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Running Head: CREATING CHANGE

Creating Change: An Examination of Diversity and Inclusion Leadership in

Academic Libraries

Colleen Layton

School of Information Studies, Dominican University

LIS 707: Leadership, Marketing, and Strategic Communication

Gabrielle Annala

June 21, 2020

Libraries

Beginning in late spring 2020, protests over the extra-judicial killings of George Floyd

and Breonna Taylor resulted in renewed conversations around racial inequality in the United

States. Inevitably, these conversations have carried over into many workplaces. As organizations

rushed to issue statements of solidarity with the movement, leaders such as those at Columbia

University Libraries are also considering the need for long term institutional change. Indeed,

while equality is a cornerstone of the library and information science (LIS) profession and is

included in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights (2006), this principle is

not yet reflected in the profession’s demographic composition. Instead, the most recent survey

conducted by ALA in 2017 found that 87.1% of members are white. This is significantly greater

than the estimated 60.4% of Americans who identify as only white (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019),

making it clear that there is a diversity and inclusion problem in the LIS profession. However,

this problem is not unique to libraries, and much has been written on the subject of diversity and

inclusion (D&I) both in and outside of information settings. This paper will examine the ways in

which the primary principles of D&I leadership and strategy as detailed in Charlotte Sweeney

and Fleur Bothwick’s Inclusive Leadership can be applied to academic libraries. A case study of

the D&I initiatives being undertaken at Columbia University Libraries (CUL) coupled with a

survey of selected literature on the subject will provide insight into the importance, application,

and success of D&I within such institutions. Ultimately, D&I is crucial to the success of any

information organization, and vested commitment from leadership is essential to establish

sustainable long-term change.

diversity and inclusion with a pithy metaphor: “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion

is being asked to dance,” further clarifying that “inclusion is about creating an environment

where everyone can be themselves, feel that they are able to contribute their views and that these

will be valued” (pp. 5-6). While Inclusive Leadership approaches D&I leadership from a

corporate perspective, it’s definitions and many of its teachings apply to an information setting.

As the statistics have shown, libraries are no less wanting of improvement in D&I. To this end,

the Association of College and Research Libraries published its “Diversity Standards: Cultural

Competency for Academic Libraries” in 2012 with the foresight that, “if libraries are to continue

being indispensable organizations in their campus communities, they must reflect the

communities they serve and provide quality services to their increasingly diverse constituencies”.

D&I are core tenets of the LIS profession; as such, the ACRL recommends that libraries meet

eleven standards including –but not limited to— organizational and professional goals;

development of collections, programs, and services; work force diversity; and cultural

leadership. A successful leader, executive or otherwise, will enthusiastically usher their

institution and all of its stakeholders into this framework. According to Sweeney and Bothwick

(2016), the first step is self-analysis.

In the early stages of the D&I journey, Sweeney and Bothwick (2016) ask leaders to

assess their current situation and create a case for change. The numbers show that the current

situation in libraries leaves much to be desired as far as racial diversity is concerned. While there

are many other important facets of D&I, this paper will necessarily focus on racial diversity due

to the low percentage of people of color working in the LIS profession. In interviews conducted

with staff from the CUL, it is made clear that poor staff diversity has ramifications for the
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success of the institution and the community it serves. Columbia University is based in New

York City, and its student demographics are diverse, although not to the extent of the

surrounding area. Of matriculated students, 53% identify as female and 47% as male. Of

domestic matriculated students, 47.3% identified as White, 7.5% as Black, 19% as Asian, 12.1%

as Hispanic and less than 1% as Native American, Pacific Islander, American Indian, or Alaska

Native (Columbia 2020). Although the libraries have not published staff demographics, Kae Bara

Kratcha, entrepreneurship and social science librarian, is certain that it is not reflective of student

demographics, and as a consequence “It harms it harms our students. (They) aren't seeing

themselves represented.”1 Additionally, the University has trouble retaining librarians of color,

which results in a loss of “institutional knowledge.” In “Leadership Reflections”, Maggie Farrell

(2016) echoes similar concerns, calling for library leaders, “to focus on diversity efforts for

librarians and staff. Ideally diversity within a library will reflect the local community but that

may be difficult to achieve in the short term” (p. 726). While these truths might be a hard pill to

swallow, especially for an institution of such caliper, it is important for leaders to practice critical

self-assessment in order to create a case of change. A case for change is usually either a moral,

legal, or business case by nature, and establishing the case is essential to defining both ‘the depth

and breadth of the challenge’ (Bothwick & Sweeney, 2016, p. 47). A case for change helps

leaders articulate the need for D&I to their stakeholders, whose support is essential for long term

success. Based on Kratcha’s assessment, Columbia has both a moral and business case which

have been further compounded by the recent wave of protests. According to Kae, current events

have greatly increased the urgency of CUL’s D&I strategy.

