Learning about Diversity: The Roles of LIS Education, LIS Associations, and Lived Experience

How do librarians learn about diversity? What role do library and information science (LIS) education and LIS associations play in developing that knowledge? How do librarians talk about diversity? We surveyed librarians across the United States, Canada, and a few other countries and found that life experience and media play a greater role in diversity knowledge than do LIS education, LIS associations, or LIS workplaces. Although diversity is still discussed largely in terms of race and ethnicity, our respondents also considered factors such as personality, cognitive style, political viewpoint, and socioeconomic status in their discussions of diversity.