History

The Visible Minority Librarians of Canada (ViMLoC) was created in 2012 as a network within the former Canadian Library Association.

The initial Canadian Library Association network proposal terms of reference

This will be an ongoing network:

  • To provide a forum for visible minority librarians across Canada to discuss issues and concerns specifically related to their profession
  •  To facilitate the discussion and sharing of information to provide and improve upon information services to multicultural populations
  • To organize professional development activities, such as webinars and workshops to advance the profile and role of Visible Minority Librarians in Canada
  • To liaise with other visible minority library networks in other international organizations such as the American Library Association (ALA) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
  • All members will be encouraged to contribute content information for workshops, webinars or conference presentations from this network
  • Terms of Reference may be adjusted over time to accommodate future needs or the growth of the network

Plan of activities:

  • Mentoring visible minority librarians and visible minority library students
  • Create a listserv for this network and other social networking presence as necessary
  • Host in-person meetings, lectures, conferences, paper and poster presentations, and workshops at the CLA annual conference on topics related to being a Visible Minority Librarian or working with multicultural populations in Canada
  • Collect statistical information on the number of visible minority librarians living and working in Canada for research purposes

The 10 founding members of ViMLoC, listed below in alphabetical order:

Former Co-Chair
Maha Kumaran
maha.kumaran@usask.ca
Maha Kumaran is the Head of the Education & Music Library and the Education liaison librarian at the University of Saskatchewan. Maha’s research program is in the area of diversity in librarianship. Her research is primarily directed towards diversity among the library workforce, towards diversity in library collections and services, and libraries’ ability to meet and serve the needs of diverse user groups. In this context, Maha is the initiator, co-founder and past co-chair of the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada Network.

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