Topic > Diversity Issue: Librarian Recruitment - 3202

Depending on the definition, diversity is a word that can have multiple meanings. There really is no single answer to a word that covers a lot of territory and is loaded with a lot of potential. The secret to finding “one” source of diversity is to break it down into sections. While you may be able to address two or three aspects of diversity, there are even more layers behind it to peel away. Touching on several aspects at a time can only provide an overview of how you want to pursue solutions. As for finding solutions, you must first become active in the task and take responsibility for “wanting to do something about it for the better good.” Moran, Stueart, and Morner (2013) defined diversity as “a broad term that includes not only race, ethnicity, and gender, but also characteristics such as age and physical ability” (p. 190). Thurston (2012) reported that “despite the attention paid to this issue over the past forty years, there has been little noticeable change in levels of diversity among members of the profession” (p. 360). Gabriel (2010) provided a simple definition of diversity by stating that “diversity involves the ability to incorporate variety within a group” (p. 149). The group discussed in this document deals with recruitment at different levels with respect to gender, age and minority. Wheeler (2008) also added the definition of diversity by stating that “one must produce one's own definition of diversity by examining one's background, personal issues, and how they deal with one's perceptions and attitudes toward people of color " (p. 21). . This shows that, as a librarian or future librarian, you must self-evaluate your personal problems and work towards building a working relationship...... middle of paper ......y News, 68( 9), 562 -565. Nelson, K. (2010). Technology, Diversity and Adaptation: A Variety of Voices Converge at the 2010 Diversity Symposium. AALL Spectrum. 15(1), 34-35.Patterson, L. (2000). History and status of Native Americans in librarianship. Library trends. 49(1), 182-193. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, sixth edition. Rumsey, M. (2006). Is the law library a woman's world? AALL spectrum. 10(4), 16-17,36.Shannon, D. M. (2008). School librarianship: Career choice and recruitment. Journal of Education for Library and Information Sciences. 49(3), 210-229. Thurston, A. (2012). Confronting the emerging majority: Racial and ethnic diversity in law librarianship in the twenty-first century. Journal of the Law Library. 104(3), 359-381. Wheeler, R. (2014). ALL diversity redefined. Journal of the Law Library. 106(1), 135-141.