Your Name and Title: Martha A. Parker, Librarian-In-Residence, UA Libraries

Library, School, or Organization Name: ACRL-REDC (Association of College & Research Libraries - Racial and Ethnic Diversity Committee).

Co-Presenter Name(s): Latrice Booker, Coordinator of Library Instruction, Indiana University Northwest

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Fayetteville, AR, USA

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): Academic libraries

Short Session Description (one line):

From cultural awareness to cultural sensitivity to finally, cultural competence.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like): The diversity standards were developed by the Racial and Ethnic Diversity Committee of ACRL(Association of College & Research Libraries), based on the 2001 National Association of Social WorkersStandards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice.1 The standards are intended to emphasize the need and obligation to serve and advocate for racial and ethnically diverse constituencies.

 As such, they are intended to apply to all libraries supporting academic programs at institutions of higher education. Diversity is an essential component of any civil society. It is more than a moral imperative; it is a global necessity. Everyone can benefit from diversity, and diverse populations need to be supported so they can reach their full potential for themselves and their communities.

As visionary leaders open to change, new ideas, and global perspectives, ACRL is committed to diversity of people and ideas, as noted in its 2007 White Papers. With that regard, ACRL understands that if libraries are to continue being indispensable organizations in their campus communities, they must reflect the communities they serve and provide quality services to their increasingly diverse constituencies.

To achieve diversity in substance as well as in form, libraries have to open their arms to all perspectives and experiences. That requires competency in matters of cultural pluralism that are not intuitive and must be learned, like any other essential skill (Smith 2008, 143).

To this end, these standards provide a framework to support libraries in engaging the complexities of providing services to diverse populations, and recruiting and maintaining a diverse library workforce.

The standards may also serve as a starting point from which libraries can develop local approaches and goals in the context of their organizations’ mission and situation.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/committees/...

http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards