The University of California libraries constitute one of the world's greatest treasures. Yet as we look to the future and the rapid demographic changes which are taking place, we recognize the need to transform our present collections and services into the library of the 21st century. This transformation cannot take place without bringing issues of diversity (see below, "Cultural Diversity: A Note on Definition") from the periphery to the center of all information processes. It will require enhancing support for existing diversity collections, especially special ethnic libraries, as well as support for establishing new collections and services. It will require bringing libraries back to the center of the academic enterprise. It will require reasserting the role of librarians as key partners with faculty in the academic mission of the university. It will require a more diverse representation of ethnic librarians. It will require the financial resources and the proper climate for necessary change. Finally, it is a transformation that will require the participation of all UC librarians.
This report is a contribution to the continuing discussion on cultural diversity within the University of California. Its focus is on libraries within the University. It begins with the premise that in order for the University to maintain its eminent position as a global research institution it must strengthen its collections and services which deal with under-represented groups within California. At the same time this report affirms the contributions already made within the University in the area of cultural diversity.
Even though the name of the Ad Hoc Committee includes the popular term "cultural diversity", the committee in fact could not avoid considering related aspects of cultural diversity issues, such as affirmative action, ethnic studies, and institutional racism. These are not subjects that are addressed in this report, but they are concerns that pertain to the whole spectrum of cultural diversity. To many individuals in both public and private institutions "cultural diversity" is a euphemism for race relations and carries a message of the importance of planning for a multicultural future. In American business this planning is taking the form of multicultural awareness training, cross-cultural communication workshops, or what some still call "sensitivity training". In the last few years, most UC libraries have appointed cultural diversity committees that plan internal programs around the issues related to cultural diversity. This report does not consider such programs or policies and only concerns itself with the structural and academic workings of UC libraries.
As a committee, we shared the University of California's need for a new library mission statement. The challenge for our Committee was to outline what was needed to forward such a mission. The Ad Hoc Committee met this challenge by employing an action plan which included a preliminary survey of existing ethnic-focused collections and services within the University of California; drafting issue papers covering the major critical areas within library and information services; and conducting a workshop for librarians of the University which focused on the issue papers. Sharing the issue papers with our colleagues provided an opportunity for us to begin a focused dialogue concerning diversity. The initial recommendations contained within the issue papers, along with those which emerged through the workshop, provided the core of this report. Below are the principal recommendations formulated by the committee: