The implementation of strategies to remove barriers to opportunity and inclusion have resulted in increased diversity in full-time, part-time, and volunteer positions (including the board of trustees).
What is it and why is it important?
This toolkit has demonstrated the importance and complexity of creating a more inclusive library. Removing barriers to inclusion requires in-depth strategies and a multitude of tactics. These are needed in order to effectively understand and engage communities, explore and challenge barriers, develop strategic and operating infrastructure, provide equitable access to services, and decision-making opportunities.
As community groups often gauge whether they are welcome or not in an organization by the presence or absence of staff members and/or volunteers who represent those like them, the process required to increase diversity in staff and volunteer positions must be evaluated for its ability to generate the desired outcomes.
In Section Three, Question Two of this toolkit, information and tools were provided to inform and guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of strategies to create more inclusive and diverse board, staff and volunteer teams.
We ask you to use similar tools found in Section Three, Question Two, to evaluate the annual outcomes of the library’s efforts to increase diversity.
Figure 10.1 Evaluate the impact of numeric diversity goals
| Current Diversity Ratio | Annual Turnover Rate | Goal – Diversity numeric goal or ration | Annual Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board | ||||
| Full-time staff | ||||
| Part-time / contract staff | ||||
| Volunteers |
Figure 10.2 Evaluate the development and implementation of diversity strategies
| New or revised strategy | Please Specify List or describe the new or revised diversity policies, procedures, practices… |
Annual assessment Describe the perceived changes in diversity attributed to each strategy |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Policies and procedures | |||
| HR practices | |||
| Training | |||
| Other(s) |
Figure 10.3a Evaluate the development and implementation of diversity strategies
| Assessing the Diversity of the Board of Directors | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. What is the library’s process for recruiting [diverse people] to serve as directors? Is the process formal or informal? How effective is the process? | |
| 2. Does the library have a policy to guide diversity in the workplace? If yes, what effect does the plan have on recruiting board members? | |
| 3. How diverse is the board of trustees? Does the diversity of the board reflect the diversity of the community? | |
| 4. How is the current level of diversity on the board different from or similar to its level of diversity in past years? Is the board more or less diverse than in the past? When and why did changes occur? | |
| 5. What is the annual turnover of board positions? Is the board comfortable with setting a numeric goal to ensure that upcoming vacant positions are filled by a qualified member of a targeted community group? If so, please set this numeric goal. | |
| 6. What is the board’s opinion about requiring directors to support the library financially? Has this opinion, or could this opinion, influence the library’s ability to recruit and retain people [from various community groups] as directors? | |
| 7. What do people of [this community group] report about their experience serving as members of the board of directors? What has been their comfort level in serving the library in this capacity? | |
| 8. How does the tenure of people of [this specific community group] compare with the tenure of people serving on the board of directors? | |
| 9. To what extend does the board of directors consider issues [relating to inclusion of people from various community groups] when it sets policies and makes decisions for the library? | |
| 10. What formal and informal mechanisms are in place to guarantee that the operating policies of the library are sensitive to issues regarding [inclusion]? | |
| 11. Does the library have any advisory committees to provide feedback and guidance about programs, services, or initiatives to reach people [from diverse communities]? If yes, describe the impact that the advisory committees have on inclusiveness practices. | |
| 12. Has the board recently undergone inclusiveness and/or diversity training or education? If yes, describe the effect training had on inclusiveness practices? | |
| 13. What could the board of directors do differently to become more inclusive? | |
| 14. What could the board of directors do differently to address the needs of the [various community groups it serves]? |
Figure 10.3b Assessing the diversity of the staff team
Based on the “Selecting Facts About Your Organization” exercise from Inclusiveness at Work: How to Build Inclusive Non-profit Organizations
| Assessing the Diversity of the Staff Team | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Does the library have a formal or informal process for recruiting people [from various community groups] for the staff? If yes, is it effective? Please explain. | |
| 2. How diverse are the full-time and part-time teams? Has this assessment been completed? | |
| 3. Are explicit or strategic efforts made to hire staff who possess knowledge of and experience with diverse communities/issues? Please describe. | |
| 4. Describe how well the library has been able to retain [diverse] staff members, considering successes and challenges related to retention. Are there differences in the library’s past success in retaining staff members versus staff members of [that represent various community groups]? | |
