1) Establish a permanent system-wide committee to deal with issues of cultural diversity in the University's libraries as well as implement the recommendations of this report. The composition of the committee should include individuals familiar with and/or representative of culturally diverse groups within the University of California.
2) Provide training in multicultural communication and sensitivity for all library employees, including training for all librarians in understanding and valuing cultural differences and incorporating these differences into professional duties and initiatives.
3) Proactively recruit, hire and encourage the advancement of librarians from the under-represented groups.
4) Prepare as part of the Committee's annual report analyses of reports and initiatives on cultural diversity generated by LAUC, the LAUC Divisions, the Office of the President, and/or other academic institutions as appropriate.
5) Encourage California library schools to continue to recruit and matriculate culturally diverse students, employ faculty, and develop and diversify courses in ethnic studies bibliography and services to diverse cultural groups.
6) Establish funding from the Office of the President to initiate, develop, and implement cultural diversity recommendations.
7) Initiate a campus-by-campus evaluation and assessment of library holdings of culturally diverse materials and develop detailed campus policies for collecting culturally diverse materials.
In order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of all collections in the University, a survey is essential. It would be useful in overall planning and in implementing the other recommendations in this area. At some campuses, the general libraries have received faculty input and support in collecting ethnic and culturally diverse materials. At others, administratively separate library units have been dedicated to collecting such materials.
Implementation: Library Council and the Collection Development Officers; UC Ethnic Studies librarians.
8) Ensure that culturally diverse core collections are maintained as appropriate to each campus.
While William Katz has provided a standard definition of core collections, the work Developing Library Collections for California's Emerging Majorities has provided us with an outline for collection development among California's under-represented ethnic groups. Campus undergraduate libraries should maintain a core collection of culturally diverse materials. Campuses with major curricular and/or research efforts should maintain at least research level collections in these areas.
Implementation: Collection Development Officers; Library Council in consultation with the UC Ethnic Studies
librarians.
9) Ensure that all those involved in collection development on each campus are aware of and trained to recognize materials that pertain to cultural diversity.
Culturally diverse materials are frequently produced by small presses in limited runs as well as in all formats. As such, they are seldom marketed by the major library material vendors, resulting in their failure to appear in major bibliographies or in the standard approval plans.
Implementation: Collection Development Officers in consultation with the UC Ethnic Studies librarians.
10) Coordinate collection development decision-making processes for culturally diverse material among all branch, unit, affiliated and department libraries.
Some campuses have had a tradition of administratively separate library units dedicated to collecting specific ethnic and culturally diverse materials, resulting in little or no input in overall campus collection development decisions.
Implementation: Collection Development Officers in consultation with the UC Ethnic Studies librarians.
11) Ensure access through the MELVYL system to the holdings of ethnic collections on UC campuses.
Basic access through the MELVYL system to the holdings of ethnic collections is fundamental. Further enhancements could include the development of a MELVYL function to limit searches to a particular collection and the creation of separate subsets of ethnic materials on the MELVYL system. This will require additional funds for conversion and cataloging.
Implementation: Office of the President; Library Council; Local campus.
12) Foster the development of and access to ethnic databases such as the Chicano Database.
Access to books alone is not enough when so much ethnic data is available in other formats, such as journal articles, anthology articles, newspaper articles, statistics, visual materials, etc. Databases which index these sources would greatly enhance the access provided by the MELVYL system. The procedures for development of these databases may vary. Some may be discrete databases, while others might be integrated into existing on-line catalogs. However we need to encourage compatibility with MELVYL formats m order to improve chances of availability through the MELVYL network. Internet access to major culturally diverse collections should be further facilitated. Another way of promoting access is by distributing locally produced databases such as the Chicano Database, indexes, and guides to all libraries in the UC system.
Implementation: Office of the President; Heads of Public Services (HOPS); LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee.
13) Submit recommendations for changes in LC subject headings which would improve access to ethnic materials. Encourage UC catalogers to use specialized thesauri and additional cross references to make up for some of the inadequacies of LCSH.
