The GLS Cultural Diversity Working Group, established in the fall of 1991,
is charged with surveying past and current GLS efforts on behalf of
cultural diversity, and with recommending further initiatives. Its purview
extends to recruitment and retention, staff training, collection
development, library instruction, and services for library users. The
group looks at the library both as a workplace and as a place for learning;
it is concerned both with library staff and library users.
The phrase "cultural diversity" is intentionally broad, encompassing the many ways in which people differ -- including race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientations, ancestry, age, marital status, parental status, and physical ability -- and the working group is charged to explore this full spectrum of issues.
The GLS Cultural Diversity Working Group has five equally significant responsibilities. First, to advise the Director of the GLS and the Library Management Group on issues related to cultural diversity. Second, to assess the accomplishments and needs of the GLS and its clientele. Third, to design and implement programs to meet identified needs. Fourth, to serve as a network of resource persons within the GLS. Fifth, to form partnerships with existing campus programs, departments, offices, and organizations involved in the implementation of the Madison Commitment and related initiatives. Although the Cultural Diversity Working Group is specifically charged to fulfill these roles, all members of the GLS staff share responsibility for fulfilling the libraries' mission statement and for affirming the value of diversity in every aspect of its services.