Agree that the literature search missed a great deal. Below are a few aspects of recruiting a diverse work place that happened in ALA in the 1980s and 1990s before the Office of Diversity.. They are not difficult to find in a subject search.
I worked with Margaret Myers at the (then) American Library Association, Office for Library Personnel Resources on several projects that addressed the lack of diversity in LIS--both as chair of the Commitee on the Status of Women in Librarianship and as Chair of the Office for Library Personnel Resources in the 1980s and 1990s.
These projects are seldom cited. Assuming ALA had done nothing misses these studies and initiatives.
McCook, Kathleen , and American Library Association Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship. 1998. 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝑳𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 : 𝑨𝒏 𝑶𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚. [Chicago]: American Library Association.
American Library Association Office for Library Personnel Resources. 1989. 𝑬𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝑶𝒏𝒆: 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏; Action Handbook. Chicago: The Office. This was a 48p. Handbook: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL14636288M/Each_one_reach_one
McCook, Kathleen, William E. Moen, and American Library Association Office for Library Personnel Resources. 1989. 𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 : 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬’ 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲. Chicago: American Library Association, Office for Library Personnel Resources. (LISSADA Survey).
In 1988, ALA’s Office for Library Personnel Resources commissioned a study of students enrolled in U.S. programs of library and information science, the Library and Information Science Student Attitudes, Demographics, and Aspirations Survey (LISSADA Survey).
Also reported in: McCook, Kathleen, and William E. Moen. 1992. “Patterns of Program Selection: Ranked Factors in the Choice of a Master’s Degree Program in Library and Information Studies.” Journal of Education for Library and Information Science 33 (3): 212–25
I think it impt that those who criticize the field realize there has been effort for many years. And my time working on these issues was when ALA did not have an office as it does now with a focus on diversity. Margaret Myers who was head of OLPR provided much foundational support.
Margaret Myers (Librarians We Have Lost, Sesquicentennial Memories -1976-2026)
Margaret Myers, was the first honoree to receive the American Library Association Equality Award, 1984. Equality Award | Awards & Grants (ala.org)
Myers formulated the "Each One, Reach One" campaign in 1988 with a focus on increasing diversity in Library and Information Science; was a pioneer in gender studies in librarianship, playing significant roles in organizing the Melvil’s Rib Symposium (1973) and the American Library Association Pre-conference on the Status of Women in Librarianship (1974); supported many ALA committees and roundtables, including the Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship (COSWL) and the Committee on Education (COE) and Committee on Pay Equity. Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship – American Library Association Archives – U of I Library (illinois.edu) Memorial Tribute to Margaret Myers crafted by Katharine J. Phenix and Kay A. Cassell is here: M20 Memorial Resolution Honoring Margaret R Myers final.pdf (ala.org) Women's History Month - Wikipedia
Agree that the literature search missed a great deal. Below are a few aspects of recruiting a diverse work place that happened in ALA in the 1980s and 1990s before the Office of Diversity.. They are not difficult to find in a subject search.
I worked with Margaret Myers at the (then) American Library Association, Office for Library Personnel Resources on several projects that addressed the lack of diversity in LIS--both as chair of the Commitee on the Status of Women in Librarianship and as Chair of the Office for Library Personnel Resources in the 1980s and 1990s.
These projects are seldom cited. Assuming ALA had done nothing misses these studies and initiatives.
McCook, Kathleen , and American Library Association Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship. 1998. 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝑳𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 : 𝑨𝒏 𝑶𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚. [Chicago]: American Library Association.
American Library Association Office for Library Personnel Resources. 1989. 𝑬𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝑶𝒏𝒆: 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏; Action Handbook. Chicago: The Office. This was a 48p. Handbook: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL14636288M/Each_one_reach_one
McCook, Kathleen, William E. Moen, and American Library Association Office for Library Personnel Resources. 1989. 𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 : 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬’ 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲. Chicago: American Library Association, Office for Library Personnel Resources. (LISSADA Survey).
In 1988, ALA’s Office for Library Personnel Resources commissioned a study of students enrolled in U.S. programs of library and information science, the Library and Information Science Student Attitudes, Demographics, and Aspirations Survey (LISSADA Survey).
Also reported in: McCook, Kathleen, and William E. Moen. 1992. “Patterns of Program Selection: Ranked Factors in the Choice of a Master’s Degree Program in Library and Information Studies.” Journal of Education for Library and Information Science 33 (3): 212–25
Thank you very much Kathleen! As is so often the case you've provided a valuable bibliography to the post!
I think it impt that those who criticize the field realize there has been effort for many years. And my time working on these issues was when ALA did not have an office as it does now with a focus on diversity. Margaret Myers who was head of OLPR provided much foundational support.
Margaret Myers (Librarians We Have Lost, Sesquicentennial Memories -1976-2026)
Margaret Myers, was the first honoree to receive the American Library Association Equality Award, 1984. Equality Award | Awards & Grants (ala.org)
Myers formulated the "Each One, Reach One" campaign in 1988 with a focus on increasing diversity in Library and Information Science; was a pioneer in gender studies in librarianship, playing significant roles in organizing the Melvil’s Rib Symposium (1973) and the American Library Association Pre-conference on the Status of Women in Librarianship (1974); supported many ALA committees and roundtables, including the Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship (COSWL) and the Committee on Education (COE) and Committee on Pay Equity. Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship – American Library Association Archives – U of I Library (illinois.edu) Memorial Tribute to Margaret Myers crafted by Katharine J. Phenix and Kay A. Cassell is here: M20 Memorial Resolution Honoring Margaret R Myers final.pdf (ala.org) Women's History Month - Wikipedia
https://lhrt.news/librarians-we-have-lost-sesquicentennial-memories-1976-2026/