Dealing with Diversity:

Transforming Your Library’s Work

Environment
Dr. Camila A. Alire
Dean Emerita
University of New Mexico &
Colorado State University

SLA-NYC Presentation
 Purpose

• Leadership for diversity/Inclusiveness in

your library environment

• Cultural competencies
Defining the Work Environment

• Diversity

• Inclusiveness
 Diversity
• Diversity in the library workplace –

– Employees who bring unique perspectives or

backgrounds to the organization.
 Dimensions of Diversity
• Gender
• Racial/Ethnic/Cultural
• Nationality
• Sexual Orientation
• Age
• Mental and Physical Capabilities (Differently-
abled)
• Religion
• Social Class Background
• ….Any Minority
 Inclusiveness
• Inclusive work environments:

– Have diverse individuals involved;

– Value the perspectives and contributions of all

people.
(The Denver Foundation, 2005)
 Inclusiveness
• Every person should have the chance to
realize his/her potential in their working
environment, regardless of color, gender,
age, sexual orientation, physical
capabilities, educational background,
family status, skill level, etc.
 Diversity and Leadership….
• How do library managers and library
employees affect the work environment to
make it more diverse and inclusive?
• Managerial leadership

• Transformational leadership

• Changing your work environment

 What is Managerial Leadership?
• Managers - leap to strategy/doing. *

• Managerial leadership allows managers to sit

back and reflect first on the leadership
implications of management.

• Managerial leadership - tied to Transformational

Leadership
What is Transformational Leadership?
• The process that changes and transforms individuals.

• Transformational leadership is about affecting change.

• Managers must influence their staff in positive way to

achieve diversity and inclusiveness in their work
environments.
 Why is Transformation Important?
• Libraries are affected by changing times/
demographics which include creating a more diverse
work environment.

• Need to make sure that our staffs make that change to

provide better service.

• Teamwork is critical – ensure you have a team.

 Who Are The Transformational/
Managerial Leaders? *

• Embrace change

• Motivate and/or empower their library staff

• Build strong teams

• Mentor/coach staff
Managerial Leadership & Diversity

• Transformational leadership deals with

people’s behaviors and values.

• Managerial leadership and diversity can affect

the library’s organizational culture.
– Major disconnect -- managers do not value diversity
yet they have diverse staff in their libraries.
– Disconnect will adversely affect the organizational
culture.
Managerial Leaders & Diversity (cont.)
• Managerial leaders
– Promote the library organization’s core values that
emphasize accepting/ promoting diversity and being
inclusive.

– Stimulate and inspire staff to achieve extraordinary

outcomes and develop their own leadership
capacity.

– Develop the leadership capabilities of diverse staff

within the library organization.
 Managerial Leaders & Diversity (cont.)

• Lead by example

• The staff’s attitudes should mirror the leader’s.

• So how diversity is valued by the managers

will affect the staff’s attitudes, especially when
building teams.
 Diversity and Empowering Staff

• Managerial leadership >

– Empowering staff

– Getting them to develop shared diversity goals and

to implement those goals for the good of the library
organization.

EASIER SAID THAN DONE…

Eva at GOCO…..
 How?

• Lead by example

• Recognize and deal with problematic staff

• Include inclusiveness in individuals’ goals

 Empowering Diverse Staff *

• It’s hard for diverse staff within an organization to be team

members if they are not valued nor empowered by the
managers.

• They become dissatisfied with the organization and most likely

will have minimal commitment to the library.

• Managerial leaders need to empower their diverse staff in their

organizations and develop them as leaders.
 Key Transformational Leadership
Competencies

– Relationship-building
– Communications
– Problem solving
– Innovation
– Awareness
– Collaboration
 Diversity Implications of
Competencies

– Relationship-building
– Problem solving/collaboration
 Relationship building *
• A critical component for diversity and
inclusiveness

• Concept of building networks can be a

challenge for diversity:
• Colleagues who look and speak like you.
• When a new minority staff member joins a
mostly white library organization, it is easy to
allow institutional racism to predominate.

• Managerial leaders need to recognize this

possibility and guard against it.
 Relationship building (cont.)

• Networking is fundamental to successful transformational

leadership.

• Managerial leaders must help diverse staff build their

networks.

• It is not enough for the managerial leaders to deal only

with their network; as role models they have to help
others to build their networks.

• The managerial leader must lead by example.

 Building Teams to Problem-Solve
(Collaboration)

– Most effective problem-solving requires teamwork.

– When building teams, managerial leaders need to recognize

everyone’s individual differences and diverse backgrounds

– Managerial leaders’ values must embrace and encourage

diversity for effective teamwork..

– Minority staff need to be expected and encouraged to be

part of the team.
 Building Teams to Problem-Solve
(Collaboration)

– Team leadership and diversity should play a big role here.

– Managerial leaders need to be inclusive so that diverse

staff become bona fide members on the appropriate teams.

– Disenfranchisement does not serve successful team

leadership.
 Role of Minority Managerial Library
Leaders?
– Key in diversifying our library organizations.

– Best at finding obstacles to achieving diversity

within our organizations especially within
organizational policies and procedures.

– Have the natural awareness and sensitivity to know

what to look for.