PDA Series: Intentionally Recruiting for Diversity in Librarianship

Please register for this event. 

The Diverse Librarianship Career Training and Education Program is a call to action in response to the serious lack of diverse representation in library and information science professions. This grant project aims to create a pathway model for breaking down barriers in recruitment and retention of diverse librarians by introducing high school seniors to librarianship. Through collaboration and innovation, libraries can ensure their espoused DEIA values are values in action. 

Presenters include: Tammie Busch, Lora Del Rio, Shelly McDavid, Lamonta Swarm, and Simone Williams, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Tammie Busch has over twenty years of experience working in public, school, and academic libraries. She received her MLIS from University of Missouri in Columbia and her MA in History from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. She is currently an Assistant Professor, Catalog and Metadata Librarian at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her research interests include cataloging ethics, value of enhanced cataloging on student success, and diversity in librarianship.

Lora Del Rio has over twenty years of experience working in university, community college, and law libraries. She received her MSLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is currently Director of Research, Teaching, & Learning and an Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her research interests include Her research interests include library marketing & communications, librarian burnout, mentoring, DEI, digital humanities, information literacy, and library instruction. 

Shelly McDavid is the Director for Access, Discovery & Systems, STEM Librarian, and Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.  Her research areas include assessment of library data and services, evidence-based decision making and strategic planning, information literacy instruction, and STEM education.  Prior to this position, Shelly served as the Head of Access Services and Learning Commons Librarian at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.  In the past 7 years, Shelly has worked at four different STEM focused libraries engaging and imparting information literacy skills to all users. 

Lamonta Swarn is currently a research assistant in Lovejoy Library and is seeking her Master's Degree from SIUE in English Literature. She received her Bachelors degree from SIUE where she found a love of classic literature and poetry. Lamonta’s research interests include classic literature, poetry, contemporary feminist writing, and black diaspora writing.

Simone Williams MA, MLIS is the Diversity and Engagement Librarian and Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.  She is a first-year librarian.  Before her position at SIUE, she spent several years working at cultural institutions in the St. Louis metropolitan region in numerous positions. Additionally, she has an extensive history of working with students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, especially those from low-income, black, LGBTQIA+, and immigrant communities. Her research interests are Cultural Informatics and Heritage, Digital Humanities, Digital Libraries, Diversity and Social Justice, Information Access, Information Literacy, Social Media, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Community Informatics.

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