Definitions 
Before we discuss how the concepts of multiculturalism and diversity affect libraries, it is important for us to have a common understanding of these terms.
The doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country. (The Free Dictionary, 2009)
Diversity is defined as:
1. a. The fact or quality of being diverse; difference.
b. A point or respect in which things differ.
2. Variety or multiformity. (The Free Dictionary, 2009)
Context
Although these definitions are a useful first step in understanding multiculturalism and diversity, they lack context. In order to construct the framework needed to appreciate these terms, we must next look at what they mean to educators. Why educators? Because the field of education has been a pioneering field in regards to exploring the definition of multiculturalism and what it means for the theory and practices of educators. There are a number of different definitions of “multicultural education,” however NAME (The National Association for Multicultural Education) gives educators a working definition, which should be helpful for librarians as well.
Multicultural education is a philosophical concept built on the ideals of freedom, justice, equality, equity, and human dignity… It affirms our need to prepare student[s] for their responsibilities in an interdependent world. It recognizes the role schools can play in developing the attitudes and values necessary for a democratic society. It values cultural differences and affirms the pluralism that students, their communities, and teachers reflect. It challenges all forms of discrimination in schools and society through the promotion of democratic principles of social justice. (NAME, 2003)
Multiculturalism in this context is not only interested in peaceful and equitable coexistence between cultures, but also with promoting social justice and the human dignity of each individual member of a culture. It is in this context that the discussion of multiculturalism in libraries will take place. However, instead of concentrating on educators, we will be focusing on librarians instead. As such, I’d invite you to read the above definition once again, but this time substitute “patrons” for “students,” “libraries” for “schools,” and “librarians” for “teachers.” By doing this we will have a working definition with which to explore multiculturalism in libraries.
What about Diversity?
The concept of diversity encompasses multiculturalism and expands our discussion beyond cultures to a variety of subjects from age to sexuality. After all, humans are not only diverse in culture, but also in gender, age, mental and physical health, religion, philosophy, economic background, etc. In light of this, we must not only understand and value our various cultures, but also the other qualities that make us different from each other. Just as multiculturalism asks us to examine how we might act justly and equitably with other cultures, so too diversity asks us to do the same in regards to all people, no matter how different they might be from us mentally, physically, or emotionally.
Implications
Now that we have a borrowed, but working definition of multiculturalism and diversity for libraries, we can begin to ask ourselves what this means for librarians. The ALA’s OLOS (Office of Literacy and Outreach Services) is a great place to examine the ramifications of these concepts for library theory and practice. OLOS’s mission statement says, it “serves the Association by identifying and promoting library services that support equitable access to the knowledge and information stored in our libraries… focuses attention on services that are inclusive of traditionally underserved populations.” (ALA, 1998) From this statement, it is clear that equitable access to information and inclusive services are the pillars of what multiculturalism and diversity mean to the ALA.
From an international perspective, the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) provides guidelines for promoting “standards of fairness and equity in library service to ethnic, linguistic and cultural minorities.” (IFLA, 1998, revised 2002) There are eight major topics presented in the IFLA’s Multicultural Guidelines for Library Services, including criteria for: the responsibility of provision (of library collections and services), library materials, cross-cultural materials and services, information and reference services, technical services, extension services (activities involving literacy, community, homebound, etc.), staffing, and special groups. (IFLA, 1998, revised 2002) These guidelines are primarily focused on the necessity for librarians to be able to communicate and understand other individuals and cultures, to provide collections and services that fit their needs and preferred language, and to make their services equitable and accessible to all people.
Conclusion
The concepts of multiculturalism and diversity cover a wide range of topics, but hopefully this primer will give you the context you need to appreciate not only what these terms mean in general, but also the implications they have in regard to the collections, services, and guiding principles of the librarian profession as a whole.
References
Definition of Multicultural Education. Retrieved July 14, 2009 from, http://www.nameorg.org/aboutname.html#define
The Free Dictionary. Retrieved July 14, 2009 from, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/multiculturalism
The Free Dictionary. Retrieved July 14, 2009 from, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Diversity
Multicultural Guidelines for Library Services. Retrieved July 14, 2009 from, http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s32/pub/guide-e.htm
OLOS Mission. Retrieved July 14, 2009 from, http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/olos/index.cfm
7 comments:
Wonderful blog post. I especially like the section about treating users equally, despite differences "mentally, physically, or emotionally." It is a nice reminder that embracing diversity includes not only things like ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religious denomination, but also mental/emotional health and physical afflictions. Very thought-provoking.
As a teacher in a very non-diverse school, the issue of multiculturalism and diversity is one we strive to provide for our students. It's amazing to me how ignorant (I know that's harsh!) some of my students are when discussing different cultures or choices. However, if they are not learning it at home, than how can I blame them.
Your blog allowed me to also see the importance of taking into account cultural and diverse backgrounds of my patrons. Now, my students are pretty similar in race etc, but I would imagine a public library brings in a much larger range of differences. Even thinking about age, mental/emotional, health, religious, and physical is important, however we often may not think of this as "diversity". Very good points!
A New York Times article from 2006 titled "A 300 millionth American. Don't ask who." called Queens "the nation's most diverse county." Having lived in Queens for most of my adult life, multiculturalism and diversity were so fully a part of life that it lead me to forget that these issues still exist. When I moved to Ann Arbor three years ago I was shocked by how white and middleclass *everyone* seemed to be. Including myself. I now realize though, that the town is not just multicultural, but by your definition reference, incredibly diverse. The public library here, where I go at least twice a week, seems to be the epicenter for multiculturalism and diversity, which really highlights that need for cross-cultural materials, services, staffing and equitable access. I think the public library here is trying its best considering the economic challenges it faces. The two libraries I visited for our last assignment, don’t even seem like they are trying.
I appreciate Jillyan comments from a teacher’s point of view. I think our schools try to deal with ethnicity and multicultural issues especially when studying about other countries. As the public library I think we really need to try and fill this void as well. Students are given the opportunity to learn about these things in school, but in a community, no one is really forced to learn about another culture unless they take it upon themselves. This is where I think the public library can help adults understand ethnic multicultural issues by providing programming and adding materials that will add depth to the collection.
Thanks for your comments. I'm glad they helped broaden and crystalize the meaning of diversity for each of you. When I started to write this blog I realized that diversity was an expansion of the concept of multiculturism and so I tried to expand the concept of diversity to include not just physical and social differences (which are easier for us to notice right away), but also mental and psychological differences as well. Sometimes the subtle or less obvious differences between us are just as important to keep in mind when discussing diversity.
I have been trying to think about where multiculturalism fits in relation to the ALA Bill of Rights. Article I says: “Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.” (ALA, 1996). NAME says that multicultural education “values cultural differences and affirms the pluralism that students, their communities, and teachers reflect” (as cited in Miller, 2009). Are the ALA and NAME saying the same thing in different language? Maybe multiculturalism is the result of trying to implement an ideal that “all people of the community” are served.
When I read the Multicultural Communities Guidelines for Library Services of the IFLA I at first thought they were being too aggressive. The first guidelines is that “the funding and provision of library services to ethnic, linguistic and cultural minorities is a responsibility of all library authorities” (IFLA, 1998, Guidelines section). At first I thought of Article II of the ALA Bill of Rights which says “libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues” since this guideline seems to be promoting a particular point of view, i.e., a minority point of view (ALA, 1996). But as I mentioned earlier don’t you have to specify groups of people in trying to implement a policy of reaching all people of your community? After all, how do you know “all” people in the community are being served unless you describe who those people are and there are going to be different groups of people.
I like how the IFLA deals with the potential slippery slope of having to provide for thousands of potential minority groups. They say: “All ethnic, linguistic and cultural minorities should be provided with collections and services which meet equitable standards of library provision. In the case of very small minorities, or widely scattered groups, such materials and services may need to be provided on a central or cooperative basis in order to achieve a service of a size, range and quality comparable with that provided for larger groups or for the population as a whole.” That is very smart to say materials can be provided through a cooperative because there is no way many small libraries have the resources to provide specifically for non-English speaking patrons. The IFLA also rightly mentions how you just need to have a “comparable” collection available and so you do not need to overcompensate and create a disproportionate quantity of materials for minority groups.
ALA. (1996). Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved August 3, 2009, from
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm
IFLA. (1998). Multicultural communities guidelines for library services. Retrieved August 3,
2009, from http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s32/pub/guide-e.htm
Miller, J. (2009, July 27). Multiculturalism and diversity primer. Retrieved August 3, 2009, from
http://lis6010blog.blogspot.com/
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