4.2.3: Information Power and Privilege in Academia

Academic Information Ecosystems

Throughout this book, we will explore many different aspects of information ecosystems in academia, including topics such as the cost of academic resources, academic integrity, definitions of expertise, scholarly communication and knowledge building, and scholarly publishing. In academic settings, some of us have more information privilege (as well as other types of privilege) than others. As with other information ecosystems, some voices are elevated and others are marginalized.

Consider what you have observed as a student. Whose voices are the loudest? What voices aren't being heard? Why? How does this affect you personally? Is your voice heard by the people with the most power at your college?

Demographics of Students, Faculty, and Administrators

"The representation of racially and ethnically minoritized faculty is embarrassingly low, particularly in comparison to the racial composition of the student body."

-- Estela Mara Bensimon, Ed.D. University Professor Emerita and Founder, Center for Urban Education, University of Southern California (Reddy, 2024, p. 4)

The Campaign for College Opportunity is a non profit organization "with a mission to ensure that all eligible and motivated students in California have an opportunity to go to college and succeed" (Our history, n.d.). Their research on the makeup of students, faculty, and administrators at California's public colleges and universities shows that the proportions of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students are not reflected in faculty, administrators, or campus leadership. "Although Latinx students make up the biggest proportion of the student population at community college campuses (47%), only 20% of campus leaders and 18% of tenured/tenure-track faculty are Latinx" (Reddy & Siqueiros, 2024, p. 31).

California Community Colleges Populations by Race/Ethnicity (2021-2022)

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Data compiled by The Campaign for College Opportunity (Reddy & Siqueiros, 2024, p. 31)

Machine-readable version of the above chart

Why Do Demographics Matter?

The authors of The Campaign for College Opportunity's study discuss why the current demographics of California community college employees are problematic:

"Diversity—both racial/ethnic and gender related—is critical to ensuring the values of equity and inclusion permeate a campus. Leadership that includes diverse faculty and leaders are better positioned to ensure diversity and inclusion are campus goals for hiring faculty and staff, in addition to student enrollment and student success. They are also well-placed to provide leadership development opportunities and a clear pathway to leadership for individuals from historically excluded groups. They can set a tone for the institution that challenges deficit mindsets, question assumptions, and counter the implicit bias that often pervades discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion" (Reddy & Siqueiros, 2024, p. 51).

Whiteness in Library and Information Science

“For students from a nondominant culture, knowing how to use library resources is not merely about finding information but also about navigating culture.” (Adkins and Hussey, 2006)

Like college faculty and administrators, the vast majority of librarians in U.S. public and academic libraries are white. As of 2022, only 14% of employed librarians were BIPOC and 86% were white (Hulbert & Kendrick, 2023). Those demographics have changed very little over time, despite efforts to diversity the library and information science (LIS) profession (Hathcock, 2015; Kendrick, 2023).

Many studies have found that the dominance of white culture in libraries affects students' experiences using academic libraries, and students of color often find libraries and/or library employees to be less welcoming (Adkins & Hussey, 2006; Bucy, 2022; Kendrick, 2023). In some cases, the content included in library collections, and the ways library materials are categorized and organized on library shelves, can alienate BIPOC library users. For example, library collections often include books and other materials in which Indigenous peoples are viewed "as subjects of research rather than as researchers themselves," and don't include materials from Indigenous perspectives, so "Native American students encounter problematic and even racist terminology and organization" (Bucy, 2022). We will address some specific examples of bias in library organization schemes later in this chapter, as well as approaches some librarians are taking to diversify the cultures of library spaces, programs, terminology, and collections.

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Sources

Adkins, D., & Hussey, L. (2006). The library in the lives of Latino college students. The Library Quarterly, 76(4), 456-480. doi.org/10.1086/513862

Bucy, R. (2022). Native American student experiences of the academic library. College & Research Libraries, 83(3).

Hathcock, A. (2015, Oct 7). White librarianship in blackface: Diversity initiatives in LIS. In the Library With The Lead Pipe.

Hulbert, I. G., & Kendrick, C. (2023, April 18). By any measure: The racial demographics of librarians. doi.org/10.18665/sr.318716

Image: Student sitting on chairs in front of chalkboard by Shubham Sharan is in the Public Domain CC0

Kendrick, C. (2023, April 18). Changing the racial demographics of librarians. doi.org/10.18665/sr.318717

Our history. (n.d.). The Campaign for College Opportunity. Retrieved July 2, 2025.

Reddy, V. & Siqueiros, M. (2024, Jan). Still left out: How exclusion in California’s colleges & universities continues to hurt our values, students, and democracy. The Campaign for College Opportunity.

Schlesselman-Tarango, G. (E.). (2017). Topographies of Whiteness: Mapping Whiteness in Library and Information Science. Library Juice Press.