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Explore Cultural Diversity - An Integral Component of ISDedicated to educating information professionals concerned about equity in information services. IS Diversity Summit - September 18, 2006
The Department of Information StudiesThe Department of Information Studies (IS) at UCLA offers students unique opportunities to study cultural diversity issues related to library, archival, and information studies at both master's and doctoral levels. Situated in one of the most culturally rich regions in the country, UCLA enables students to gain first-hand experience in understanding the dynamics of multiculturalism. The IS faculty is dedicated to educating leaders in the information profession. Students learn to design and deliver user-driven information services by effectively incorporating the latest in theory, technology, and methodology. They will have opportunities to tackle questions concerning equity in information service, social and professional responsibility, equity in access to technology, cross-cultural communication, and much more. IS offers an intellectual climate for the analysis, critique, and discussion of crucial issues in the provision of information services in culturally diverse communities. Professional and community service are critical components in the promotion of cultural diversity. The IS faculty and staff actively participate in cultural diversity initiatives of the general UCLA campus, provide students with professional experience, and work with the library profession and information industry to ensure successful recruitment and graduation of ethnic students. More specifically, IS works closely with ethnic professional organizations in the Los Angeles area to recruit and to retain students from diverse groups. For example, mentor programs by REFORMA and the California Librarians Black Caucus offer students individualized guidance from practitioners as well as supportive environments in which they can learn and grow.
PolicyIS's commitment to diversity is central to its function as described in its policy on cultural diversity. Its efforts are three-fold:
Subject & Research ExpertiseThe IS faculty has an interest in conducting research on racial and cultural factors in information service. Following is a sample of their research interests and expertise. Phil E. Agre: Social impacts of information and communication technologies Marcia J. Bates: Information seeking behavior; user-centered design of information retrieval systems; search strategy Christine L. Borgman: Digital library design for different user communities; telecommunication and information policy Clara M. Chu: Multicultural library and information services; information seeking behavior; social construction of information Jonathan Furner: Information retrieval and subject access for different user communities; comparative international LIS theory and education; social construction of classification systems Anne J. Gilliland: Cultural information systems design; digital heritage management; comparative international archival theory and education Gregory H. Leazer: Information retrieval and digital libraries for different user communities Leah A. Lievrouw: Social impacts of information and communication technologies; information equity issues; telecommunication and information policy Beverly P. Lynch: Libraries serving the historically black colleges and universities Mary N. Maack: Comparative librarianship (France, U.S., and Africa); gender issues; library history; literacy and libraries in the U. S. and abroad Anthony B. Maddox: Information services to enhance learning in underserved communities Elizabeth Martinez: Multicultural librarianship; national information policy; public library issues Cindy Mediavilla: Library services to teens; public library homework centers; services to Latinos; libraries building sustainable communities; public library history; public librarianship John V. Richardson, Jr.: Comparative international LIS theory and education (especially Russia), and library history research Virginia A. Walter: Information needs of children; library services for children and young adults; contemporary children's literature. Our companion Department of Education also has a faculty with significant research interests and expertise in fields relevant to cultural diversity and information services. Among these areas are:
The Department of Education's Center X is committed to working on problems that low-income, minority, and immigrant students face, such as discrimination, poverty, and hopelessness. It brings together leading research and educational programs, resources, and expertise to forge changes in schools and teaching, to help schools to become rich, rigorous, socially just, and caring learning communities where all children learn extraordinarily well.
Curriculum & Professional DevelopmentIS faculty is committed to incorporating both theoretical and applied issues of cultural diversity into its curriculum. The Department has adopted a three-tier curricular model, thereby offering courses with a primary emphasis, a distributed focus, or an elective focus on cultural diversity. Over 200 local internship sites, many in multicultural environments, have been established to provide students with opportunities to explore and learn about information services. Field study offers students the opportunity to work and learn in information institutions beyond Southern California and abroad. In addition, directed individual study and research assistantship enable students to conduct specialized inquiry under the guidance of leading researchers. Membership in specialized and ethnic professional associations enable students to gain professional development. In particular the student-directed Progressive Librarians & Educators Group is committed to promoting equity in information services and through its activities, it supports actions that advance inclusion in all aspects of our profession.
Financial SupportIS students are encouraged to take advantage of the wealth of financial resources available. Merit-based awards are available from a variety of sources: professional associations, state and federal governments, UCLA, and IS. Students also have the opportunity to work as teaching and research assistants, as consultants in the IS Multimedia and Information Technology Laboratory or as assistants in campus and local libraries and information centers.
UCLA Campus ResourcesUCLA is internationally recognized for its outstanding academic research and resources. It offers a rich collection of library and multimedia resources. IS students can take advantage of UCLA's many extra-departmental courses and expertise on ethnic and racial issues. For example:
Los Angeles City & County ResourcesSouthern California is a gateway to the Pacific Rim and a dynamic region enriched by world cultures. This coexistence of diverse traditions makes the city and county of Los Angeles an excellent laboratory for the study and understanding of cultural diversity. In Los Angeles live people from more than one hundred forty countries; children in the Los Angeles school system speak more than one hundred different languages; and more than fifty foreign language newspapers are published in the county. There is a wealth of cultural institutions, museums, archives, ethnic resource centers, and ethnic communities, and many of these make excellent sites for research and internships.
Contact InformationOffice
of Student Services Graduate School of Education & Information
Studies Susan Abler,
Assistant Director, Student Affairs (310) 825-5269, Clara M.
Chu, Associate Professor (310) 206-9368, UCLA Department
of Information Studies Diversity Recruitment and Mentoring Committee (DRMC)- A Committee of the UCLA IS Diversity Council
~ WE CAN HELP ~ The Diversity Recruitment and Mentoring Committee is made up of UCLA faculty, students, staff and alumni, and local librarians and information professionals who want to increase the number of students eventually graduating from the Information Studies program at UCLA with an MLIS or Ph.D. degree. The committee's goals are to
For more information, see: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/~drmc/ Fill out the printable Mentor/Mentee Application Form:
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Updated: 2/21/08 |
All materials copyright 2001 - 2008, UCLA GSE&IS Department of Information Studies. |
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