Sensitivity: the epitome of the aristocrat. –Mary Rodgers
A civilization is to be judged by its treatment of minorities. –Gandhi
America is a great country, to be sure, but no one should have to visit it for the first time. –Nehru
Everyone is racist. –Author unknown
Introduction
Academic library staff who interact with the public can benefit from training workshops designed to increase their sensitivity to the various customers they serve–some of whom are minorities. In a 1995–1996 survey of college faculty in the U.S. conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute, 38.9% of respondents indicated that they had attended a racial/cultural awareness workshop in the past two years.1 At Western Kentucky University Libraries, members of the Department of Library Public Services attend a sensitivity training workshop aimed at improving service to students belonging to racial minority groups, international students, students with disabilities, and nontraditional students. "Sensitivity Training in Academic Library Public Services: An In-Service Workshop," consists of components that are applicable to other academic libraries. This design has successfully provided a forum for discussing a range of diversity issues at WKU Libraries and may be a useful resource for others with the same goal.
A Diverse Public
Writing on racial and ethnic diversity in academic libraries, Curry, Blandy, and Martin identify many different types of nontraditional students in U.S. universities today.2 According to their definition, a nontraditional student may be: female, African American, Native American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, an international student, a student with one or more disabilities, a returning student, a commuter, and/or a part-time student. Considering the range of diversity represented in academic customers, Curry, Blandy, and Martin advise librarians to use culturally and racially inclusive examples in bibliographic instruction. Why use John Updike or Norman Mailer as sample search topics, they ask, when such examples as the writers Gus Lee or Julia Alvarez will teach the same strategies and cover broader sources? Practicing inclusive library instruction, along with all other services, supports student effectiveness and retention.
In Reaching and Teaching Diverse Library User Groups, Mensching states, "the composition of American college and university groups is diversifying, changing rapidly into a multicultural, over age 25, part-time, commuter student population."3 She makes such cultural generalizations as older students may be computerphobic, or that some international students may come from countries where libraries have closed stack systems, limited collections, or copyright policies that differ dramatically from those in the United States. Mensching describes a cross-cultural transition, including international students’ experience, as a cycle that begins with fascination and is followed by culture shock and mental isolation, eventually followed by acceptance and integration. Increased sensitivity on the part of librarians toward international students will facilitate the students’ ability to successfully transition through this cycle, acculturating to a new environment.
The very presence of minority librarians can help minority patrons feel accepted and integrated into the library’s service philosophy. Recruiting this diverse workforce may take affirmative measures. For example, Wright State University has a residency program to increase its representation of librarians who are African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Asian American, or who have disabilities. Residency programs are increasingly being used in academic and research libraries as a tool for attracting new professionals of color. (The Association of Research Libraries provides a list of residency and internship opportunities on its website at
.) Another example of a library’s recruitment efforts is the University of Michigan Library’s Peer Information Counseling Program, which recruits student assistants from minority racial and ethnic groups to staff the reference desk.4 These programs are just a few of the current diversity initiatives underway in academic libraries. The breadth and depth of these efforts indicates the academic library community’s commitment to diversity.
Students Belonging to Racial Minority Groups
One may ask whether special efforts to increase sensitivity to students belonging to racial minorities are necessary in U.S academic libraries. "I treat everyone the same," I can imagine my colleagues at the reference desk saying. But there may be a level at which each of us is racist. As Michael Harrington said, "The American economy, the American society, the American unconscious are all racist."5 (Italics added.) Recent studies have shown that in the United States today, for example, black customers receive worse overall service in businesses than do white customers.6 Students of color, who may have experienced discrimination in business settings, are sensitive to the service they receive in the library. A minority library patron who perceives receiving poor service may then perceive the library as an unwelcoming place. "Perceived as" is an important phrase when it comes to race relations. The Dean of Student Life at Western Kentucky University, Howard Bailey, once offered our libraries this tip: Don’t start serving a second patron while in the middle of helping someone who was there first. Otherwise, if the first patron is of a different race from the second patron and the librarian, the librarian’s service might be perceived as racist. Instead, he suggested, pause briefly to say to the second patron, "Do you have a quick question?" and then finish helping the first patron.
In addition to staff and a welcoming environment, it is also important to think of the library’s collections as reflecting the institution’s commitment to diversity. Librarians have the responsibility to create robust collections. One way to accomplish this is to seek works that are supportive of cultural and racial differences in order to enhance the comprehensive nature of a collection and counterbalance potentially offensive works. Books like Laura Ingalls Wilder’s By the Shores of Silver Lake, which includes the sentence, "Ma did not like Indians; she did not like even half-Indians,"7 may be considered valuable literature by some but offensive by others. Librarians who wish to be more sensitive to minorities can seek out bibliographies devoted to different groups for use in collection development. In selecting health sciences materials, for instance, I have made use of bibliographies such as "A Core Collection on Minority Health: Resources about People of Color."8 Academic librarians should be aware that by the year 2000, one-third of all school-age children will be minorities.9 When these minority children become college students, will academic library collections be ready for them? One step academic libraries can take to ensure that our collections meet the needs of minority students is to designate a diversity librarian (sometimes called a "diversity officer" or "diversity coordinator") to coordinate activities that reflect the diversity of the students they serve. Many libraries are also incorporating language like "contributing to the library’s diversity efforts" as a core professional expectation.
International Students
The number of international students on U.S. campuses is growing. Library professionals are increasingly interested in learning how to work more effectively with students from different national cultures and whose first language may be one other than English. According to Natowitz, international students in U.S. academic libraries report turning frequently to their compatriots–rather than librarians–for assistance.10 He recommends that librarians use a technique called "code switching" when communicating with international students. Code switching includes listening intently, speaking deliberately and clearly, using common words, being patient, avoiding slang, carefully defining and using technical vocabulary, and using repetition. One might add to these strategies the active listening skills taught in library school (e.g., Patron: "Where are the books on dogs?" Librarian: "You’re looking for information on dogs?"). Communicating clearly and effectively to meet customer needs is important in any service situation, but particularly so when communicating across cultures.
Natowitz describes in detail the approach to education and library use taken by international students from Japan. Students in Japan are not usually required to write research papers; thus, Japanese academic libraries serve mainly as study halls, lacking reference and other library services. Furthermore, Natowitz argues that some Japanese students may be reluctant to ask for help because they would view doing so as admitting to a deficiency. If a librarian is sensitive to various cultural norms, and willing to seek further information about cultural particularities, he or she will be proactive with students at the reference desk.
Natowitz lists some common U.S. library concepts that may be unfamiliar to most international students: left-to-right arrangement of materials, numbering categories, asking a woman for help, returning materials on time, self-service, questioning the teacher, learning outside the classroom, open stacks, and copyright policies. In China, for example, approximately 90% of libraries have closed stacks; library self-service does not exist at all in many developing countries. And the idea of plagiarism is foreign to many international students who are accustomed to writing papers that simply report what experts have said.
Additional characteristics of libraries in other cultures have been discussed by Ball and Mahony, who note that, in most Third World countries, books are highly valued resources and their use is discouraged to avoid damaging them.11 Consequently, Third World libraries tend to have closed stacks, and material is paged by clerks. Reserves, interlibrary loan, database searching, and term paper consultation may not exist in international students’ home countries. Education about these services is, therefore, especially crucial for international students to use U.S. libraries to their full potential.
Finally, according to Ball and Mahony, resources in overseas universities are often so limited that it is almost impossible to conduct independent research there. The teacher, not the library, is the repository of knowledge. But Western universities are distinguished by their emphasis on independent research. Ball and Mahony conclude that if an international student does not acquire the skills of independent research, he or she can never fully profit from an education in the U.S. Library professionals play a critical role in educating international students about the role of, and resources available in, U.S. libraries. Librarians can take it upon themselves, personally, to become educated about the diverse needs of international students and can also work with other campus and community organizations to connect with international populations.
