11/07/06 ALA Diversity Study Results
The ALA has released "Diversity Counts," a comprehensive study of gender, race, and age in the library profession. Using 1990 and 2000 Census data (the most current available), the study found that the nearly 110,000 credentialed librarians were predominantly ages 45-54, female, and white. The number of racial and ethnic minorities receiving accredited library master's degrees (MLIS) grew 4%, up to about 13% in 2000 from 9% in 1990.
According to 2000 U.S. Census data, about 25% of Americans were non-white, compared with 11% of credentialed librarians; African-Americans made up 5% of the profession but 12.3% of the population; Latinos represented 2% of the profession and 12.5% of the population; Native Americans were less than 1% of the profession and .9% of the population; and Asian Pacific Islanders were 3% of the profession and 3.7% of the population. Academic librarians were slightly more ethnically diverse than their counterparts in public and school libraries, with a representation of 15% non-white.
The study also shows that overall admissions to MLIS master's programs were stable over the past 10 years, averaging close to 4,900 graduates per year. Census data suggest, though, that many of these graduates did not go into the library profession. While the profession continues to grow, veteran librarians stayed longer in their jobs, and entry-level positions did not become available. Roughly half of librarians currently working will reach retirement age in the coming decade. The mean salary for all library positions in 2000 was $46,121. To review the study in its entirety, please visit the ALA Web site.
