a new management culture of diversity: for a new image of libraries by wolfgang kaiser 1

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Diversity Management: a new Management culture of diversity - for a new image of libraries

Multicultural Libraries: practice makes perfect!Study Visit November 2–3, 2009

by Wolfgang Kaiser

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Starting questions

1.) Why should (German) libraries take a detailed look at the concept of Managing Diversity?

2.) How can such a concept be implemented?

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Starting questions

3.) Do the cultural services of the library reflect the cultural preferances of people with different cultural backgrounds and different language skills?

4.) Do libraries really meet the needs of people with a different sexual orientation in the same way as for other people?

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Starting questions

5.) Can people with different divers-abilities really use the library services?

6.) Do libraries adress women and men in in a gender specific way without any clichés and stereotypes?

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Definition(s)

• concept, which aims to harmonise the differences and similarities within the staff in different parts of a company

• main idea = diversity owns a economic dimension

=> social innovation

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Different approaches

3 paradigms:

=> discrimination and fairness

=> access and legitimation

=> learn- and effectivness

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Diversity vs. Image

=> unattractive profession for minorities (Leslie Burger, ALA)

=> perception and image about the profession

=> reduction of stereotypes and prejudices

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The multicultural organisation

• What measures have to be carried out?

• What kind of personal, financial and logistic requirements does your library need?• How can we define the term diversity for our library?

=> inclusion of all employees

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The multicultural organisation

• definition of diversity criteria• realisation of diversity plans

=> recruiting and communication policies

• Diversity - Scorecard

• Diversity- Council

Responsibilities of a so-calleddiversity librarian:

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The multicultural organisation

Intercultural competency=> diversity-training within our profession

Pre-conditions for diversity management

=> implementation also into the curriculum for future librarians

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Diversity Marketing

• target orientated focus on the need of certain minorities • coverage of neglected market- and customer segments

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Diversity Recruiting

Employees with a different background

=> more empathie towards others

=> a greater confidence into the institution

=> recommendation to friends & family

=> realisable in Germany?

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Diversity Recruiting For people with divers-abilties:

Study of the Danish Centre for Equal Opportunities for people with disabilities=> access can be facilitated if there are librarians with similar handicaps

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Best Practice

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Best PracticeOcean County Library (New Jersey): => Library of the Future–award

=> Diversity Cookbook

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Best Practice

Ocean County Library diversity-mission statement:

„The Ocean County Library is a truly multicultural institution.We respect, honor, and celebrate individual and cultural differences.[…]”

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Best Practice

• Public Libraries Brighton and Hove

=> 15-20 % belong to the LGBT- community an

=> special collection LGBT-literature (Pink Parenting list)

=> consultation group

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Conclusion• raising awareness towards the Other/others

• inclusion and participation

• more patrons and a greater diversity of services

• greater market penetration within the population

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Thanks for your attention!

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Literary sourcesBecker, Manfred/ Seidel, Alina (Hrsg.): Diversity

Management. Unternehmens- und Personalpolitik der Vielfalt. Stuttgart: Schäffer-Pöschl

Cox, T.H. Jr.; Tung, R. (1997): The multicultural organization. In: Academy of Management Executive, No. 02, S. 34-45

Dewey, Barbara I.; Parham, Loretta (2006): Achieving Diversity. A How-To-Do-It-Manual for Librarians. New York: Schumann

Granato, Nadia (2003): Ethnische Ungleichheit auf dem deutschen Arbeitsmarkt.Opladen: Leske + Budrich

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Literary sourcesHill, Katherine [Hrsg.] (1993): Diversity and

multiculturalism in libraries, Greenwich [u.a.]: Jai Press

Stuber, Michael (2003): Diversity Marketing. Eine Lösung des (scheinbaren)Widerspruchs zwischen Massen- und Individualmarketing.In: Thexis 04, S. 31-35URL: www.mi-st.de/download/Div-03-Sep-Thexis.pdf

Vedder, Günther [Hrsg.] (2006): Diversity-orientiertes Personalmanagement.München: Hampp Verlag