Students with Disabilities
First, a point of language: current usage is "people with disabilities"–or "students with disabilities" in an academic library setting–in reference to physically or mentally challenged individuals. This usage is preferred because it puts the word "people" (or "students") first. Libraries also serve many people with learning disabilities, which are often invisible when working with a patron. The library video People First contains many important points about serving patrons with disabilities, the chief one being that they prefer not to be called "disabled people".12 The video argues that attitudinal barriers, not physical ones, are the real handicappers.
Another video useful for sensitivity training is A Video Guide to (Dis)ability Awareness.13 This film recommends verbalizing one’s actions when speaking with visually impaired people; treating guide dogs as one would a white cane (one would not say, "Oh, what a pretty white cane!" and start playing with it); repeating oneself for a hearing impaired person when necessary (saying "Never mind," "It’s not important," or "It doesn’t matter" is demeaning to the listener–as though he or she is not worth repeating oneself for); giving wheelchair users a comfortable angle for conversation by sitting while speaking with them (looking up into people’s eyes for extended periods is very tiring); and asking wheelchair users whether they would like assistance before providing it.
The Association of Research Libraries’ SPEC Kit 176, Library Services for Persons with Disabilities, lists services provided for patrons with disabilities at libraries around the country, including:
wheelchair available at the circulation desk;
coin-operated telephones placed at wheelchair height;
accessible restrooms on all floors;
Kurzweil Reading Machine;
talking calculator with Braille instructions;
copies of the university catalog, student handbook, and campus map in Braille available in the reference section;
stereo equipment with Braille controls;
table adjusted in height to accommodate wheelchair users;
photocopy service provided for individuals who have difficulty using coin-operated photocopiers;
library study rooms available for patrons with disabilities who need to store specialized equipment;
name, title, and phone number of diversity librarian;
Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD); and
a trainer to teach adaptive technology use.14
And Brandekoff suggests eight additional ways libraries can improve service to patrons with disabilities:
Install double-swinging or automatic doors.
Formulate, and inform students of, evacuation procedures.
Modify a number of study tables and carrels on each floor for wheelchair users.
Appoint a resource librarian to coordinate library services for students with disabilities.
Increase size of library signs and post them at eye level.
Provide sensitivity training for library staff.
Offer special library orientation tours for students with visual and hearing impairments.
Offer bibliographic instruction in print and on videocassette.15
As Walling and Irwin remind us, many students with developmental disabilities have learning disabilities as well.16 With this kind of information, academic librarians in positions of leadership will be better able to plan services supportive of students with disabilities. Wright and Davie tell us that many difficulties can be overcome if librarians without disabilities involve persons with disabilities in the entire process of planning services.17 Plan and work with, Wright and Davie say, not for!
Nontraditional Students
Aslanian, who has researched working with adult students, provides the following descriptive points about these students:
Most adult students are women.
Once in the classroom, adult students perform better than traditional-age students do, although many adults may hesitate to start university studies.
Adults take education seriously.
Adults want assurance of concrete benefits: skills, credentials, personal growth.
Adults are paying the bills and expect a quality product.
Adults have time constraints placed on them by work and family responsibilities.
Adults may feel out of place in a traditional campus setting.
Adults may come to the learning setting with limited computer skills.
The adult learner population encompasses many diverse markets with varied interests and needs.18
According to Aslanian, the traditional college student– full time, in residence, and less than 22 years of age–accounts for only 20% of all college students in the U.S. She concludes that, as increasing numbers of people seek education to remain competitive in an ever-changing world, the phrases "traditional student" and "nontraditional student" will likely become obsolete.
