Califa Group

The purpose of this project is to plan and implement a two-day forum at which professionals from archives, special collections, library and information science (LIS) programs, HBCUs, and related organizations will explore the content, components, and considerations necessary for the success of a program to satisfy the need for a more diverse LIS workforce, particularly among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) populations. Forum participants will engage in mutual learning through keynote addresses, facilitated discussions, brainstorming, and prioritization activities. They will identify skills needed for success and will develop a toolkit, an online internship model, and a draft LIS and soft skills curricula and assessment tool with a special focus on archives and special collections work. Beneficiaries will include current and future archives and special collections professionals and scholars.