After conducting a self-assessment and creating a case for change, a leader’s next step is

developing a strategic plan, or a mission statement of sorts, to help articulate the goal of an
1
For the list of questions used to interview both Kae Bara Kratcha and Jim Crocamo, please see Appendix A.
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organization’s D&I initiatives. At CUL, this takes the form of the Strategic Directions that were

published in 2015 with the hiring of a new University Librarian, Ann Thornton.2 Jim Crocamo,

Head of Access and User Experience at CUL, directly attributes the creation of the Strategic

Directions to positive changes within the institution’s D&I efforts. Indeed, according to Sweeney

and Bothwick (2016), “Engaging people through the journey and demonstrating that this is a

collaboration rather than something that is just being done to you” is a key benefit of creating a

strategic plan (p. 62). If made public, as with the CUL Strategic Directions, this can not only

result in buy-in from staff but also from key stakeholders who might not otherwise be aware of

internal efforts. This includes faculty, University administrators, and student users. However, the

diversity-specific “Commit to Inclusion” section of the CUL Strategic Directions as made public

on the library website is relatively brief and uses very general language. In her article,

“Developing and Implementing a Diversity Plan at Your Academic Library,” Julie Biando

Edwards (2015) states that “A library-specific, stand-alone (diversity) plan helps librarians direct

their efforts in making services and buildings more welcoming and inclusive and communicates

these efforts to library personnel, university administration, and patrons” (p. 1). It is quite

possible that such a stand-alone diversity plan does exist at CUL but has not been made publicly

available. Yet there are also certain benefits to embedding a D&I strategy within the wider

strategical plan (Bothwick & Sweeney, 2016). Such strategic alignment ensures that the various

elements of the D&I program advance both the library and University mission. The CUL

Strategic Directions seats its D&I efforts within the larger context of the institution’s goals,

thereby illustrating its importance to the success of the Strategic Directions at large. Meanwhile,

the specifics are left to committee.

2
For the full text of the “Commit to Inclusion section of CUL’s Strategic Directions, please see Appendix B.
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Studies have shown that D&I strategies have the greatest positive impact when either one

staff member or a committee are responsible for diversity management and adopts the role of

D&I leadership (Tolbert & Castilla, 2017). This is echoed in much of the literature on D&I, both

within corporate and library settings. Castilla and Tolbert (2017) attribute the relatively

consistent success of D&I committee to the accountability to which a committee intrinsically

holds its members. Although the authors of Inclusive Leadership (2016) confess to a personal

dislike of committees (preferring more direct executive involvement), they admit that they are a

popular and potentially effective tool so long as the right team and infrastructure are in place,

including “the right reporting mechanisms, the right level of support and the right resources from

across the organization.” (p.116). Of course, what qualifies something as “right” is a subjective

assessment, and is difficult to determine from outside of an organization. As Castilla and Tolbert

(2017) conclude, “the effects of a given organization practice often vary- across social groups,

organizational levels, labor markets, and industries.” (p. 7).

At CUL, the D&I strategy is being lead almost entirely by the D&I committee. According to

Kratcha, who is a committee admin, membership to the committee used to be by appointment

only but is now open to anyone who is interested in joining with a long-term goal that “anybody

who had an idea could bring it and do it and find their niche, and have a place to talk about their

work as it relates to D&I or equity or social justice.” The CUL D&I committee aims for a flat

leadership structure, with a horizontal decision-making process, although Kratcha admits that it

is difficult to achieve within an otherwise hierarchical institution. Currently, only a small group

of admins on the D&I committee communicate directly with executive leadership, which can

slow down an already slow bureaucratic process, particularly during this time of

telecommunication. However, the benefit of the flat leadership structure is that every committee
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member is welcome, and is in fact expected, to participate. Active participation within the group

is vital to committee success (Edwards, 2015). And though Inclusive Leadership identifies wider

organizational apathy as a potential pitfall of committees, Crocamo shared his excitement and

optimism for the work of his peers on the committee, despite not being a member himself.

