Knowledge River Program
Institution:
University of Arizona
State:
Arizona
Academic Level:
Graduate
Issue Area:
Academic Program
Program Focus:
Discipline/Subject
Key Personnel:
Berlin Loa
Contact Info:
Overview
The Knowledge River Program recruits, retains, and empowers ethnically diverse practitioners in libraries, archives, and museums; and ensures equitable access to information for underrepresented communities with a focus on Latino/Chicano, Black, and Indigenous scholars.
Program Goals:
Recruit, support and train Hispanic scholars who can meet the needs in libraries, archives, and museums.
Build knowledge, skills, and abilities of information science professionals towards understanding the needs of Hispanic end users and adjusting services to meet those needs.
Program Description
The Knowledge River program partners with Pima County Public Library, Arizona State University, and others to place scholars in learn-by-doing positions to support their academic studies and provide opportunities to work with the needs of Hispanic library users. These placements are classified as graduate-assistant positions that include a salary at 20 hours per week, health benefits, and tuition remission. The model of the program is to fully fund scholars during their master’s program.
Outcome
Of the 34 Knowledge River Scholars in the last three academic years, 22 scholars have identified as Hispanic/Latino (64%).
The graduation rate for all KR Scholars is 96%. Program alumni are now working in almost half of US states, and in Sydney, Australia, and Puerto Rico.
Job placements range from federal agencies to tribal libraries and cultural centers. Some are working at national professional organizations such as the Association of College and Research Libraries at four-year universities and community colleges while others still are working at public libraries, archives, and museums.
Of Knowledge River scholars, 19 have earned or are currently pursuing a Ph.D., 15 of whom are Hispanic (79%).
