Librarians for Tomorrow at the San José Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Joint Library

Introduction

Recruitment initiatives at San José State University date back over a decade. Librarians from San José State University (SJSU), San José Public Library (SJPL) and other local librarians and faculty from the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) have partnered with professional organizations such as REFORMA, CALA, and BCALA to coordinate focused recruitment to library staff and SJSU undergraduates to increase the number of minorities entering library school and the library profession. For many libraries, the percentage of minority librarians in the work place has not equaled the minority populations of the communities they serve. Additionally, there exists a projected decrease in minority librarians due to retirement. The need to find and train new minority librarians is critical.

Although this is the 21^st century information age, the digital divide still exists for many in the United States especially for the minority populations, low-income, undereducated, and elderly. One way to bridge this divide is through recruitment, training and hiring of minority librarians who understand the needs of these diverse populations because of their bilingual and bicultural competence.

This chapter includes a review of the literature regarding recruitment and retention of students of color in library schools. An overview of the factors that lead to the decision to become a librarian is provided. In particular, we will discuss the previous recruitment efforts that lead to the IMLS grant award for the Librarians for Tomorrow program, and its strengths and challenges as a new cohort of librarian train to help users move into the twenty-first century’s technology and access to information. Challenges and recommendations for future study follow.