5 Suggestions That Increase the Hiring and Promotions of Art Librarians of Color

A friend, co-writer, and editor, Anqunette Thomas, marvelously summed up 2020 in a Facebook post. She states, “2020 was the year of the Unexpected. 2021 will be the year for all of us to expect everything to go the way we decide to live.” As community demand drives diversity requests, library administrators have to cultivate efforts that reflect the expectation of their community. Statements and education are good, but do they address the community's call? Here are 5 actions that can change your library in 2021! 

1. Equal Employment Opportunity Leader

Select a staff member to serve as the library's EEO leader. Human Resources will train the selectee to ensure EEOC guidelines are followed. Leaders do not participate in interviews, they serve as a silent witness. They evaluate the interview process, provide training to the hiring committee prior to  interviews, and highlight the library's efforts to support EDIJ as a measurable action item. 

2. BIPOC candidates

Mandate the representation of BIPOC candidates into your top 3 finalists. If you have 5, then invite a rainbow of selectees. This can be completed a number of ways: form a relationship with North Carolina Central University - the only Historically Black University with a library school, advertise on BIPOC organizational listservs, and encourage POC to apply in the announcement. 

3. Diversity-centered position within the library 

This library position is exclusively for diversity initiatives that extend into hiring and promotions. This position would encourage mentorship and partnerships where mentees select mentors. This creates a support and promotional system within the organization and is a great way to assess diversity numbers in leadership. These efforts can extend to POC student groups. 

4. Benchmark

There is a saying, “What gets measured, gets done!” Measure your progress. Develop a metric to gauge EDIJ efforts. Stop using education and subject headings as diversity initiatives. Benchmarking highlights and tracks goals and helps identify areas for improvement. Because administrators measure library use, patron steps, and fundraising, they are well equipped to measure hiring.

5. Rubrics For Promotions

Ways to gain promotions and raises are not always clearly defined, so try using a rubric to help with equity. A rubric serves as a roadmap that highlights the library's needs and provides staff with a way to negotiate a raise beyond the 2% increment. The library will be more progressive, meet the needs of the community, and will build stronger team environments. 

Resources with People to Know: 

YouTube: Mary Frances Winters on Black Fatigue, https://youtu.be/KMhDvaJx-CA

Thomas Jr., R. Roosevelt. (1993). HBR. From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity. thttps://hbr.org/1990/03/from-affirmative-action-to-affirming-diversity

DiversityCentral: Resources for Cultural Diversity at Work.http://www.diversitycentral.com/tools_and_resources/diversitychampion.php

Citations

Associate University Librarian for Antiracism [Advertisement]. (2020, November 10). Retrieved 2020, from https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/299424/associate-university-librarian-for-antiracism/?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic. Harvard University

Yello.co. (2019). Diversity Recruiting: Employer Benchmark Report (Benchmarking Strategies). Retrieved 2019, from https://yello.co/wp-conto ent/uploads/2019/10/yello-diversityReport-FINAL-1.pdf

Diaz, A., & Kirmmse, J. (2013). A New Rubric for Assessing Institution-Wide Diversity. Diversity and Democracy,16(16), 3rd ser. https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/new-rubric-assessing-institution-wide-diversity

Opportunity Commission, U. (2020). BEST PRACTICES FOR EMPLOYERS AND HUMAN RESOURCES/EEO PROFESSIONALS. Retrieved December 10, 2020, from https://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/e-race/best-practices-employers-and-human-resourceseeo-professionals

Rakuna, R. (2018, March 26). 10 Eye-opening Best Practice Strategies to Diversity Recruiting. Retrieved December 11, 2020, from https://www.rakuna.co/blog/posts/diversity-recruiting-strategy-best-practices/