Recruiting for diversity: strategies for twenty‐first century research librarianship

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to focus on organizational and institutional strategies, including a case study from the University of Tennessee, concerned with recruiting librarians from diverse backgrounds.

Design/methodology/approach

Programs from the Association for Research Libraries, the American Library Association, OCLC, and IFLA for recruiting librarians from diverse backgrounds are reviewed. An in‐depth case study of the University of Tennessee Diversity Libraries Residency Program is included to provide a detailed example of a successful program and its contributions locally and to the research library field.

Findings

The paper provides strategies and a catalyst for other organizations and institutions to develop robust recruitment programs for a diverse workforce in academic libraries.

Originality/value

This paper lays out strategies for robust diversity recruiting activities at the organizational and institutional level using the University of Tennessee's experiences as a basis for discussion.

Citation

Dewey, B. and Keally, J. (2008), "Recruiting for diversity: strategies for twenty‐first century research librarianship", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 622-629. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830810920941