1. Are We Closing One Gap While Widening Another?
Are Minority Librarians Leaving Graduate School In More Debt Than Their Non-Minority Colleagues?
Shannon R. Simpson, MLIS • Residency Librarian, Towson University
Description Survey Results Learning Outcomes Further Research
A survey on debt and scholarships for graduates of library school was • 92% of scholarships are being distributed to non-minorities • 3.79% of minorities that apply for scholarships receive none. How
conducted and analyzed in order to examine the debt load of ethnic Average Librarian Student Loan Debt* which make up 89% of the population. can this population be reached in order to close the financial gap
minority* versus non-minority library school graduates. In addition, the $35,000
between minorities and non-minorities?
number of scholarships applied for compared $34,800
$34,600
• 8% of scholarships are being distributed to minorities which
to their ultimate distribution was examined. $34,400
$34,200 make up 11% of the librarian population. • Would reaching the 3.79% of minorities with scholarships actually
close the financial gap?
$34,000
$33,800
*The term “minority” is used throughout this poster in place of “members of traditionally under-represented groups” for efficiency purposes. Here, the $33,600
term “minority” refers to all of those persons that are part of ethnically under-represented groups, or as defined by ALA’s Spectrum program as members $33,400 Scholarship Distribution
of: American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander communities. The researcher
would like to acknowledge that, while this study examined a specific portion of the under-represented, the term “minority” can also be applied to a much
Non-Minority
$34,000 All Librarians
$34,100 Minorities
Total Scholarships Received by Minority Survey Participants =
204
• Does the strength of minority applicants or applications need to
broader group than those that were examined in this survey.
improve and if so, what can be done?
$34,948
Total Scholarships Received by Non-Minority Survey
*All dollar amounts have been adjusted at a compounded 8% rate and reflect dollar
amounts of 2010. 8% is an average rate of college inflation per year. Participants = 2,414.5 8%
Scholarship Applications
Background 40.00%
35.00%
92%
Percent of Survey Population
30.00%
Thanks in part to numerous diversity initiatives, the number of ethnic
25.00%
20.00%
minorities choosing to enter library school has seen slow but steady 15.00%
10.00%
increases over the past half-century. This poster reviews data collected 5.00%
0.00%
to compare the debt load of minority versus the debt-load of non- 0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11+
No
Respo
nse
Average Debt Load Accumulated By Librarians in order to Attain MLIS/
minority library school graduates. In addition to examining the levelness Non-Minority 32.00% 36.82% 16.24% 6.12%
All Librarians 31.18% 35.29% 17.16% 7.06%
2.71%
2.94%
2.00%
1.96%
2.14%
2.55%
2.00%
1.87%
MLS degree
of the financial playing field between non-minority and minority
Minorities 20.45% 31.82% 25.00% 11.36% 3.79% 2.27% 4.55% 0.76%
• Minority = $34,948*
librarians, this study helps illustrate whether the amount of financial Total # of Applications
400
support made available to minority students is being out-paced by the 350
• Non-Minority = $34,000*
number of minorities entering the profession. 300
250
200
150
• Difference = $948*
100
*All dollar amounts have been adjusted at a compounded 8% rate and reflect dollar amounts of 2010. 8% is an AVERAGE rate of college inflation per year.
50
0
Percentage of surveyed minority librarians
• This study was conducted exclusively for library school graduates, but
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11+ No
Response
Non-Minority All Librarians Minorities and scholarships/grants/funding
how large is the minority population that did not finish library school
Scholarships Received specifically due to lack of funding?
60.00%
• 78.79% of all minority librarians APPLIED for 1
or more scholarships
Percent of Survey Population
50.00%
40.00% • 8% of all scholarships and library school assistance are being received
30.00%
• 67.43% of all minority librarians RECEIVED 1 by minorities. Are all, some or none of this 8% targeted specifically
20.00%
10.00% or more scholarships for minorities?
0.00%
No
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11+ Respo
nse
• 18.95% of all minority librarians RECEIVED 3 • Is there a perception in the field that minorities are receiving a great
Non-Minority 45.41% 39.53% 5.76% 1.18% 0.35% 0.35% 0.24% 7.18%
deal of scholarships and funding? If so, does this deter scholarship
Methodology or more scholarships
All Librarians 42.25% 41.08% 6.76% 1.37% 0.59% 0.49% 0.20% 7.26%
Minorities 24.24% 48.48% 13.64% 3.03% 0.76% 1.52% 0.00% 8.33%
granting agencies from awarding minorities, due to the perception
Total # Received
• 3.79% of all minority librarians that applied RECEIVED that they will get funding elsewhere? If so, what can be done in
Using the online tool, StudentVoice, a survey was distributed nationally
500
450
0 scholarships order to change this perception?
via various library-related listservs, blogs, and Facebook pages. 400
350
Statistical data was gathered from 1020 respondents. The survey was 300
250
Percentage of surveyed non-minority librarians
given “exempt” status by the researcher’s IRB department, and reflects 200
150
and scholarships/grants/funding
the latest demographic statistics of ALA and the 2000 U.S. Census. 100
50
0
0 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11+ No • 66.03% of all non-minority librarians APPLIED for 1
Response
Demographics Non-Minority All Librarians Minorities or more scholarships
Race or Ethnicity 2000 U.S. Census Percent of Percent of Survey
Primary Sources of Funding for Library School
Data – % of
Librarians
Population Respondents*
• 47.41% of all non-minority librarians RECEIVED 1
American Indian /
Alaska Native
Less than 1% .9% 1.86% 49.30%
45.23%
Non-Minority Minority
or more scholarships
Asian / Pacific 3% 3.7% 4.59%
Islanders 27.01%
African American /
Black
5% 12.3% 3.91% 17.08%
14.70%
10.81%
14.84%
9.50%
• 7.88% of all non-minority librarians RECEIVED 3
6.10%
or more scholarships
3.40% 0.00%
Hispanic / Latino 2% 12.5% 3.13% 1.18% 0.82% 0.00%
Caucasian / White 89% 75% 83.01%
Non-White 11% 25% 13.49%
* Respondents were given the option of checking all that apply. Roughly 5% checked
• 13.41% of all non-minority librarians that applied
more than one racial identity. 3.52% of respondents checked “Other” or “No
response.”
RECEIVED 0 scholarships