Report: “Diversity Concerns Linger at the Library of Congress”
From Roll Call:
The Library of Congress could soon have the first African American and first woman chief librarian in its 200-year history. But some employees worry that the expected arrival of Carla D. Hayden won’t be enough to end a decades-long struggle with discrimination and diversity in its workforce.
“Yeah, she’d make history,” said Priscilla Ijeomah, who has worked at the library for nearly 30 years. But she said that if Hayden doesn’t make changes, “all it will be is history.”
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The LOC has been working to limit discrimination and bolster minority representation. But some, including a union president, believe the institution still has a long way to go.
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The library currently has 3,297 employees, 57 percent of whom are white. Roughly 30 percent are African-American, 8 percent are Asian-American, and just under 3 percent are Hispanic, according to data provided by a library spokeswoman.Though the library’s racial diversity exceeds the rest of the federal workforce, some workers say they still struggle to receive promotions or raises.
Read the Complete Article (approx. 1300 words)< In Other Library of Congress News…
Anonymous Republicans Blocking Librarian of Congress Vote (via PW) & Report: Carla Hayden Nomination Stalled (via Politico)
Filed under: Data Files, Libraries, News
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.