UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
Diverse Populations, Inclusion, and Information (LBSC 620) – 3 credit hours
Fall 2012
Paul T. Jaeger, Ph.D., J.D. (pjaeger@umd.edu)
Associate Professor, College of Information Studies
4121D Hornbake Building
A. Course Description
Information underlies virtually every interaction, is a vital social and political equalizer, and is a
unifying thread throughout all human actions. Given the importance of equal access to
information by all members of society, the study of information must be framed in the most
inclusive terms possible, including issues of socio-economic status, education, geography,
language, literacy, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, race ethnicity, and national origin.
This course is designed to prepare future information professionals to develop and provide
inclusive services to diverse and underrepresented populations, and to analyze and evaluate
services to ensure equality of access to information in a range of institutional settings.
B. Goals of the Course
The goals of this course are to introduce students to:
• The concepts of inclusion and equal access in terms of information;
• The social, political, and technological barriers to access in society;
• The specific information needs of various diverse and underrepresented populations;
• The history of the provision of services to underrepresented and diverse populations;
• The means of designing, implementing, analyzing, assessing, and evaluating information
services in terms of equal access;
• The issues of diversity and underrepresentation in information education; and
• The importance of equality of information access to society.
These goals will be accomplished through exposure to a mix of history, pedagogy, practice, and
research.
C. Course Method
This course meets once a week on Wednesdays from 5:30pm- 8:15pm in room HBK 2119. The
course will be conducted as a seminar. It is essential that every student participates in the
discussions of course materials. Participation means active involvement in class discussions.
Students read the assigned readings for each week PRIOR TO THAT WEEK’S MEETING.
Based on critical examination of course readings, each student should develop an analytical
stance concerning the issues in the course. The students are expected to question, challenge,
argue, and discuss issues and topics related to that session's readings. For certain weeks, the class
will be joined in the discussion by individuals with specific expertise on the week’s topic.
D. Classroom Environment
As a graduate seminar, the classroom environment should be professional and respectful.
Discussions should be based on course readings and critical thinking. Issues of policy can
LBSC 620- Page 1
involve strongly held beliefs and current political controversies. Remember--your classmates
may have different perspectives on issues than you, but they still deserve your respect. As
another aspect of respect in the classroom environment, turn off or mute all phones and other
communication devices during each class session. If you use your laptop or mobile device in the
classroom, limit the usage to course-related reasons (i.e., taking notes).
E. Extensions
Timeliness is extremely important in graduate work, and extensions will only be available during
personal emergencies. Students who need to request an extension should discuss the matter in
advance with the professor. If an extension is granted, the work must be submitted within the
extension period to avoid grade penalties. Unexcused delays in submission of the paper will
result in a deduction of half of a letter grade for each day the paper is late, while unexcused
delays in presentations will result in a deduction of half a letter grade for each class meeting the
presentation is late.
F. Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and
provide documentation to the Disability Support Services office, and (2) discuss any necessary
academic accommodation with their teachers. This should be done at the beginning of the
semester.
G. Emergency Preparedness
Information about the status of the campus is available at
http://www.umd.edu/emergencypreparedness/. If the campus is closed, please make sure to stay
safe. Information about possible rescheduling of course activities will be provided via e-mail
once the campus has reopened.
H. Academic Honesty
Work submitted in this course will be individual and original, in line with the University’s
Academic Honor Code and Honor Pledge. Engaging in any academic dishonesty will result in
consequences in line with university policies. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to
plagiarism, cheating, buying work, multiple submissions of the same paper, forging signatures,
submitting fraudulent documents, and facilitating the academic dishonesty of others. When
writing papers, be sure to carefully and thoroughly cite all materials you use in writing your
paper and make sure all ideas and quotations are properly acknowledged. Please visit
http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/code.html for more information on the University’s
Code of Academic Integrity.
I. Course Materials
There is no required text for the course. All readings will be available to students online or in
another accessible format. Nearly all the required journal article readings are accessible through
the University’s library e-journal/database holdings accessible at http://www.lib.umd.edu.
J. Assignments and Grading
Your grade will be based on three items. All written materials for the course should be doublespaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font. The margins should be 1 inch exactly on each
LBSC 620- Page 2
side. Citations – both in the text and in the references section – must conform to the most recent
APA style manual. Pages should be numbered and format should be consistent. All written
assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date indicated below.
1. Classroom participation (35% of your final grade). This seminar is a discussion-based
course. You are expected to read all of the assignments, to think through the issues they raise,
and to articulate your thoughts on the materials. Clearly, you need to attend class to participate in
the discussions. Attendance will be taken every week, with absences being excused in cases of
illness, religious observances, and other reasons in line with university policies, or if the
university is closed due to inclement weather. In order to receive an excused absence, the
instructor should be notified in advance of the class meeting.
2. Diversity Initiatives Paper (20% of your final grade, due October 17). This short paper –
approximately 4-6 pages – should identify and examine the diversity initiatives at three similar
information organizations (e.g., public libraries, archives, etc.). The website of each organization
should be examined for posted policies about diverse populations and inclusive services, as well
as any ongoing programs for specific populations. These materials should be analyzed and
contrasted in terms of populations covered, types of inclusive services offered, extent and level
of specificity of policies, and any other issues that seem important. Be sure to include the
relevant URLs.
3. Research Paper (45% of your final grade, due November 28). This longer research paper –
approximately 20 pages – will explore the research and practice related to the provision of
inclusive information services to a specific underrepresented population. Drawing from research
literature, professional literature, and policies and practices of information organizations, this
paper will review and summarize the information needs and various approaches to providing
information services to the selected population. Then, the paper will evaluate the different
approaches identified. Finally, the paper will propose an approach to providing inclusive
information services to the selected underrepresented population.
K. Office Hours & Contact Information
My office hours for Fall 2012 are Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in room HBK 4121D,
and I can be contacted via phone (301-405-1741) or email (pjaeger@umd.edu).
L. Topic Areas by Week
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND INFORMATION (AUG 29)
WEEK 2: LIS AND INCLUSION (SEPT 5)
 Adkins, D., & Espinal, I. (2004). The diversity mandate. Library Journal, 45(2), 149-161
 Lance, K. C. (2005). Racial and ethnic diversity of U.S. library workers. American
Libraries, 36(5), 41-43.
 Jaeger, P. T., Subramaniam, M., Jones, C. B., & Bertot, J. C. (2011). Diversity and LIS
education: Inclusion and the age of information. Journal of Education for Library and
Information Science, 52, 166-183.
 Overall, P. M. (2009). Cultural competence: A conceptual framework for library and
information science professionals. Library Quarterly, 79, 175-204.
LBSC 620- Page 3
WEEK 3: SERVICE TO UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS (SEPT 12)
 American Library Association. Library Bills of Rights and Code of Ethics. Available:
http://www.ala.org
 Hall, T. D. (2007). Race and place: A personal account of unequal access. American
Libraries, 38(2), 30-33.
 Hayden, C. D. (2004). Reaching out to the underserved. American Libraries, 35(3), 5.
 Malone, C. K. (2000). Toward a multicultural American public library history. Libraries
& Culture, 35, 77-87.
 Maloney, M. M. (2012). Cultivating community, promoting inclusivity: Collections as
fulcrum for targeted outreach. New Library World, 113, 281-289.
 Van Sant, W. (2009, June 8). Librarians now add social work to their resumes. St.
Petersburg Times. Available: http://www.tampabay.com/
 Westbrook, L. (2008). Understanding crisis information needs in context: The case of
intimate partner violence survivors. Library Quarterly, 78, 237-261.
WEEK 4: CONTEXTS OF INCLUSIVE SERVICES (SEPT 19)
 Buddy, J. W., & Williams, M. C. (2005). A dream deferred: School libraries and
segregation. American Libraries, 36(2), 33-35.
 Japzon, A. C., & Gong, H. (2005). A neighborhood analysis of public library use in New
York City. Library Quarterly, 75, 446-463.
 Maxey-Harris, C. (2010). Multicultural e-resources: An exploratory study of resources
held by ARL libraries. Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 29(1), 65-80.
 White, K. L., & Gilliland, A. J. (2010). Promoting reflexivity and inclusivity in archival
education, research, and practice. Library Quarterly, 80, 231-248.
WEEK 5: POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL DIVIDES (SEPT 26)
 Bertot, J. C. (2009). Public access technologies in public libraries: Impacts and
implications. Information Technology & Libraries, 28(2), 84-95.