| 5. How frequently does the staff openly discuss benefits and barriers to working across cultures? | |
| 6. To what extent does the library provide training to help staff work with people from diverse backgrounds? Please describe. | |
| 7. What improvements could be made, if any, in staffing and/or staff training to help the library work with people from different communities? | |
| 8. What is the library’s history in recruiting and promoting [diverse people] with similar professional backgrounds and skills equality? | |
| 9. To what extent does the human resources department take an active role in recruiting [diverse] people? Please describe. | |
| 10. What is the annual turnover of full- and part-time positions? Is it appropriate to set a numeric goal to ensure that upcoming vacant or new positions are filled by a qualified member of a targeted community group? If so, please set this numeric goal. | |
| 11. Does the library make inclusiveness trainers/consultants available to help staff understand and operate more effectively within a diverse cultural context? If yes, please describe. |
Figure 10.3c Assessing the diversity of library volunteers
Based on the “Selecting Facts About Your Organization” exercise from Inclusiveness at Work: How to Build Inclusive Non-profit Organizations
| Assessing the diversity of volunteers | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. What is the library’s process for recruiting [diverse people] for volunteer positions? Is the process format or informal? How effective is the process? | |
| 2. Does the library have an action plan that upholds inclusion? Does the plan provide direction on recruiting diverse volunteers? | |
| 3. How is the current level of diversity of the volunteers different from or similar to its level of diversity in past years? Are volunteer teams or volunteers on committee’s more or less diverse than in the past? When and why did changes occur? | |
| 4. What do people of [this community group] report about their experience serving as volunteers with your library? What has been their comfort level in serving the library in this capacity? | |
| 5. What is the annual turnover of non-board related volunteer positions? Is it appropriate to set a numeric goal to ensure that upcoming vacant or new positions are filled by a member of a targeted community group? If so, please set this numeric goal. | |
| 6. How does the tenure of people of [this specific community group] compare with the general tenure of people serving as volunteer? | |
| 7. To what extent does the board of directors and staff consider issues [relating to inclusion of people from various community groups] when it sets policies regarding volunteer recruitment? | |
| 8. What formal and informal mechanisms are in place to guarantee that the operating policies of the library are sensitive to issues regarding [the inclusion of volunteers]? |
Audit Tool Interpretation – How to assess Status and Progress
The Social Inclusion Audit Tool is designed to help the library assess a library’s current status and level of progress in removing barriers to social inclusion. This box contains some examples to help when using the Audit Tool for Question 10.
Low Status/Low Progress
This may be the case when the library has not yet begun to assess staff, board, and volunteer diversity and there is not a clearly defined approach for increasing diversity. It is possible the library is not fully aware of the demographic profile of the community (See Question One).
What should you do? Be Open to Change.
Recognizing the benefits/importance of having a diverse staff that is representative of the local community is crucial for becoming open to change. Refer back to Question Two for information and exercises to help the library start to make decisions about how to work towards staff and volunteer diversity.
Low Status/High Progress
This may be the case when library staff, board, and volunteers do not represent the diversity in the local community, but the library recognizes this and is taking steps to improve.
What should you do? Refine.
The information and exercises in this chapter and in Question Two can be used to help refine the library’s plan, recruitment and training practices for increasing diversity.
High Status/Low Progress
This may be the case when library staff, board, and volunteer composition reflects the diversity in the local community – or is close to it – but the library does not have a clearly articulated diversity recruitment plan.
What should you do? Become Intentional.
To ensure the library’s recruitment practices are done to a high level to attract the appropriate people, the library should develop a regularly evaluated plan that helps achieve an inclusive library – one that retains staff and volunteers from diverse backgrounds. Follow the examples and exercises in this chapter and in Question Two for guidance.
High Status/High Progress
This may be the case when the library has a staff, board, and volunteers who reflect the diversity in the local community. The library makes diversity a high priority in recruitment and provides training for staff, board, and volunteers. It has clear indicators for monitoring the level of diversity among library staff.
What should you do? Mentor Others.
The library is demonstrating a high capacity for recruiting and retaining staff, board, and volunteers from diverse backgrounds. No doubt there will have been some great successes along the way and some failures. Sharing these experiences with other libraries will help everyone on the way to become more inclusive libraries.