Pruitt contends libraries may increase the diversity of their patrons and help to establish that the library is a welcoming site for all individuals in the community. The project was submitted under this year’s Research Topic 2 – Diversity and Library Services to LGBTQ Communities.

The second grant will be awarded to Jamie Campbell Naidoo, Ph.D, assistant professor at the University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies. His research project, “Focus on MY Family: An Analysis of Gay-Themed Picturebooks & Public Library Services for LGBTQ Children and Children with Same-Sex Parents,” will focus on analyzing the quality of gay-themed picturebooks available in the U.S., as well as selected public library holdings of these books. In addition, Naidoo will also examine the types and quality of library services available to LGBT families, particularly in areas of the country with a significant percentage of same-sex families. The project was submitted under this year’s Research Topic 2 – Diversity and Library Services to LGBTQ Communities.

The third grant will be awarded to Eun-Young Yoo, Ph D, assistant professor, School of Library and Information Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC and Pauletta Bracy, PhD, associate professor, School of Library and Information Science and director for the Office of University Accreditation / Office of the Provost at North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC. Their project, “Cultural Authenticity Portrayed in Picture Books: A Systematic Approach Toward Diversity Education for Children,” seeks to analyze the issue of cultural authenticity portrayed in picture books in order to provide a new direction for diversity education for children. The research design and methods of the study will contribute to re-tuning and reframing the concept of cultural authenticity. The project was submitted under this year’s Research Topic: 1 - The Impact of Rapidly Shifting Demographics on Information Needs, Services and Strategies.

The 2008 recipients will present their research at a program during the ALA 2009 Annual Conference in Chicago. For more information on the Diversity Research Grants, please visit the Office for Diversity’s website: http://www.ala.org/ala/diversity.