 Josey, E. J. (1999). Diversity: Social and political barriers. Journal of Library
Administration, 27(1/2), 191-201.
 Kinney, B. (2010). The Internet, public libraries, and the digital divide. Public Library
Quarterly, 29(2), 104-161.
 Roso, L. (2011, May 7). Free computer classes at D.C. libraries help bridge digital divide.
The Washington Post.
WEEK 6: INFORMATION POVERTY AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS (OCT 3)
 Berman, S. (March 1998). On my mind-Libraries, class, and the poor people's policy.
American Libraries, 29, 38.
 Carlton, J. (2009, January 19). Folks are flocking to the library, a cozy place to look for a
job: Books, computers and wi-fi are free, but staffs are stressed by crowds, cutbacks.
Washington Post, A1.
 CNN. (2009). Hard economic times: A boon for public libraries. CNN.com. Available:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/28/recession.libraries/index.html.
LBSC 620- Page 4




Constantino, R. (2005). Print environments between high and low socioeconomic status
(SES) communities. Teacher Librarian, 32(3), 22-25.
Gehner, J. (2010). Libraries, low-income people, and social exclusion. Public Library
Quarterly, 29(1), 39-47.
Hersberger, J. (2002). Are the economically poor information poor? Does the digital
divide affect the homeless and information access? Canadian Journal of Information and
Library Science, 27(3), 45-63.
Nyquist, E. B. (1968). Poverty, prejudice, and the public library. Library Quarterly, 38,
78-89.
WEEK 7: RACE, ETHNICITY, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN I (OCT 10)
 Chu, C. M. (1999). Literacy practices of linguistic minorities: Sociolingusitic issues and
implications for literacy services. Library Quarterly, 69, 339-359.
 Du Mont, R. R. (1986). Race in American librarianship. Journal of Library History, 21,
488-509.
 Fultz, M. (2006). Black public libraries in the south in the era of de jure segregation.
Libraries & the Cultural Record, 41, 337-359.
 Whitmire, E. (2003). Cultural diversity and undergraduates’ academic library use. The
Journal of Academic Librarianship, 29(3), 148-161.
WEEK 8: RACE, ETHNICITY, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN II (OCT 17) – DIVERSITY INITIATIVES PAPER
DUE




Adkins, D., & Hussey, L. (2006). The library lives of Latino college students. Library
Quarterly, 76, 456-480.
Burke, S. (2007). The use of public libraries by Native Americans. Library Quarterly, 77,
429-461.
Hand, S. (2009). Transmitting whiteness: Librarians, children, and race, 1900-1930s.
Progressive Librarian, 38/39, 34-63
Hughes-Hassell, S., & Cox, E. J. (2010). Inside board books: Representations of people
of color. Library Quarterly, 80, 211-230.
WEEK 9: GENDER (OCT 24)
 Audunson, R., Essmat, S., & Aabo, S. (2011). Public libraries: A meeting place for
immigrant women? Library & Information Science Research, 33, 220-227.
 Burnett, K., Subramaniam, M., & Gibson, A. (2009). Latinas cross the IT border:
Understanding gender as a boundary object between information worlds. First Monday,
14(9). Available:
http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2581/2286
 Maack, M. N. (1998). Gender, culture, and the transformation of American librarianship,
1890-1920. Libraries & Culture, 33, 51-61.
 Lawson, K. C. (2001). The Saturday evening girls: A progressive era library club and the
intellectual life of working class and immigrant girls in turn-of-the-century Boston.
Library Quarterly, 71, 195-230.
WEEK 10: DISABILITY AND AGE (OCT 31)
LBSC 620- Page 5





Hazard, B. (2008). Separate but equal? A comparison of content on library web pages
and their text versions. Journal of Web Librarianship, 2(2/3), 417-428.
Lazar, J., & Jaeger, P. T. (2011). Reducing barriers to online access for people with
disabilities. Issues in Science and Technology, 17(2), 68-82.
Schmetzke, A. (2005). Access to online library resources for all: Role of policy and
policy change. Interface, 27(4), 4-11.
Wopperer, E. (2011). Inclusive literature in the library and the classroom. Knowledge
Quest, 39(3), 26-34.
Xie, B., & Jaeger, P. T. (2008). Computer training programs for older adults at the public
library. Public Libraries, 47(5), 42-49.
WEEK 11: MIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION (NOV 7)
 Asher, C. (2011). The progressive past: How history can help us save Generation 1.5.
Reference & User Services Quarterly, 51, 43-48.
 Caidi, N., & Allard, D. (2005). Social inclusion of newcomers to Canada: An information
problem? Library & Information Science Research, 27, 302-324.
 Fisher, K. E., Marcoux, E., Miller, L. S., Sánchez, A., & Cunningham, E. R. (2004).
Information behaviour of migrant Hispanic farm workers and their families in the Pacific
Northwest. Information Research, 10(1). Retrieved April 27, 2009, from:
http://informationr.net/ir/10-1/paper199.html
 Kennan, M. A., Lloyd, A., Qayyum, A., & Thompson, K. (2011). Settling in: The
relationship between information and social inclusion. Australian Academic & Research
Libraries, 42, 191-210.
WEEK 12: SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY (NOV 14)
 Alexander, L. B., & Miselis, S. (2007). Barriers to GLBTQ collection development and
strategies for overcoming them. Young Adult Library Services, Spring, 43-49.
 Curry, A. (2005). If I ask, will they answer? Evaluating public library reference service to
gay and lesbian youth. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 45(2), 65-75.
 Pruitt, J. (2010). Gay men's book clubs vs. Wisconsin's public libraries: A political
struggle for compatibility. Library Quarterly, 80, 121-141.
 Mehra, B., & Braquet, D. (2007). Library and information science professionals as
community action researchers in an academic setting: Top ten directions to further
institutional change for people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
Library Trends, 56, 542-565.
WEEK 13: INCARCERATION (NOV 21)
 Bernis, M. (2011). You work where? Prison librarian – an inside job with outsize
benefits. Library Journal, Oct 15, 108.
 Dowling, B. (2010). The accidental prison librarian: An interview with Avi Steinberg.
Public Libraries, November/December, 43-47.
 Payne, W., & Sabath, M. J. (2007). Trends in the use of information management
technology in prison libraries. Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 26(2), 1-10.
 Shirley, G. L. (2003). Correctional libraries, library standards, and diversity. Journal of
Correctional Education, 54, 70-74.
LBSC 620- Page 6

Vogel, B. (1997). Bailing out prison libraries. Library Journal, 122, 35-37.
WEEK 14: RECRUITING FOR DIVERSITY (NOV 28) - RESEARCH PAPER DUE
 Franklin, R. E., & Jaeger, P. T. (2007). A decade of doctorates: An examination of
dissertations written by African American females in Library and Information Studies
1993-2003. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 48(3), 187-201.
 Kim, K-S., & Sin, S. J. (2006). Recruiting and retaining students of color in LIS
programs: Perspectives of library and information professionals. Journal of Education for
Library and Information Science, 47(2), 81-95.
 Subramaniam, M., & Jaeger, P. T. (2010). Modeling inclusive practice?: Attracting
diverse faculty and future faculty to the information workforce. Library Trends, 59(1/2),
109-127.
 Winston, M., & Walstad, K. (2006). Recruitment and diversity: A research study of
bilingualism and library services. Library & Information Science Research, 28, 390-406.
WEEK 15: EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT OF SERVICES FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS (DEC 5)
 Ballas, J. L. (2005). Does your library’s website pass the usability test? Computers in
Libraries, 25(9), 36-39.
 Becvar, K. M., & Srinivasan, R. (2009). Indigenous knowledge and culturally-responsive
methods in information research. Library Quarterly, 79, 421-441.
 Jaeger, P. T., Bertot, J. C., & Franklin, R. E. (2010). Diversity, inclusion, and
underrepresented populations in LIS research. Library Quarterly, 80, 175-181.
 Totten, H. L. (2000). Ethnic diversity in library schools: Completing the education cycle.
Texas Library Journal, 76(1), 16-19.
M. Syllabus Change Policy
This syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.
N. CourseEvalUM
Participation in the evaluation of courses through CourseEvalUM is a responsibility that students
hold as members of our academic community. Student feedback is confidential and important to
the improvement of teaching and learning at the University. Please use
http://www.courseevalum.umd.edu to complete course evaluations that the end of the semester.
LBSC 620- Page 7