This thesis examines library managers' attitude to the composition of the library workforce and their perceived resources and power to promote a library workforce which better represents the community in which it operates. What do the managers consider causes this composition and what changes do they find possible to implement in the future. The method used for collecting the material was e-mail and telephone interviews. The material is analyzed mainly through Taylor Cox' theories about the multicultural organization in which Cox demonstrates the positive impact that cultural heterogeneity has at a workplace by creating non-discriminatory effective organizations in which people from all different socio-cultural backgrounds are included. Some intersectional theory and related research also form the basis for the analysis. The results show that managers are very much aware of the problem of an overly homogeneous library workforce. They express that diversity needs to increase in all public institutions for it to take place in a library context. They also believe that the most limiting factor of the ability to conduct successful diversity efforts is a lack of resources, time and budget. There is a widespread perception among the managers that a change in recruitment strategies must be implemented in order to overcome the homogeneity. The thesis further highlights a couple of managers' lack of sufficient diversity knowledge. Without the relevant knowledge among managers, one can not expect diversity strategies to be formulated adequately or implemented satisfactorily. Although the managers claim an eagerness to make a change, there is a lack of practical suggestions on which to act in their responses. However, it is not solely in the library managers' hands to improve the current situation, it requires everyone with influence on this issue to make it prioritized. This is a two years master’s thesis in Archive, Library and Museum studies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-297811 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Meier, Sarah |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för ABM |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | Uppsatser inom biblioteks- & informationsvetenskap, 1650-4267 ; 702 |
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