If Aslanian is correct, academic librarians can expect to serve greater numbers of adult students over time. McGrew has found substantial evidence that traditional-aged students are much more likely to remain in school than nontraditional-aged students are, regardless of academic performance.19 For this reason, adult students are in need of extra support in the library. Academic librarians may be familiar with students asking to have an article faxed to them because coming to the library would require hiring a babysitter for their children. Students with full-time jobs often request library appointments after business hours. Librarians should be sensitive to patrons’ diverse needs and accommodate these requests whenever possible. Adult patrons may go on to great things. According to Casey, in fields such as administration, politics, and religion, outstanding performance commonly occurs late in middle age and in old age.20
Conclusion
What a diverse public we serve! Remember that library service is a form of communication. Communication in the United States can be generally described as low-context–little casual conversation, verbal communication more important than nonverbal, instructions given in a uniform version and are expected to be understood the first time. Some people from other cultures may be high-context communicators–considerable casual conversation, nonverbal communication as important as verbal, instructions given in a version tailored to the individual student and known sometimes to need repeating. The more academic librarians learn about racial and ethnic group differences, international students, people with disabilities, and nontraditional students, the more sensitive to diverse user needs we will become, thereby strengthening our ability to deliver high quality service. If you have not already done so, consider scheduling sensitivity training sessions for library professionals who interact with the public as a means of enhancing the library’s ability to deliver excellence to all customers.
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Endnotes
1. Linda J. Sax, et al., The American College Teacher: National Norms for the 1995–96 HERI Faculty Survey (Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, 1996).
2. Deborah A. Curry, Susan Griswold Blandy, and Lynne M. Martin, eds., Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Academic Libraries: Multicultural Issues (New York: Haworth Press, 1994). Also published as The Reference Librarian nos. 45/46 (1994).
3. Teresa B. Mensching, ed., Reaching and Teaching Diverse Library User Groups (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Pierian Press, 1989), ix.
4. Barbara MacAdam and Darlene P. Nichols, "Peer Information Counseling: An Academic Library Program for Minority Students," Journal of Academic Librarianship 15 (Sept. 1989): 204–209.
5. Quoted in the Macmillan Dictionary of Political Quotations (New York: Macmillan, 1993), 428.
6. Footage obtained with hidden cameras in stores illustrates this point, as shown in "Under Suspicion," 20/20 [television broadcast] (New York: ABC News, 27 Feb. 1998).
7. Laura Ingalls Wilder, By the Shores of Silver Lake (New York: Harper, 1953), 82.
8. Neville Prendergast and Sharon A. Gray, "A Core Collection on Minority Health: Resources about People of Color," Medical Reference Services Quarterly 14, no. 4 (1995): 23–43.
9. Commission on Minority Participation in Education and American Life, One-Third of a Nation: A Report of the Commission on Minority Participation in Education and American Life (Washington: American Council on Education; [Denver]: Education Commission of the States, 1988). Quoted in Janet E. Welch and R. Errol Lam, "The Library and the Pluralistic Campus in the Year 2000: Implications for Administrators," Library Administration & Management 5 (fall 1991): 212–216.
10. Allen Natowitz, "International Students in U.S. Academic Libraries: Recent Concerns and Trends," Research Strategies 13 (winter 1995): 4–16.
11. Mary Alice Ball and Molly Mahony, "Foreign Students, Libraries, and Culture," College & Research Libraries 48, no. 2 (Mar. 1987): 160–166.
12. People First: Serving and Employing People with Disabilities [videorecording] (New York: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 1990).
13. A Video Guide to (Dis)ability Awareness [videorecording] (Tucson, Ariz.: Idea Bank, 1993).
14. Library Services for Persons with Disabilities, SPEC Kit 176 (Washington: Association of Research Libraries, July/Aug. 1991).
15. Susan Brandekoff, "Disabled Students Tell Librarians What They Want," American Libraries 18 (May 1987): 330.
16. Linda Lucas Walling and Marilyn M. Irwin, eds., Information Services for People with Developmental Disabilities: The Library Manager’s Handbook (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995).
17. Kieth C. Wright and Judith F. Davie, Serving the Disabled: A How-to-Do-It Manual for Librarians (New York: Neal-Schuman, 1991).
18. Carol Aslanian, Best Practices in Marketing to Adult Students [videorecording] (New York: The College Board, n.d.).
19. Charles E. McGrew, "Variables that Influence Retention and Attrition in a Regional University" (thesis, Western Kentucky University, 1993), v.
20. Genevieve Casey, Library Services for the Aging (Hamden, Conn.: Library Professional Publications, 1984).