UCLA

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields lack diversity, especially diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. This can be traced to a lack of female and minority representation in reference books and library collections. Libraries are in a unique position to help correct these omissions through reappraisal of reference collections using feminist standpoint epistemology and the diversity audit. In addition, public libraries can help children from diverse backgrounds feel included in the scientific community by providing STEM programming and encouraging hands-on scientific exploration. Research has shown that underrepresented students are less likely than their White counterparts to complete STEM degrees, which is often due to a lack of academic support or understanding of the research process. To help mitigate this deficiency, academic libraries, especially those at community colleges where student populations are naturally diverse, can support STEM students by providing library instruction sessions designed specifically for STEM research.