Librarians Advocating for Social Justice

Eden Kinzel
November 14, 2017
9001-001
Dr. Ajit Pyati
Librarians Advocating for Social Justice Eden Kinzel

One of the many definitions of social justice is: action intended to create genuine equality,

fairness and respect among peoples (Office of Multicultural Affairs, n.d.). Librarians have

typically been known to take the stance of neutrality so as not to impose any biases on patrons,

however, since more institutions are beginning to consider information itself as a social justice

issue, librarians as information facilitators are under increasing pressure to address these issues

(Blanke, 1989; Jaeger, 2016). As librarianship was formerly classified as an occupation rather

than a profession, librarians had initially embraced neutrality in an effort to gain professional

status, similar to the movement by social scientists (Blanke, 1989). However, it is no longer

beneficial to view neutrality as an acceptable position for librarians as it permits the most popular

or powerful opinions and positions to infiltrate the unfilled void and often these opinions are not

true representations of libraries values (Blanke, 1989). Given that libraries are now shifting their

focus onto servicing their specific communities, taking a stance and working towards resolving

these issues is becoming a necessity (Jaeger, 2016). In fact, the theme of the 2015 Association of

Library and Information Science Educators conference was social justice (Jaeger, 2016). Scholars

argue that the library is a place to research social justice issues and that library schools implement

a focus on social justice within the curriculum (Jaeger, 2016). I will argue that librarians must

adjust or develop collections, programs, or services to address prominent social justice issues

regarding diversity that reflect the needs of their patrons, thereby better serving their community.

Dali and Caidi (2017) define diversity as the wide array of community members whom we

engage. Diversity may refer to many characteristics of individuals such as race, culture or

ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability,

age, level of education, religion, in addition to many other features of identity. I believe some of

the many pertinent issues of diversity that must be confronted by librarians include race and

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Librarians Advocating for Social Justice Eden Kinzel

ethnicity, socioeconomic differences, gender equality, LGBTQ+ misrepresentation, and issues of

accessibility.

In Canada in 2006, while visible minorities comprised 16.2% of the population and 15.4%

of the general workforce, they comprised only 9.7% of librarians, illuminating a lack of

representation within the library and information science (LIS) professions (Kandiuk, 2014).

However, the benefits of racial diversity are not limited to LIS; diversity within any institution

enables intellectual growth, facilitates learning, and ameliorates organizational success (Kim &

Sin, 2008). The presence of racially diverse staff also reduces racial prejudice, encourages the

contribution of various perspectives, and, within libraries specifically, permits patrons to feel more

comfortable and represented within the environment (Kanduik, 2014). Despite libraries such as

Toronto Public Library (TPL) offering Newcomer Settlement Services and ESL Reading Circles,

librarians must do more to address the extremely important issue of racial inequality, especially

since diversity confers so many advantages (Toronto Public Library, n.d.). Librarians might begin

by providing cultural sensitivity training to current staff as well as ensuring a targeted effort to

acknowledge the work contributed by ethnically diverse staff members. These staff members

should also be given an opportunity to advance to an administrative position, rather than being

viewed as a token at the front desk (Lee & Kumaran, 2014). Librarians should establish

partnerships with local LIS schools to develop mentorship programs and co-op opportunities

specifically targeted towards minority students. (Lee & Kumaran, 2014). Librarians should also

assess and update their librarys patron and staff diversity policies to ensure a proactive approach

as well as offer more programs facilitating diversity, more diverse speakers, and more collections

representing racially diverse individuals.

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Librarians Advocating for Social Justice Eden Kinzel

Socioeconomic status is often correlated with race, and people living in poverty are unable

to experience many of the advantages that people who enjoy a middle-class lifestyle are able to

attain such as higher education (Wilson & Shelton, 2012; Pyati & Kamal, 2012). The inability to

pay for quality education precludes many individuals from successfully obtaining a well-paying

job, further entrenching them within the cycle of poverty (Wilson & Shelton, 2012). For example,

achieving a Masters of Library and Information Science degree may cost upwards of $15,000 in

tuition and fees, excluding housing or transportation costs, therefore excluding many potential

applicants (Graduate tuition, 2017). Libraries would benefit from the diverse opinions and ideas

isolated applicants may have to offer. In addition, research has shown that assisting impoverished

citizens in gaining employment reduces crime rates (Chang & Wu, 2012). This permits the

community to feel safer and can attract more residents to the area (Chang & Wu, 2012). Both the

increase in new residents in the area as well as the current employed residents gaining employment

strengthens the economy (Altman, n.d.). When there are more employed residents in a community,

there is an increase in consumption and therefore, the economy (Altman, n.d.). It is necessary for

librarians to confront the socioeconomic class inequality. Librarians could form partnerships with

organizations to create scholarships to enable the less fortunate to pursue higher education,

whether it be in the LIS field or another field. Some libraries already offer services specifically

geared towards the lower socioeconomic class such as TPLs Resume Workshops, Career Series,

and Money Sense Isnt Common Sense, although critics such as Webster (2014) argue that libraries

need to provide more of these of services so as not to cater to the middle class (Programs, Classes

& Exhibits, n.d.). Libraries should also eliminate fees from programs or services as well as form

partnerships with local organizations to provide discounts for those with current library cards.

