Rethinking the Eurocentric Library Workplace:

There have been numerous articles, conferences and workshops about the concept of valuing diversity in the American workplace. In the library literature, this discussion has more often than not focused on recruiting librarians of color and helping "them" to adjust to the library workplace. The authors of this article suggest an additional dimension which as been promoted in the corporate sector for some time: that of re-thinking the culture of the workplace. The role that an individual's culture places in creating a workplace culture should not be underestimated. Increased awareness and assessment of various cultural issues is critical to recruitment and retention of people of color in library organizations. The growing diversityy of American society make a re-assessment of library workplace culture imperative. The irulhors of this article assert that "valuing differences" in the workplace means allowing people more opportunity to be themselves within the framework of organizational effectiveness, without fear of negative ramif~cations. The goal of library organizations should be to move beyond "visual" diversity. Managment in these organizidons must ask "How do we create, sustain and direct a workforce that is comprised of increasingly diverse staff without requiring cultural homogeneity?" This article includes a swey instrument that is helpful in analyzing the dominant culture of the workplace, a selected primary source reading list, and a bibliography on issues of workplace diversity, multiculturalism, valuing diversity, and diversity training taken primarily from business models.