UNC Greensboro’s University Libraries in collaboration with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance was awarded a $211,783 Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant in April of 2018 to pilot a national Library Diversity Institute program that addresses the needs of professionally underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and broadly advances diversity in U. S. academic libraries.
Dr. Martin Halbert, Dean of University Libraries, serves as the principal investigator and overall project director of the IMLS grant, and Gerald Holmes, Reference Librarian and Diversity Residency Coordinator, serves as the project co-principal investigator.
UNCG University Libraries will develop and deliver two institutes for incoming ACRL diversity residents to improve their chances of successfully finding and keeping a job, as well as encourage professional networking. An ongoing open access publication “Journal of Library Diversity and Residency Studies” will be established along with an associated webinar series to disseminate research and practical guidance for institutions seeking information on diversity and residency programs in library settings.
UNCG’s Library Diversity Institute will be held August 31 through September 2, 2018 in Greensboro, North Carolina. UNCG is the fourth institution to host the Library Diversity Institute and the first institution to receive funding support for residents of the program. Diversity residents who are starting their residencies in 2018 at ACRL Diversity Alliance Member schools will be in attendance. The institute will orient new residents to best practices in getting the most out of their residency experience, as well as provide them a professional network of colleagues nationally.
