Using Professional Development as a Retention Tool for Underrepresented Academic Librarians

Abstract

Summary With a slow, steady rise in the number of under-represented individuals entering the profession, academic libraries are challenged to compete for and retain the talents of these individuals as are public libraries, special libraries and school media centers. Libraries that succeed in recruiting must simultaneously focus on retention and promotion. This article will discuss the use of professional development as a retention tool for entry-level, underrepresented librarians. Using the 1998 University of Minnesota Training Institute for Library Science Interns and Residents as a model, attitudes, skills, training and technology necessary to foster career advancement will be identified. The article will also identify potential external barriers to advancement and suggest ways to eliminate or reduce these barriers. It does not suggest that underrepresented librarians require a different or separate standard, but rather that they must meet the professional requirements made of all librarians while also dealing with such thorny issues as race, inequality, concrete walls, and hostile environments.