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Librarians Advocating for Social Justice Eden Kinzel

Libraries should embrace and welcome any patrons who enter the library, regardless of their

socioeconomic status.

Gender equality is a broad issue with many different facets which permeate society. One

of the most common issues is the division of stereotypically female versus male professions

(Harris, 2002). The female workforce typically dominates professions such as librarianship, in

addition to social workers, secretaries, nurses, elementary school teachers, and event planners

(Beggs and Doolittle, 1993). A 1993 study by Beggs and Doolittle found that head librarian was

viewed as the sixth most feminine career. However, the 20% of librarians which are male tend to

hold higher ranking positions more quickly and more often than female librarians, although, this

occurrence can be expanded to many non-information professions as well (Schott & Connor,

2010). Additionally, women earn only 78% of the income men earn for the same work across

most professions (Schott & Connor, 2010). One major issue specifically within the library field is

the lack of male childrens librarians. With the large proportion of children being raised by a

single mother, male childrens librarians may serve as a positive male role model in these

childrens lives (Winston & Dunne, 2001). They could also encourage more males to become

librarians due to an increased representation of their gender within the profession. Gender equality

in many workplaces has been shown to increase productivity, increase quality of the work

environment, and improve communication between managers and workers, whereas gender

inequality can decrease girls self-confidence and performance (Castro, 2007; Borgonovi &

Achiron, 2015). Librarians need not only to challenge gender roles in their own profession, but

work to support gender equality within society itself. Librarians must actively recruit males within

their own institutions by forming partnerships with ALA-accredited schools, while also ensuring

opportunity for females to hold higher level administrative positions. Librarians should advertise

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Librarians Advocating for Social Justice Eden Kinzel

programs as appropriate to all genders and perhaps specifically target the isolated groups. For

example, librarians could designate the traditionally female book club reading to appeal to males

as well and especially encourage females to learn the traditionally male skill of coding.

Another social justice issue is the lack of LGBTQ+ representation. According to research

in 2011 by Gates, 4% of Americans identify as LGBTQ+, however, there is little research

regarding the number of LGBTQ+ librarians. Although the media has progressed in adequately

representing LGBTQ+ individuals, they often receive criticism for using them as token characters

(Gordan, 2016). For example, fans of the television series Orange is the New Black were outraged

after the lesbian character Poussey was killed and accused the creators of using the characters

death simply as a plot device, thereby neglecting her impact on the LGBTQ+ community (Gordon,

2016). Representation permits LGBTQ+ individuals to form an identity as well as allows other

individuals to gain a better understanding of their LGBTQ+ peers (Chapman, 2013). Therefore,

librarians must be conscientious in curating their collections to ensure adequate representation of

LGBTQ+ individuals (Chapman, 2013). Libraries should provide LGBTQ+ individuals with a

safe space to question their identity and seek out LGTBQ+ material without judgement. Librarians

should focus on actively recruiting LGBTQ+ staff to assist LGBTQ+ individuals to feel

represented (should the staff openly self-identify as LGBTQ+). The library should offer LGBTQ+

programs such as gay-straight alliances, LGBTQ+ speakers, a representative collection, and

continued non-prejudicial support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Accessibility is an issue specifically relevant to the LIS field. The rise of neoliberalism

and the practice of commodifying information threatens the intrinsic values of the library

(Webster, 2014). This practice is enforced through fees for library programs, library services such

as photocopying, and library cards. The most notable issue is the serials crisis. The number of

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Librarians Advocating for Social Justice Eden Kinzel

academic journals has been exponentially increasing, leading to lower subscription rates for each

individual journal and, as a response, an increase in subscription prices (Shapiro, 2013). Because

of the high cost and number of journals, each library is unable afford a subscription to every

publication or database, unfortunately depriving its patrons from access to potentially critical

information (Shapiro, 2013). This particularly disadvantages both the poor and the uneducated as

they are unable to access this information anywhere else as compared to educated individuals who

may receive access via their school or workplace and are taught alternative methods to seek this

information. Librarians should continue to support open access publishing, both as a place for

their own publications as well as to provide resources for the patrons. Librarians and should

challenge large for-profit journal companies such as Elsevier in an effort to advocate for lower

prices. Librarians should offer programs geared towards promoting access, such as ESL groups,

teaching individuals how to use databases, and discussions regarding open access. They should

offer alternative formats of materials such as alternative languages, braille, or large print as well

as focusing on accessibility rather than accommodation.

Although librarians have typically been known to take the stance of neutrality on most

social justice issues, now more than ever before, it is necessary for librarians to address these

issues. Librarians impact the manner in which many individuals interact with information. By

advocating for these issues and providing access to vast amounts of resources to better inform the

public, librarians are among the individuals who are able to have the largest impact upon the

population they service. I believe that librarians must work to implement services and protocols

which advocate for social justice issues and best serve their community. They should address

some of the most relevant social justice issues of diversity such as racial or ethnic disadvantages,

socioeconomic class, stereotypical gender roles, LGBTQ+ representation, and accessibility.

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Librarians Advocating for Social Justice Eden Kinzel

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