Mainstream catalogers as well as librarians of ethnic collections agree that controlled vocabulary thesauri provide better access to these specialized collections than do LC subject headings. In this regard, we should encourage and promote the use of specialized thesauri (e.g., the Chicano Thesaurus) locally and/or through the MELVYL system. The cooperative development of thesauri by like institutions both in the UC system and elsewhere would be a major contribution to the national library community.
Implementation: Local campus; LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee, Library Council Cataloging Policy Committee.
14) Survey bibliographic access to ethnic collections across the campuses. Uncover and provide access to 'buried" and un-analyzed sets or collections within larger libraries such as the Bancroft Library, and in general, enhance awareness of ethnic studies materials in the Main Library collections of each campus. Foster computerized inventories of and indexes to special collections, and make them available at the systemwide level.
In order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of all collections in the University in the area of bibliographic access to ethnic materials, a survey is essential. It would be useful in overall planning and in implementing the other recommendations in this area.
Materials important to cultural diversity or ethnic studies may exist in special or Main Library collections but may not be recognized as such. They may be included in California history collections, for example, but may not be identified as ethnically-related.
Very valuable item-by-item documentation of special collections is being conducted through local campus projects. These personal computer databases need to be available to all in the system who can benefit from them. At the same time each collection should have a MARC format record on the MELVYL system.
Implementation: Local campus; LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee; Office of the President.
15) Provide training in multicultural communication and sensitivity for all public service staff.
The University of California has a commitment to increase the enrollment and retention of students from racial and ethnic minority groups. To fulfill this commitment, the University has to create learning and social environments conducive to the successful academic careers of historically under-represented students. Since most contact between library and patron occurs at public service reference points, it is imperative that all public service staff increase their awareness of cultural differences and sensitivity to issues related to race, gender and ethnicity
Implementation: HOPS and LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee with funding from the Office of the President.
16) Proactively recruit, hire, train, and encourage the advancement of reference specialists and bibliographic instructors in ethnic studies.
Human resources play a significant role in connecting patrons to information. Libraries must hire specialists in ethnic studies who have clearly defined responsibilities to provide in-house and outreach services which will promote a broad-based awareness of cultural diversity and multicultural literacy.
Implementation: Library Council Personnel Committee, HOPS, and LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee.
17) Develop an outreach and public relations program for the campus communities for reference and bibliographic instruction services.
In order to maximize use of the services by targeted groups, librarians must gain visibility and recognition among faculty and students. Librarians can gain visibility by extending orientation and outreach programs to non-library settings, e.g., to dorms, clubs, cultural centers, counseling centers, women's centers, ethnic studies programs, faculty meetings, etc. Librarians should participate actively in campus-wide functions, especially in cultural activities whether or not library related, such as international fairs, rainbow festivals, ethnic heritage celebrations. Reference services should be publicized through flyers and student newspapers.
Class visits can establish close contact between librarians and students and encourage minority students who are more reluctant to approach the Reference Desk for assistance. Also, class visits add to the visibility of librarians and help librarians to learn about the make-up and needs of the student population on the campus.
Implementation: HOPS, Local campus, LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee.
18) Provide training for reference and bibliographic instruction librarians so they understand and value cultural diversity and incorporate examples from different cultures into their instruction and reference practices.
An understanding of the impact of racism on particular ethnic groups might also enhance communication and the selection of examples as well as the development of instructional materials. Administrative support (funding for materials, release time and clerical support) would allow librarians with ethnic studies expertise to provide regular in-service sessions of resources, issues and trends in their areas.
Implementation: Development and Coordination of sensitivity training by LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee. Funding for a series of workshops to be provided by the Office of the President.
19) Evaluate new reference tools, both traditional and electronic, accurately and critically in terms of coverage of information and sources on diversity issues, ethnicity and race, and multiculturalism.
