Background and Research Rationale
Equal access to opportunities and having a workforce representative or reflective of the general population are important goals to achieve in diverse societies, such as Canada, that have in place equity and equality legislations and policies. In Canada, a country that prides itself in being diverse, it is not illogical to expect that various fields of studies and occupations are demographically diverse. With this reality in mind, I became interested in whether or not the field of library and information science (LIS) is ethno-culturally diverse. In retrospect, I realized that this was a field that strongly displayed a lack of diversity. From my observations, since my youth, I have noticed that the field is dominated by women who would appear to be white or of European descent. This observation is supported by 2016 Census data.
Individuals should have equal opportunities, and if this is not the case then the reasons why equality and equity do not exist should be examined
This topic is important because it has the ability to effect many people. Diversity is something that is celebrated in many places, especially Canada, so it is important to explore why certain fields and professions are not diverse. Lack of diversity is closely linked to issues such as exclusion and lack of equal opportunities. Individuals should have equal opportunities, according to the law, and if this is not the case then the reasons why equality and equity do not exist should be examined and addressed.
In addition to my observations, I am personally interested in this topic as a minority pursuing a degree in the field of LIS. I am an individual who believes that all fields and professions should be diverse since each person brings a different perspective and experience to the table. This personal interest also stemmed from my curiosity as to why diversity seemed to be lacking within this field. Is it because of a lack of knowledge of the field, a lack of interest, or something more serious?
Research Questions and Objectives
This research aims to gain information and answer the question:
What factors have influenced the lack of diversity in LIS?
The objective of the research is to take a look into the lived experiences of ethnically diverse LIS professionals and gain insight into the possible reasons to why there is lack of diversity within the field. Furthermore, this research is interested in seeing if there are specific reasons that effect individuals' decision to enter the field or remain in the field.
In addition to the broader research question, the following sub-questions would guide this research project:
What social, economic and structural barriers prevent underrepresented groups from pursuing a career in LIS?
What resources are available to underrepresented groups to address educational gaps in LIS?
What resources and support are libraries and librarians offering to to underrepresented groups?
Does the issue of lack of ethnic diversity have visibility in the field?
Brief Literature Review
Though there were several programs related to recruiting minorities into academic librarianship, the number of minorities in the field remain low
A number of researchers have examined the topic of 'ethnically diverse LIS professionals' in recent years. Recruitment, retention, and diversity education programs are reoccurring themes explored in this research area.
Research reveals that many LIS professionals require diversity awareness and training and leadership, specifically within the profession of librarianship (Kandiuk,2014). Given the lack of diversity that exists in the LIS profession, professionals in this field are expected to have the capabilities of engaging with and supporting ethnically diverse individuals.
Other research has shown that though there were several programs related to recruiting minorities into academic librarianship, the number of minorities in the field still remains low (Kung, Fraser, Winn, 2020). There must be a number of reasons as to why the number of minorities remain low, which has yet to be explored in research. But, for an issue to be addressed, it has to be seen as being important enough to be addressed. Gilbert (2016) found that within liberal arts college libraries, programming related to diversity tended to occur informally and that work on diversity was not a priority at the organization level.
Though there has been previous research done on the topic of diversity within LIS, as seen above, there are research gaps that should be filled. This research aims to address one gap in the literature which deals with the question of why there is lack of diversity in this field.
Methodology
This study will use a mixed methods approach: both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected and analyzed. For the quantitative portion, a secondary data analysis will be conducted using census data. And for the qualitative portion, semi-structured interviews would be conducted.
With regards to the interviews, study participants would be ethnically diverse (non-white/non-European) LIS professionals living in Canada. The participants will have had to be in the field for a minimum of five years.
The participants would be recruited via email and social media, flyers around libraries and campuses, and using a snowball sampling method. An interview guide will first be developed and include questions that will aim to explore these professionals lived experiences in relation to the issue. This guide will help structure interviews.
The data that is obtained will undergo a thematic analysis using Nvivo. Qualitative and qualitative results would be compared.