Document Type
Presentation
Presentation Date
11-16-2018
Abstract or Description
The Access Services Department at Henderson library followed ALA's new initiative to make diversity, equity and inclusion an essential part of our hiring protocol at the paraprofessional level. This presentation details our recruitment policies and strategies.
Recently, ALA added equity, diversity, and inclusion to the ALA Strategic Plan and one of the 2017 emerging leader projects was (Advancing Diversity in Public Libraries). With this in mind, the Access Services Department at the Henderson Library had the opportunity to fill seven staff positions. Three were shift supervisors and the other four were library staff assistants. This discussion will address how the Access Services Department organically improved our hiring practices. We ensured hiring decisions were made by more than one person, we created thoughtful job postings that would attract candidates to the mission of the Henderson Library, and then we made a point of evaluating candidates on competencies rather than meeting arbitrary requirements. We now have a plan in place to mentor and support our new hires, which includes opportunities for professional and personal growth and weekly meetings to engage in an ongoing conversation with our hires about creating an excellent work environment.
Sponsorship/Conference/Institution
Access Services Conference
Recommended Citation
Braddock, Jordan, Kay Coates, Jessica Garner.
2018.
"A Quilt of Many Colors: Utilizing Diversity in the Hiring Process to Ensure a Comprehensive Quality Workplace."
Library Faculty Presentations.
Presentation 265.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/lib-facpresent/265
Additional Information
Georgia Southern University faculty members, Jordan Braddock, Kay Coates, and Jessica Garner co-presented A Quilt of Many Colors: Utilizing Diversity in the Hiring Process to Ensure a Comprehensive Quality Workplace in the Access Services Conference, November 2018.