Both Crocamo and Kratcha identified hiring and retention as a major D&I gap at CUL.

Unsurprisingly, this was also a theme in the D&I literature and seems to be a trend in the LIS

profession as a whole. While many corporations focus their D&I strategy on gender equality,

particularly within executive leadership, Kratcha and Crocamo identified racial diversity as the

primary concern at CUL. This is in keeping with Kimberly Bugg’s findings in her article, “The

Perceptions of People of Color in Academic Libraries Concerning the Relationship Between

Retention and Advancement as Middle Managers” (2016). Both Bugg and the CUL librarians

admit that the problem is not so much in hiring people of color, but in the retention and

promotion of these same employees. This is a direct reflection of leadership, which should foster

in an environment where everyone feels supported to do their best work. At CUL, this disparity

manifests in a diverse workforce at the para-professional level, such as in access services, and a

largely homogenous, white workforce in librarian, middle-management, and executive leadership

roles. In her article, Bugg (2016) advocates for mentorship programs and creating opportunities

for growth, as do Bothwick and Sweeney (2016) who identify mentorship as one of the more

successful forms of D&I programming. According to Kratcha, CUL has recently developed a

trainee scheme wherein paraprofessionals working at CUL who are in pursuit of their MLIS are

mentored by university librarians with the aim to hire them into professional positions upon

graduation. Kratcha believes that while this program will likely increase mentee’s marketability

in the LIS field, it is unlikely to result in a job at CUL itself, stating “there's just no infrastructure
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for that.” While one can understand the logic behind implementing such programs in the first

place—Bugg (2016) points out that for librarians of color, approximately 60% receive promotion

internally (p. 433) – there must first be an established pipeline for hiring, otherwise mentees will

graduate with their MLIS and, unable to get a job at CUl, seek employment elsewhere. In reality,

this does little to diversify the leadership profile, and thus, from an executive perspective, the

time and energy expended on mentorship might well be considered wasted. Ultimately, it is

important for D&I leadership to consider the true potential for long-term strategic success from

such programs in order to “create the sustainable and meaningful change you are really looking

for” (Bothwick & Sweeney, 2016, p. 75).

Another popular type of D&I programming across organizational types is employee

trainings. Crocamo offered a sample of the trainings available to CUL staff including, “regular

trainings on unconscious bias, safe space / bystander trainings… D&I training specific to running

inclusive searches.” The literature would suggest that unconscious bias training has become the

gold standard of D&I programming, about which Inclusive Leadership is decidedly skeptical:

“’Curing’ unconscious bias is sometimes perceived as the silver bullet for progressing D&I,

which it clearly isn’t” (Bothwick & Sweeney, 2016, p. 139). The authors find that the majority of

unconscious bias training has little long-term impact unless it is conducted regularly and

reiterated during decision-making processes. Kratcha acknowledge that while plans for future

trainings were disrupted by the shelter-in-place orders issued in spring 2020, “I don't know that

those trainings made a difference but they were a start.” In the LIS profession, perhaps more than

most others, it is important to be aware of unconscious bias. This need is well-articulated by

Farrell (2016): “An effective leader supports and develops training for librarians and library

workers to provide unbiased services. Individuals may be unaware of their personal biases and
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training is one approach to create awareness” (p. 725). She posits that micro-aggressions, a result

of unconscious bias, can negatively impact inter-staff relations as well as relations with users.

So, while one-off unconscious bias trainings may not have lasting impact, library leaders should

consider a regular schedule of trainings in order to raise long term, impactful awareness.

Although this paper has primarily focused on staff-facing D&I strategy, LIS roles are

themselves often customer-facing, and so effective D&I leadership must consider its user base as

well. In fact, Kratcha expressed concerns that the D&I committee was placing so much effort on

hiring and retention that collections and descriptions were not receiving the necessary attention.

