In 2022-2024, San José State University’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, San José State University’s School of Information, and San José Public Library (SJPL) collaborated to establish BIPOC Become Librarians (BBL), a pilot mentorship and internship program that introduced undergraduate students who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to careers in Library and Information Science (LIS).
BIPOC Become Librarians (BBL) was created in response to the ongoing lack of diversity in the library and archives professions. In 2020, just 9.5% of librarians identified as Black or African American, 9.9% as Hispanic or Latino (of any race), and 3.5% as Asian-American or Pacific Islander. The most recent comprehensive survey of the archival profession was conducted in 2006, but similarly found that just 7% of archivists identified as people of color.
Reasons for the lack of diversity in library and archives professions are as numerous as they are nuanced. Studies over the years have noted the social, economic and cultural barriers, as well as the lack of support BIPOC students face when entering library and archives professions. As a result, graduates of LIS programs often do not reflect the communities they serve, which impacts how librarians engage, provide services to and represent their communities.
