Recruiting Minorities
Data from The ALA Office for Research and Statistics shows that about 90% of librarians are white. This is a problem because librarians do not represent the demographics of those they serve. In order to help recruit minorities in the field of librarianship ALA established Spectrum Scholarships in 1997. According to the ALA website, "Spectrum's major drive is to recruit applicants and award scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students." The scholarship awards $5000 scholarship for students to attend an ALA accredited MLS program or an ALA-recognized NCATE School Library Media program. This year they awarded 67 scholarships. At least 60 scholarships will be awarded for 2006.
Are you interested in applying??? Check out this website http://www.ala.org/ala/diversity/spectrum/spectrum.htm
If you are not eligible to receive a Spectrum scholarship, but want to help support this worthy cause you could purchase “Perspectives, Insights and Priorities: 17 Leaders Speak Freely of Librarianship,” edited by Norman Horrocks. The authors will donate their royalties to the Spectrum Scholarship Fund.
