The "Knowledge River" Model

The most promising recruiting initiative in library education has to be Knowledge River (KR) at the School of Information Resources and Library Science (SIRLS) at the University of Arizona, Tucson. A Center for the Study of Hispanic and Native American Information Issues, KR was created to work with Hispanics and Native Americans "to find linguistically appropriate and culturally authentic information solutions to everyday problems." Few LIS recruiting and education efforts can claim such broad vision, ambitious goals, or comprehensive scope.

KR will prepare professionals "to approach the information milieu from Hispanic and Native American backgrounds." It will bring in leaders from a broad range of fields, disciplines, and professions to teach Hispanic and Native American information issues. KR is a "think tank" as well. Its scholars will create new knowledge to serve those populations and communities. Members of the Hispanic and Native American communities and professionals who serve them will be trained in the latest information technologies. The results will be shared with the larger society.

The urgent need for more ambitious efforts to recruit Hispanics and Native Americans was identified at a meeting of Carla Stoffle (dean of University Libraries at Arizona), Gladys Ann Wells (Arizona State Librarian), and Agnes Griffin (director, Tucson PL). Patricia Tarin, brought in to recruit for the university library, wrote the concept paper that became KR; she now directs the program. When Brooke Sheldon, who had a strong history of support for diversity, became director of SIRLS, she immediately added her commitment to the creation of KR. In July 2001 the program received a large grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

KR's multidisciplinary curriculum complements that of SIRLS. It allows students to study the information age as it pertains to various cultural groups. "KR students will be guided by scholars and practitioners who have both expertise and cultural authenticity," Tarin told LJ.

SIRLS had no faculty with those cultural backgrounds, so courses were developed by faculty teams from SIRLS and other parts of the university. One of Tarin's toughest jobs was to convince already stretched minority faculty members, most untenured with large teaching loads, to add new courses outside their departments. Many were excited by the multidisciplinary and multicultural possibilities at KR. The KR steering committee is a veritable who's who of Hispanic and Native American librarianship.

KR's first class of 24 students includes seven Native Americans and 17 Hispanics from all over the United States. The students met all the academic requirements of SIRLS and the university; many exceeded them. Four have master's degrees in other fields. Most of the KR scholars want to serve their communities in library settings, but that is not a requisite.

I asked Tarin the secret of recruiting such a strong class so quickly. "There is no magic bullet for recruiting Hispanics and Native Americans to librarianship," she replied. "You need to provide adequate financial incentive for them to return to college."

"Many of the KR students have families to support and loans to pay off," she added. "If we want these students, we need to make it at least within their reach to leave other careers and go back to school." KR offers tuition waivers and an average stipend of $12,000. In addition there are peer counselors who, along with Tarin, will help students navigate the university and deal with personal issues.

KR is a program to watch and support. From it we may finally understand what it takes to attract the ethnic diversity we sorely need to our field. There is no magic bullet, as Tarin acknowledges, but it does take vision, cultural understanding, and a well-thought-out set of support systems. May Knowledge River grow and prosper!

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