As previously addressed, unconscious bias awareness is an important step; with it, librarians can

more critically consider a library’s collection and how it might reflect those biases (Farrell, 2016,

724). Alice M. Cruz (2019) states that “University libraries have a unique responsibility for

ensuring that the voices and stories of dominant and non-dominant groups are represented…they

should also include material in a variety of formats that meet diverse user needs” (p. 223).

Library leadership should be sure to consider the demographics of its user base when building

collections, paying mind not to cater only to the majority. At CUL, the D&I committee has a

“Collections and Descriptions” task force, which is focused on reviewing the way collections are

built and described to ensure that there is adequate representation and inclusive language. While

collections may seem like an obvious beneficiary of D&I, there other opportunities for external

D&I initiatives. While in Sweeney and Bothwicks’s more corporate-centered text (2016), this

looks like “creating products and services for a diverse consumer base” (p. 429), in libraries this

can look more like programs and services. Library leaders, like corporate executives, should see

customer-facing D&I as an opportunity to grow marketability and reach a wider audience.

noticeably absent. According to Kratcha, this is no accident; executives were purposefully not

included on the committee; decisions are instead made by the committee and then sent upward to

executive leadership for approval. However, some amount of executive involvement is crucial to

the success of D&I strategy. Sweeney and Bothwick (2016) advocate for the CEO (or in the case

of libraries, the Library Director) taking control of the D&I strategy altogether, either

independently or by chairing the D&I committee. Kratcha felt that such involvement from

executive leadership would inhibit the D&I committee, but they also acknowledged the difficulty

of getting executive sign-off on certain committee decisions, such as assessment criteria. Indeed,

even though the CUL D&I committee itself has a flat leadership structure, it must still report to

library and University leadership and is thus dependent on top-down support. Crocamo described

his hopes for library leadership and the future of D&I at CUL: “They need to walk the walk and

remain open to feedback and criticism. It needs to be “normal” that leaders put great effort and

care into this, and not an exception.” While the work of the D&I committee at Columbia has

proven that D&I leadership can be found at all organizational levels, it is imperative that there is

support from senior leadership in order to both approve and communicate D&I strategy created

by committee to employees and stakeholders: “To ensure that any change is sustainable and

committed across an organization there has to be that visible commitment from the top”

(Sweeney and Bothwick, 2016, p.130). A leader does not have to be a Director by any means,

but a Director is undoubtedly always in a position of leadership. Their words and actions hold

power; if those words and actions align with those of the D&I committee, the committee’s

initiatives have a much greater chance of success.

ranks, but D&I leadership at CUL takes the form of a committee with open membership drawn

from across the organization. While this committee has faced road blocks, such as the

challenges of horizontal decision making and executive buy-in, it has successfully implemented

new initiatives to address both staff and customer facing D&I concerns. CUL’s commitment to

inclusion is embedded within its wider strategic goals. As a result, D&I efforts have focused on

gaps that directly impact the library’s success. This alignment is essential for achieving long

term, institutional change. Although this committee is still in its infancy, it will find even greater

success by establishing a sustainable infrastructure. Such an infrastructure would allow for

things like regularly scheduled unconscious bias trainings, a mentorship pipeline from access

services to librarianship in an effort to increase staff diversity, a more agile relationship with

executive leadership, and opportunities for re-assessment over time. Accounting for the

differences between a for-profit corporation and an academic library, CUL illustrates many of

the D&I leadership principles outlined in Bothwell and Sweeney’s Inclusive Leadership. These

principles include critical self-assessment, strategic thinking, teamwork, and a belief in the

values of D&I. The work of the D&I committee as well as that of individual staff members

within the library is a testament to the notion that anyone can be a leader and help create

impactful change.

REFERENCES

American Library Association. (June 30, 2006). Library Bill of Rights. http://www.ala.org/
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advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill.

American Library Association. (January 2017). Member Demographics Study. http://

www.ala.org/tools/research/initiatives/membershipsurveys

Association of College and Research Libraries. (March 4, 2012). Diversity Standards: Cultural

Competency for Academic Libraries. American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/

acrl/standards/diversity

Cruz, A. M. (2019). Intentional integration of diversity ideals in academic libraries: A literature

review. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 45(3), 220–227.

