Multiculturalism and Diversity in Public Libraries

With an ever-growing immigrant population in the U.S public libraries have had to maintain a commitment to pluralism and diversity. Public libraries have a social obligation to all the citizens of our country, regardless of ethnicity, background, or economic status. Public libraries need pluralism because they serve a wide population of different minorities which are usually underrepresented and underserved. A certain cultural consciousness and sensitivity to diversity is necessary to best meet the needs of this diverse crowd. It is essential that libraries incorporate multi-cultural media into their collections such as foreign films, books, and other library materials. Smith's article details the significance of cultural consciousness in the workplace, namely libraries.

When awareness for diversity is awakened in the library setting the employees become more capable of providing effective service to different ethnicities because they have a good understanding of different cultures and openness to distinct world views. Smith (2008) mentions that in order "to achieve diversity in substance as well as in form, libraries have to open their arms to all perspectives and experiences" (p.143). A true understanding of cultural pluralism is a skill that must be learned and is not easily acquired. Smith emphasizes how a failure to communicate effectively with a diverse population will make that population feel alienated and rejected. "Without effective skills for communicating and partnering across differences, organizations tend to marginalize the people who are most different from the dominant group" (p. 144). Cultural competency is needed so that diversity can be understood, accepted, and respected.

Smith stresses that if a library wants to effectively reach out to a diverse crowd it must start by hiring multi-cultural employees to better serve an expansive multi-ethnic population. Smith (2008) mentions that: "although much has been written about cultural diversity in organizations, the consensus strongly advocates the importance of having a diverse workforce and an organizational climate that initiates, sustains, and evaluates to ensure continuous improvement" (p. 145).

Libraries recognize that diversity has a monumental value since the goal of librarianship is to reach out to people of all cultures and backgrounds. Libraries should be dedicated to reaching out to individuals of color, and people with disabilities. As Smith mentions: "minority groups are often locked out of opportunities for advancement due to their lack of access to power and privilege. This lack for minorities may seem readily available to members of the dominant group" (p. 147). Libraries should work towards offering a balance of services to both minorities, and dominant groups, so that neither one is neglected or left out.

At the end of the article Smith finalizes by emphasizing one point: "diversity in the workplace is based on the simple and sober recognition that we need each other to grow our libraries, our profession, and our colleges and universities" (p. 152). In conclusion, if we would like progression and success in our public libraries, we need to come together as a whole and work to serve all individuals of different ethnic backgrounds. As library workers, we must incorporate diversity initiatives, provide culturally-specific media in our library collection, and maintain a cultural awareness that enables us to provide the best customer service to underrepresented minorities.

Reference:

Smith, P. M. (2008).Culturally conscious organizations: a conceptual framework.

Portal, 8 (2). Retrieved September 28, 2008, from Library Literature & Information Science Full Text.