University of British Columbia

 

 

 

SLAIS Multicultural Committee Meeting Minutes

 

 

January 11, 2007 @ 5pm – TEF 320 (inaugural meeting)

 

 

Present: Edie Rasmussen, Joe Tennis, Shirley Lew, Jonathan Pringle, Leah Pearse, May Yan-Mountain, Allan Cho, Henry Yu

 

 

1. Introduction

 

Why this meeting? Why a committee?

 

-Began as small informal discussions between Henry Yu (UBC history) and Allan Cho about Chinese issues in librarianship and multilingual studies

 

 

-Henry’s suggested going to SLAIS and starting a Chinese/Asian Student Interest Group

This project expanded to include First Nations and other non-English languages in a broader multicultural “initiative” with suggestions and support from Edie Rasmussen and Joe Tennis.

 

 

2. SLAIS Exposure to Undergraduate and academic community

 

-The meeting began with the debate of the need for increasing SLAIS’ presence in the undergraduate-level community as well as the wider academic community, in order to raise awareness of librarianship and archival studies.

 

 

-There is already colloquium publicity (posters & emails) sent to the academic community and SLAIS students – do we need more?

-However, what comprises the “academic” community? Do we need to be more specific? Or do we mean Political Science, History, Asian Studies, etc. that are “related” to LIS and archival science?

-Shirley Lew, Student Services Coordinator at SLAIS, points out that job fairs and community events such as -Word on the Street are held to promote the presence of SLAIS

-Do we need to increase this, and move to the undergraduate level, where students will have LIS/Archival Science as a career option?

-Is there a need to connect alumni to the community?

 

 

3. “Pipeline” from History-to-SLAIS

 

-Henry suggests a creation of a “track” or “pipeline” from History to SLAIS. As a professor at UBC, he already has a student, Wang Jian, who is applying to SLAIS’ Archival Studies programme

 

-Similar students as Wang have digitization projects work experience, working with Chinese language materials

-Henry points out that Eleanor Yuen has taken on students and given them valuable experience working in the Asian library

-Is Wang an example of the kinds of student applicants that SLAIS can and should have more of, where having bilingual skills can be a benefit?

-However, SLAIS admissions policy is not based on ethnicity; rather, it is based on academic grades and the potential for contribution to the field of library and archival science

-SLAIS already has quite a diverse student populace

-Jing Liu’s blog, with entries written by current SLAIS students and alumni is indicative of a strong “informal” network of Chinese librarians

-First Nations Concentration already has a strong model at SLAIS

Joe points out that SLAIS’ primary commitment is to see its students through their entire programme

Henry argues that the point is not to inflate the quantity of applicants; rather, the goal is to have capable individuals already “SLAIS”-worthy holding library/archival experience to be aware of SLAIS as an option for graduate studies and career options

Henry believes Wang Jian to be a representative of other potential students that should be applying for SLAIS after undergraduate studies

Should a student with bi(multi)lingual skills and library/archival experience be “marketed” as a strength of SLAIS to the community?

As an historian, he sees a strong connection between Archives and History – there are ties to be made at the academic level…

Archivist Paul Yee, a SLAIS Archival Studies and History MA graduate, is a good example.

 

 

4. “Aims” for this SLAIS Multicultural Committee

 

Joe steers conversation back on course, asking what are the aims of this committee? Where are we going with this, with so many different perspectives and interests? Who funds?

Joe summarizes with three things he sees as ‘trends’ talked about in this meeting: (a) more advertising for SLAIS recruitment of students in the undergraduate level at UBC (and beyond); (b) more colloquium speakers with a multicultural flavour; (c) raise awareness of multicultural issues in library and archival science

There needs to be long-term and short-term goals to be made

However, under collaboration, not zero-sum game of ethnic politics

Henry suggests having a course taught by adjunct UBC faculty at SLAIS, especially for multicultural studies and multicultural librarianship? From Asian Studies? From . . . Henry?

 

 

5. Steps: Short Term

 

Two short-term goals were decided in the process

(a) Henry will create a graduate-level course in the UBC History dept focusing on multicultural issues, but with a library and archives-component

Henry will obtain funds for a Research Assistant from SLAIS to build this course with him, culling ideas and interests from other SLAIS students in the process

10-15 students can be from SLAIS, the rest will be from History

The course can also be a Special Topics course in SLAIS

The goal is initiate collaboration with the vision of further collaboration in future projects

Henry will write a one-paragraph description for this SLAIS/History course and submit to Edie and Joe

(b) “Professional Experience” LIBR 596 course at the Asian Library with the same idea of promoting and raising awareness of Chinese and multicultural librarianship

Experience for SLAIS students, while role for the Asian Library in this project

Is there also a role for the Xwi7xwa Library for a similar initiative?

Time frame: within one year.

 

 

6. Steps: Medium Range

 

Creation of a web-based course at SLAIS for librarian professionals?

SLAIS Multicultural Student Interest Group in the same vein as the Canadian Health Libraries Association Student Interest Group?

One of the goals is to suggest and assist with Joe’s colloquium speakers series? Help with suggestions and organizing?

Joe says it’s a good idea – but suggestions for speakers are most welcomed from any student at SLAIS as well

 

 

7. Steps: Long Term

 

Creation of new faculty position

Multicultural Committee is perhaps the first steps for this, 3-5 years down the road.

Does the new hire need to be specifically for Multicultural/Asian interests? Doesn’t matter – SLAIS will decide when the time comes

The idea is to work towards raising SLAIS’ profile first within the “academic” community and administration

 

 

8. Next Steps

 

Second Meeting, which will include the UBC library community

Eleanor Yuen (Asian Library), Ann Doyle (Xwi7Xwa), Jing Liu (Asian Library), Linda Joe (Asian emerita), Kim Lawson (Xwi7Xwa)

Schedule of availabilities will be sent out…

Next meeting target date: mid-February, between the 12 and 16th

In the meantime, a wiki has been created for updates: http://slais.pbwiki.com (password: slais)

 

 

 

Meeting Adjourned: Jan 11th 2007, 6:30pm.