In Sixth Meeting, BCALA Gathers in Fort Worth

By Carmen Grant, Denton Public Library, TX, with Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 09/01/2007

The sixth national conference of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) came to Fort Worth, TX, August 2–5, under the theme “Preserving the Past, Sustaining the Future.” More than 500 people gathered to address a gamut of library issues, including service to the black community and the challenges faced by African American librarians.

While attendance was roughly half that of the previous conference, in 2002 (see “Culture Keepers,” LJ 9/15/02, p. 40–41), BCALA president Wanda Brown (Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, NC) called the turnout “fair,” given that last year many members attended the first-ever Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (see “Better Together,” LJ 11/15/06, p. 34–35). “The spirit here has been wonderful,” she observed.

Opening keynote speaker Harry Robinson Jr., president/CEO of the African American Museum in Dallas, announced, “I am committed to making the comfortable uncomfortable.” He proceeded to ask thought-provoking questions, suggesting that librarians partner with others concerned about literacy and, instead of having a full conference, hold a town hall meeting to “talk to the people we are serving.”

Jonathan Edison, who describes himself as the “baddest motivational speaker,” had the audience up on their feet. He began by making them shout, “I am the CEO of me.”

Other speakers included novelist Mary Monroe (God Don’t Like Ugly, Kensington); Christopher Paul Curtis, Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award–winning author of Bud, Not Buddy (Delacorte Books for Young Readers); and Thomas C. Battle and Donna M. Wells of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University, Washington, DC, an extensive repository for the documentation of the history and culture of people of African descent in Africa and the diaspora.

The 46 workshops were grouped into six program tracks: Administration and Leadership; Human Resources and Development; Health Information; Technology and Digitization; Collections and Services; and Marketing, Community Outreach, and Programs.

Among the most popular programs were “Promoting Civility in a Hip Hop Generation of Readers”; “Genealogical Research: Keeping the Culture Through Engagement, Enlightenment and Empowerment”; “Local Libraries: Contemporary Strategies for Outreach to the African American Community”; and “Reach One To Teach One: Teen Programming that Works.”

Another popular program was “Jump Starting Your Career Through Librarian Diversity Recruitment Initiatives: Do They Live Up to the Promise?” Five panelists, veterans of such programs, said participation helped them gain knowledge about the library profession. While they could have achieved their goals without a recruitment program, they all noted that the process would have taken much longer.

It’s important, they said, to have more than one fellow or intern participate, so that the person chosen doesn’t feel isolated. Mentors are most effective when they are volunteers rather than assigned to the job, the panelists suggested. LaVern Gray, a participant in the Association of Research Libraries’ Initiative To Recruit a Diverse Workforce and now at the University of Tennessee Libraries, Knoxville, said that she would have liked having a mentor of color.

A panel on mentoring addressed the ins and outs of the process. Presenter Jewel Player of the Library of Congress (LC), U.S. Copyright Office, discussed LC’s mentoring program. The key to mentorship, she said, is “giving of yourself and your time.”

North Carolina Central University (NCCU), Durham, is the only historically black university that offers an LIS program, with its School of Library and Information Sciences (SLIS). NCCU-SLIS, which in the 1990s began offering joint degrees with the school of law and the school of business, is now considering a joint venture with the history department because of the need for archivists. The school also aims to establish an LIS Ph.D. program.

Thanks to a grant awarded last year by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, NCCU-SLIS will be able to partner with public and school library systems from five nearby counties to recruit 16 minority students to earn master’s degrees.

Several presenters planted seeds to continue the discussion on issues such as advocacy, recruitment and retention, and maintaining a voice in the profession. “This conference is bringing out a lot of things about history even though it is focused on African American history or African American issues,” said conference cochair Carolyn Norman. “The same issues can be applied to Asians, to Latinos.”

Despite the relatively low turnout, Norman said that attendees were already looking forward to the next conference, not yet scheduled.