ALA UCLA Student Chapter
Panel Event
Thursday, April 24, 1-3:00pm
Minutes

Panel Title: Ethnic Diversity in the Profession: Personal Perspectives

Panelists: Richard Chabrán
Gary Colmenar
Sylva Manoogian
Itibari Zulu

Board Members Present: Laura Duncan, Publicity Officer
Loren Frant, Secretary
Greg Padilla, Co-President
Kelly Proudfit, Co-President
Ajit Pyati, Vice President

Introduction:
• Ajit introduced the panelists and the topic of the panel

Richard Chabrán, UC Riverside & California Community Technology Policy Group:
• Thanked the IS department for allowing discussions of diversity among the students & faculty
• 3 areas of experience
Librarianship
Research
Policy
• Librarianship
“tricked into becoming a librarian”
Has worked in two different Chicano Studies collections - UCB & UCLA
Challenges
• Being a librarian in a library that is not the “main” library means extra financial struggles for your institution
Opportunities
• Ability to conceive and carry out innovative projects
• Opportunity to organize and describe collections in unique ways
o He worked on the Chicano Thesaurus and Periodical Index, which became the Chicano Database
These resources consider the worldview of the users and scholars in this field
• Research
At UCLA in 1978-1979 in the Chicano Studies Research Center
• Became the Center program director and directed research
o This allowed him to capture the research process and reflect that in/with the collections
o Developed qualitative research methods and theories
Worked with graduate students in the field
• Policy
California Community Technology Policy Group, current Chair
They work on issues of literacy and accessibility to technology
Didn’t believe you could make a big difference by working on policy
• But in doing the work he has seen the opposite
o Lots of fervor in Sacramento
• Tending to Diversity issues doesn’t have to just be celebrating cultures
It can also be research agendas & policies

Itibari Zulu, Center for African American Studies Library, UCLA:
• Thanked the ALA Student Chapter & the department for having the forum and stated the importance of discussing these topics
• He went to library school in the 1970s when there was very little representation of African American men
Now there is some representation, but not enough
• He is currently the only African American male librarian on campus at UCLA
• He has seen two different sides of education
Teaching
• You receive no thanks
Librarianship
• You receive many thank yous
• He has been involved in the current diversity movement since his activism in the 1960s
• His work in African American Studies
Lexicon of subject headings dealing with African American topics to supplement LCSH
• LC eventually included him and others in the decision making process for some subject headings
• When he wrote a book he didn’t want it under the subject heading that LCSH would put it in
o Seemed arbitrary/wrong
o So he rallied LCSH to change/update/edit subject headings & definitions
To the question of why a particular ethnic group needs a whole thesaurus he says it is because they are “left out” of LCSH
• Doesn’t think too much has changed for the better in library schools
Usually one or two people among the faculty who are “radicals” and are strong advocates for discussions of diversity in the profession & the curriculum
Need to study diverse opinions & perspectives to life
• Information seeking behavior
• Enjoys African American studies because it is very dynamic
You are studying people and people are inherently dynamic
He feels challenged/compelled to make people aware of the field and then get them excited about it
• Publishing
When he publishes it is because he is trying to fill a gap in information
Publishing is difficult
• Expected to do the theoretical & the practical at the same time
• Great experience in librarianship in general
Goes to the library in every city that he visits
Networks through projects & committees

Gary Colmenar, Asian American Studies Librarian, UCSB, Philosophy & GLTB Selector, PRAXIS student:
• MLIS from UCLA in 1996
Some new courses in the MLIS program since he graduated, which is good
• 1998 to 2000 library fellow at UCSB
Then hired full time
• Selects for Asian American Studies, Philosophy & GLTB
Undergraduate degree in ethnic studies from UCSD
• How he came to librarianship
Strong library mentors at UCSD
• Internship designed to expose students to librarianship
Activism at UCSD
Undergrad degree in Ethnic Studies - Asian American History
• Developed critical thinking & political awareness
Librarianship allows him to combine his intellectual interests & his activism into his profession
• Professional Participation
ALA Social Responsibility Roundtable
AIP (Association of Independent Presses)
• Incorporation of small presses into research library collections
• Organizes events at midwinter conference
o Invites various presses to present
• Publishing
Working on an article with a colleague about the history of the fellowship at UCSB
• Library Profession allows you to combine your background, academic interests in your profession
A critical perspective is helpful

Sylva Manoogian, LAPL, PRAXIS student:
• April 24th, anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
Her parents are survivors of the Genocide
• Discusses her childhood and journey to librarianship
Love of reading
Love of languages
• Strong influences of her father
BA in Classics from Radcliff 1959, Master’s degree in 1969
• Discusses her work at LAPL
Branch Librarian to Principal Librarian
35 years of services
• Discusses her current projects
PRAXIS program
Genocide Memorial Collection at Glendale Central Library
• Developed access tools in a class project for PRAXIS
ALA, took structure of ALA and helped found the Armenian Library Association
2 year project with the ALA, Armenian Library Association, Library Association of Azerbaijan & Library Association of Georgia to promote access to academic libraries
Her family foundation funds a library project in Armenia
Library project in Jerusalem

Questions from the Group