Recruiting for Diversity: Strategies for 21st Century Research Librarianship

Academic libraries, especially research libraries, are recognizing the benefits and importance of recruiting librarians from diverse backgrounds. The imperative for diversity in higher education and, therefore, in its libraries, provides the context for outlining strategies to recruiting the best and brightest librarians from underrepresented groups. Creative efforts at the national professional organizational level to recruit broadly and effectively are making a difference in widening the pipeline at the entry-level and at higher position levels. In many cases research libraries are campus leaders for diversity initiatives including recruitment and for good reason. This paper will lay out strategies for robust diversity recruiting activities at the organizational and institutional level using the University of Tennessee's experiences as a basis for discussion. Finally, a summary of successful strategies in the current and future context of higher education will provide a roadmap and a catalyst for even greater strides in diversifying academic and research libraries and, in turn, our colleges and universities to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century global society.

Article published in Library Hi Tech 26, no. 4 (2008): 622-629.