The CIRLA Fellowship: A Recruitment Model for Promoting Diversity in Librarianship

Abstract

The United States is among the most diverse countries in the world. The library profession in the U.S. does not reflect the same level of diversity. Anticipating that a large number of information specialists will retire in the next few years, the field has an opportunity to diversify its pool of librarians. In addition, there is a growing need for librarians specifically trained and experienced in the work of research libraries. This poster session shares the efforts undertaken by the Chesapeake Information and Research Library Alliance (CIRLA), a group of nine research libraries, to develop a unique recruitment and professional training program designed to solve both problems: recruiting for diversity and developing expertise within the functional areas of research librarianship. The CIRLA Fellowship program is a cooperative model that may be replicated and supported with little external funding. The poster session will cover the genesis and actualization of the program, articulate its definition of diversity, and share suggestions for ways in which libraries, academic and otherwise, may cooperate to meet challenges to the profession. The poster will include photographs and graphics and tools that other libraries can use to develop a similar model.