Bugg, K. (2016). The perceptions of people of color in academic libraries concerning the

relationship between retention and advancement as middle managers. Journal of Library

Administration, 56(4), 428–443.

Columbia University. (n.d.). Statistics and facts. Retrieved June 21, 2020 from https://

www.columbia.edu/content/statistics-and-facts.

Columbia University Libraries. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2020, from

https://strategicdirections.library.columbia.edu/

Edwards, J. B. (2015). Developing and Implementing a Diversity Plan at Your Academic

Library. Library Leadership & Management, 30(2), 1–11.

Farrell, M. (2016). Leadership and social justice. Journal of Library Administration, 56(6), 722–

730. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2016.1199147

Sweeney, Charlotte, and Fleur Bothwick. Inclusive Leadership: The Definitive Guide to

Developing and Executing an Impactful Diversity and Inclusion Strategy - Locally and
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Globally. 1 Edition. Harlow, England: Pearson Education, 2016.

Tolbert, P. S., & Castilla, E. J. (2017). Editorial Essay: Introduction to a Special Issue on

Inequality in the Workplace (“What Works?”). ILR Review, 70(1), 3–15.

U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.) U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States. Retrieved June 20,

2020 from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219.

Appendix A

1. Could you please describe your role within the Columbia University Libraries?
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2. If not addressed above, does your role include any management or leadership

responsibilities?

3. If yes, what does this look like in your day-to-day operations?

4. If you do not have explicit leadership or management responsibilities, could you please

comment on ways you practice leadership in other ways, if applicable?

5. Do you feel like the diversity of the library staff is representative of the University’s

demographics? Do you feel like it is representative of national demographics? How does

this impact your work and the success of the libraries’ mission?

6. Do you feel like Columbia University Libraries foster an environment where

conversations regarding D&I can take place? Why or why not?

7. According to the Columbia University Libraries’ Strategic Directions, beginning in 2017,

the library has implemented unconscious bias and EOAA training. In your experience,

what does this training look like and how has it impacted your work or that of the library,

positive or negative?

8. In your experience, how have you observed the libraries’ commitment to inclusion

reflected in either the composition and/or the actions of its leadership and management?

9. How has your institution continued to address D&I? Have you been personally involved

in this process?

10. If you have been involved in discussions regarding D&I, could you discuss what the

decision making process looks like?

11. In your time working at Columbia University, have you noticed any change in its

approach to D&I?
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12. If yes, how has it changed and what was the impetus for this change?

13. If you are able to, could you please provide some insight into the work of the D&I

committee and it’s decision making process?

14. As an employee of Columbia University Libraries, what are the most noticeable gaps in

D&I?

15. Why do you feel like these gaps exist?

16. Do you feel like these gaps inhibit the ability of the library to fulfill its mission and serve

its community of users?

17. What would you identify as the strengths of Columbia University Libraries’ D&I in

regards to both leadership and policy?

18. How do you assess the success of D&I within the library?

19. Could you explain what, if any, accountability measures are in place, particularly for

library leadership?

20. Do you feel like there are currently opportunities for D&I at every level of the employee

lifecycle, including recruitment, hiring and promotions? Why or why not?

21. If you are involved in the hiring process, does D&I impact that process and if so, how?

22. If not already addressed in previous answers, is their salary transparency within your

institution? Are there noticeable discrepancies?

23. In response to COVID-19, do you feel that the move to work-from-home has been a

process that is inclusive for employees given differences in technological comfort and

differing home environments?

24. What are your personal hopes for D&I at Columbia University Libraries at large and

within your department?

Appendix B

Commit to Inclusion:
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Challenge the organization to enable a thriving, inclusive community by embedding support and

welcome for all identities and cultural experiences in our efforts, conversations, and actions.

Columbia University Libraries is committed to doing the work of diversity and inclusion –

including the continual unlearning of inherent biases – acting on increased insights in culturally

appropriate ways to facilitate learning and professional growth and to foster a variety of

perspectives and ideas to address complex challenges.  The University benefits from broad

perspectives and depths of insight derived from working collaboratively with individuals from

other disciplines or professions, of different ages, cultures, identities, abilities, economic

backgrounds, beliefs, and values. (https://strategicdirections.library.columbia.edu/seek-

difference)