Faculty from the University of South Florida School of Information will be presenting at the 2^nd National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color in Kansas City, MO Sept 19-23.  Join the School at their presentation on Friday, September 21 or at their conference booth. We look forward to seeing you!

Living Diversity Initiatives: A historical and future look at one library program's commitment to community and culture

As prospective librarians begin their professional preparation, their first experiences of connecting with colleagues of similar cultures and/or learning to serve special populations are often through graduate library programs. Inclusive library school programs, as well as the university communities to which they belong, must be committed to the support and integration of diversity as part of their strategic goals and natural missions. Sometimes it appears that the goals of professional library schools and academe may not be in direct alignment. However, it is possible for higher education administration and professional programs to synchronize outcomes: educating students while meeting strategic goals. One library school has made it a priority to incorporate its own diversity oriented values into the way higher education programs commonly “conducts university business”, integrating the academic practices of teaching, research, and service as a fundamental foundation of diversity integration into its curriculum, research objectives,  and student preparation.