LSU Libraries Diversity Residency Program: Planning, Launching, and Assessing

The ACRL Diversity Alliance “unites academic libraries committed to increasing the hiring pipeline of qualified and talented individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.” As a member of the Alliance, LSU made the commitment to: establish a residency program for at least one individual, lasting a minimum of two years; design experiences at the local level to expand the residents’ interests and skills; serve as a resource to those institutions participating in the ACRL Diversity Alliance; provide at a minimum the same level of professional development support provided other library faculty/staff/employees; and provide a salary for the resident commensurate with the salaries of equivalent entry-level library professionals. In this breakout session, Sigrid Kelsey, who led the implementation of the residency program at LSU Libraries, will talk about what went into laying the groundwork for a successful residency, achieving buy-in, providing professional development for library staff, conducting a search, building a framework for the residency program, and establishing a set of productive rotations and support for the resident. She will reference best practices from other libraries and describe how they might be scaled and adapted to work at any library. Ebony McDonald, who was hired in January 2019 at LSU Libraries’ first Diversity Resident, will discuss her motivations for applying for the residency, the opportunities and challenges presented by her participation in the program, and the impact that it has had thus far on her development as professional