“Although awareness of the pervasiveness and longevity of the inequities in library service, and of the structures and practices that perpetuate them can be disheartening for prospective information professionals, it is essential that they recognize these realities.”
Abdullahi, I. (2007). Diversity and intercultural issues in library and information science (LIS) education. New Library World, 108(9/10), 453-459.
Last November, I was observing a library in the metropolitan Detroit area for one of my first classes in the LIS program. While sitting on a stool near the back of the reference desk, an African-American man approached the desk with a question. At the time, there were two Caucasian librarians sitting at their respective computers, but neither one was helping anyone. Oddly enough, this man went out of his way to call my attention to ask for assistance about information related to obtaining a GED. In my position, all I could do was refer him to the librarians sitting at the desk who later questioned his actions.
According to the Detroit Literacy Coalition(2008), 47 percent of the Detroit population is functionally illiterate and it is widely known that most of Detroit’s population is African-American. According to the most recent report from the National Center for Education Statistics(2010), Detroit’s dropout rate was more than 24 percent after the school year ending in 2007. Some of them see the library as another institution that has a potential for failing them. Sometimes to lessen the expected blow, a patron with this type of background feels there is a greater understanding when dealing with someone who shares similar characteristic. Or they feel that opening themselves up to someone of the majority culture could possibly lead to condescension. And one cannot forget that Detroit’s “white flight” during the 1970s had a great impact on the African Americans in the area and left many thinking that integration was not wanted by the majority culture.
However, knowledge of such a background should not lead one to expect or assume every interaction with a person of a certain culture will result similarly. Every individual is influenced by various demographic, geographic and associative factors (Chao & Moon, 2005). For instance, considering the U.S. fought the Civil War over slavery, some African Americans could be under the assumption that they should expect every White person in the South to be a racist or descendents of racists. And they could think the exact opposite for the North. However, both assumptions would be wrong as many Americans like to migrate to different parts of the country.
In the end, any library professional, particularly those in public libraries, should be knowledgeable of the history and dynamics of the locality where he or she works. And he or she should acknowledge it because it may have an effect on individual interactions with patrons. In turn, that could affect customer service practices within a certain library. However, that knowledge should lead to awareness of possible reactions and outcomes, not assumptions and expectations.
Chao, G. T., & Moon, H. (2005). The cultural mosaic: A metatheory for understanding the complexity of culture. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(6), 1128–1140.
Detroit Literacy Coalition. (2008). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved September 17, 2010, from: http://www.detroitliteracy.org/faq.htm
National Center for Education Statistics. (2010). Characteristics of the 100 largest public elementary and secondary school districts in the United States: 2007-2008. Retrieved September 19, 2010, from: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/100largest/tables/ table_a12.asp
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