Dear List Members=Accessibility Advocates:
There are a number of very successful and worthwhile diversity initiatives
already in place that are recruiting underrepresented minorities into our
library and information science profession. Bravo for these programs.
Do they all include the underrepresented minority, people who represent the
universal diversity of doing things differently [yes, I know, a/k/a "PWDs"]?
This minority, represents more than 20% of the population of the United States.
Within some "at-risk" populations, the percentage is as great as 30%. The
unemployment rate: 70% and greater: much greater than for many other
minorities.
As we all are getting younger ... oops, older, we all are going to join this
class sooner or later, if we have not done so already.
Yes, in the the American Library Association, we have the independently-funded
ASCLA Division Century Scholarship Diversity Initiative
[http://www.ala.org/ascla/centuryscholarship.html]. As Chair of the ASCLA
Century Scholarship Committee, I thank you all for your advocacy on behalf of
this initiative. In Texas, the Texas Library Association [TLA] has established
a matching Texas Century Scholarship:
http://www.txla.org/html/awards/scholar/century.html. Thank you, TLA!
However, what about other diversity initiatives, such as those sponsored by:
ARL: The Association of Research Libraries: http://www.arl.org/diversity/
MLA: The Medical Library Association: for instance:
http://www.mlanet.org/awards/grants/minstud.html
SLA: The Special Library Association:
http://www.sla.org/content/memberservice/scholarship/sch-index/hpschol/index.cfm#aascholar
ASIS&T: http://www.asis.org American Society for Information Science and
Technology ...
AALL: American Association of Law Libraries: for instance:
http://www.aallnet.org/about/award_mlda.asp
Various state LIS organizations (other than TLA)
Other ALA components/divisions, for instance, LAMA's "Cultural" Diversity
Grant: http://www.ala.org/lama/awards/culturaldiv/index.html
etc.
If you belong to any LIS organization/division other than ALA's ASCLA/TLA
(which already have the ASCLA/Texas Century Scholarship Diversity Initiatives), please
advocate in these associations/groups for inclusion of "PWDs" within the scope
of these groups' diversity [scholarship] initiatives and research grants.
There also are libraries/information centers that are seeking to establish or
already have established diversity internship programs. If it is a "Diversity
internship program," especially for underrepresented minorities, then
recruitment of "PWDs" - THE experts in accessibility and adaptive capacity -
needs to be included within the scope of the program.
Thank you, Brooklyn Public Library, which has established a matching
Century Scholarship.
.. Also another way we can place universally relevant Accessibility on the top
of the agenda throughout the LIS profession.
P.S. If you will be at the Texas Library Association [TLA] 2002 Annual
Conference at the Dallas Convention Center next week
[http://www.txla.org/conference/conf.html], April 24-26, 2002 in the
Exhibits [Admission to Exhibits only: $15 for all 3 days], please visit TLA's
inaugural Accessibility Pavilion.
Thank you again for your advocacy,
Ellen Perlow
Chair, ALA ASCLA Century Scholarship Committee
The ALA ASCLA Century Scholarship Diversity Initiative
"Celebrating a New Century that Celebrates Diversity"
http://www.ala.org/ascla/centuryscholarship.html
Annual Submission Deadline: March 1st
See Also: ALA HRDR Page: http://www.ala.org/hrdr/scholarship.html
Texas Century Scholarship: http://www.txla.org/html/awards/scholar/century.html
Have YOU recruited/applied to be a Century Scholarship applicant today?
----------------------------------------------------
Manager of Information Services
School of Library and Information Studies
Texas Woman's University
P.O. Box 425438
Denton, TX 76204-5438
Tel.: 940-898-2622 Fax: 940-898-2611
Web: http://twu.edu/~s_perlow/
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
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