University of Arizona

Knowledge River (KR) provides financial and academic support for students pursuing a master's in Library and Information Science, focusing on access and services for underrepresented communities, with specific attention to Latinos and Native Americans. The purpose of this project is to enhance and scale KR to recruit, train, and graduate up to 45 students for the purpose of increasing ethnic diversity of professionals working in libraries, archives, and museums (LAM), and ensuring equitable access to information for underrepresented communities. Project components will include: enhancing features of recruitment and professional development to prepare graduates for early career experience supporting long-term retention in the field; scaling KR curriculum to be delivered to non-KR students and practicing librarians increasing cultural awareness across the field; and a longitudinal program survey to gauge impact and inform broader LAM field principles and practices.