Library and information science education: Preparing librarians for a multicultural society

For more than a decade, the demographic prognosticators have been saying th at the racial, ethnic, and cultural makeup of the United States is on the v erge of a major shift; and that not long after the turn of the new century, segments of the population that had previously been in the minority will c ollectively become the majority, with Hispanics being the largest minority group. The implications of such an unprecedented event have prompted privat e- and public-sector institutions to question whether they will be equipped to work with their "new" constituencies. Schools of library and informatio n science (LIS) are not exempt from such self-examination and must make eve ry effort to prepare all their graduates to work in larger multicultural en vironments. However, such preparation may mean altering several courses in a school's curriculum. These kinds of changes are likely to meet with great er success when all parties involved, both inside and outside the classroom , hold a committed and vested interest in the reorganization efforts. This article discusses issues of diversity in LIS education programs and how the se efforts can be addressed positively to better serve students and their f uture users.