As more information appears in electronic format (e.g., CD-ROM, remote site databases, locally mounted databases), it becomes increasingly important to ensure the quality of these resources and their accessibility by the
university community. These sources should be evaluated in terms of their coverage of culturally diverse populations. Reference staff must be trained in the efficient use of these electronic resources, particularly in the effective presentation of this information to minority students. These presentations will increase students' awareness about the coverage of these topics in the literature, familiarize them with the resources in their specific area, and impress them with the knowledge that reference staff make special efforts to meet students, faculty and staff needs in the areas of ethnicity, culture and minority studies.
Implementation: Computer Files Committee; Collection Development Committee; HOPS; Local Campus.
20) Establish guidelines and resources for training librarians who will provide bibliographic instruction in ethnic/multicultural studies.
We must work towards training all librarians to work with diverse ethnic/cultural groups. Librarians from under-represented groups can serve as instructors, resources and role models.
Implementation: HOPS in consultation with Library Instruction Roundtable (LIRT) of American Library Association (ALA), and the Bibliographic Instruction Section (BIS) of Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL); LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee.
21) Develop basic bibliographic instruction that sup-ports new campus breadth requirements as well as advanced instruction to support the explosion of graduate and faculty-level research in ethnic/multicultural studies.
Some campuses have developed bibliographic instruction courses to this end. In addition, the California Clearinghouse of Library Instruction has also gathered relevant information in this area.
Implementation: LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee will coordinate and disseminate information on courses. Funding to be provided from the Office of the President, individual campuses, UC library schools, etc.
22) Encourage California library schools to offer regularly courses in ethnic studies bibliography and services to a multicultural population; incorporate issues of diversity into courses in the general library school curriculum.
Implementation: LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee in consultation with library school faculty and deans, and ethnic studies librarians, and professional organizations involved with these issues; library school alumni organizations.
23) Establish a Target of Opportunity library diversity program, create librarian positions for which under-represented groups are encouraged to apply, and support existing internships, residencies and 'specially funded' positions.
A sincere commitment to the hiring of racial and ethnic librarians entails flexibility in filling librarian positions. To this end Target-of-Opportunity (TOP) positions that currently exist for faculty should be established for librarians. Applicants from under-represented groups who are not selected for a current opening but who possess qualifications appropriate for another department can be hired. UC Santa Barbara and San Diego have hired racial and ethnic librarians through TOP.
Implementation: University Librarians; Library Council Personnel Committee.
24) Establish a comprehensive multi-campus recruitment program for all of the UC libraries.
Coordinated recruitment, including library administrative positions, should be the goal of UC recruiters. This might include establishing a master list of applicants interested in employment on all of the UC campuses.
Recruitment can be viewed in different stages. First priority is the recruitment of professional librarians, second is library school students, next is recruitment to library schools from existing library staff personnel, and last from the undergraduate student body. UCSD has established the Undergraduate Student Internship Program (UCIP) as a way of facilitating recruiting minority undergraduate students. UCLA's library sent two librarians to visit library schools in the southern and southwestern states in order to recruit librarians.
Implementation: Library Council Personnel Committee, LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee.
25) Counsel and encourage library assistants from under-represented groups to attend library school by providing financial assistance and restructuring work schedules.
Librarians should make proactive efforts to discuss professional librarianship as a career option for currently employed library assistants from under-represented groups.
Implementation: AULs for Personnel; Campus library diversity committees.
26) Create and sustain a systemwide mentorship program for beginning and continuing librarians from under-represented groups.
Mentors help orient new librarians to the intricacies of organizational structure and relationships, and assist both new and mid-career librarians in devising appropriate and rewarding career strategies.
Implementation: LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee, Library Council Personnel Committee.
27) Conduct a LAUC sponsored study of recruitment, retention, and advancement of under-represented librarians.
More information is required in order to obtain an accurate profile of minority librarians within the UC system. LAUC could issue a call for those interested in conducting research covering this topic as part of its research grants program.
Implementation: LAUC President; LAUC Research and Professional Development Committee; LAUC Cultural Diversity Committee. Funding to be provided by the Office of the President.