Me? A librarian?

Information Session March 2, 2010

NASA

• To be a librarian, archivist or information specialist, you need a Masters in Library Science

• Having an MLS is the first step towards being able to influence change in the field and provide better service to our communities

Demographics

• According to various resources from ALA, less than 0.2% of librarians are Native American, that’s 1 out of 500+.

• According to US Census Data, Native Americans make up about 1% of the population, that means we need at least 5 times as many Native American librarians to catch up

“Knowledge River is the name given to the vision and

efforts of the School of Information Resources and

Library Science (SIRLS, UA) to become a national

exemplar in LIS education reflecting throughout its

teaching, research, and outreach the diversity of

communities that libraries in particular, and cultural

heritage institutions in general, serve in Arizona and

in the nation.”

Knowledge River Goals• Continue to improve focus on library and

community outreach, through service assistantships and other means

• Increase cultural fluency within SIRLS– Expand diversity curriculum development– Emphasize diversity in faculty and research

• Inter-cohort support

What do KR Scholars receive?

• Graduate Assistantship– Library work experience– Student Health Insurance– Tuition remission– SIRLS Fees remission

• Cohort support• Professional development stipend

How does one become a KR Scholar?

• Meet eligibility requirements– Demonstrated knowledge of, experience with, and

sensitivity to at least one NA or Hispanic group• Complete application process• Take IRLS 550: Information Environments from

Hispanic and Native American Perspectives in your first fall semester

The Masters Degree ProgramSchool of Information Resources and Library Science

• 36 credit hours• Intro/Survey course IRLS 504 offered only

Summer I, Summer II and Winter sessions• Most full-time students complete the Masters

in 1 ½ yrs – 2 yrs

What can you do with it?• Tribal Librarian• School Librarian (Elementary, Middle or High)• Academic Librarian (colleges, universities, tribal

colleges)• Public Librarian• Special Librarian– Medical Librarian– Corporate Librarian– Museum Librarian

• Internships and Fellowships

Admissions Process•Apply to Graduate School•Apply to SIRLS•Apply to KR

Step by step instructions:http://sirls.arizona.edu/KR/admissions

KR Facts of Interest

• Began in 2002• Funded by an IMLS Grant (Institute of

Museum and Library Services)• Partnerships with UA Libraries, Arizona Health

Sciences Library, PCPL• Currently in our 8th Cohort• There are over 100 KR Graduates in the world!

Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord, the first Navajo woman surgeon and now an Associate Dean at Dartmouth Medical School, notes the importance of becoming a good reader in her 1999 autobiography The Scalpel and the Silver Bear. She attended the public high school at Crownpoint in the Navajo Nation where, "I made good grades...but...received a very marginal education. I had a few good teachers, but teachers were difficult to recruit to our schools and they often didn't stay long. Funding was inadequate. I spent many hours in classrooms where, I now see, very little was being taught."

What saved her later in college was her "strong reading background." She writes, "I read my way through the tiny local library and the vans that came to our community from the Books on Wheels program.” Encouraged by her parents "to read and dream," she could even get out of chores by reading.

Student Organizations at SIRLS

• Library Students Organizations (LSO)• Special Libraries Association (SLA)• Progressive Librarian’s Guild (PLG)

There are also many, many professional librarians (and information science) association you can join.

Professional Development

• Tribal Archives, Libraries, Museums Conference

• Arizona Tribal Librarians Gathering• American Indian Library Association• Joint Conference of Librarians of Color• REFORMA National and regional

Questions?Sandy Littletreesandy505@email.arizona.edu520-621-5220