Shared notes for this session:
https://goo.gl/5rVh6m MLA has made herculean efforts in the last ten years to review and address deficits in its membership, namely as it relates to ethnic and racially diverse members. Through the endeavors of the Organization’s Membership and Administration, efforts such as the ARL/MLA DII Fellowship and MLA’s Diversity Scholarship have resulted in a renaissance in the Organization’s makeup. Yet, as an organization, fellowships and scholarships--a great first step--cannot be a stopping point to the work. Knowing the impact diversity initiatives have had on our Organization, how do we--as members of MLA--manifest these efforts at our home institutions? Specifically, how can Our membership positively influence the recruitment and retention practices of music archives and libraries?
Recruitment and retention of music LIS personnel are not mutually exclusive, and our membership must advocate beyond MLA for diversity amongst our collegial makeup. While we have proven our commitment to promoting diversity in our field, research indicates that we each bring our personal experiences and cultural histories into the hiring and employment process. Research additionally indicates that in order to retain diverse colleagues, libraries and archives must work to ensure a collegial and intellectually stimulating environment for new hires. This plenary session will address this quandary by examining research-informed best practices for forming diverse search committees and removing implicit bias from search committees. Moreover, this session will provide insights on retaining a diverse workforce (e.g., mentoring, discouraging exceptionalism).
