African American Librarians: A Survey Conducted between 2019 and 2020 in the United States

Abstract

The library profession in the United States faces many challenges in keeping up with diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts. African Americans who are entering the library profession contribute to these efforts. This article presents the analysis of a survey of African American librarians in the United States conducted on October 23, 2019, and closed on February 1, 2020. It looks at the African American librarian's journey to the library profession. Survey takers were asked to describe their achievements in librarianship, how they entered the profession, future goals, and challenges. Analysis of survey responses is presented along with a brief literature review, followed by some suggestions for further research. The authors hope to increase the conversation on this topic and contribute to diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts.