William Sannwald Racism is caused by a lack of understanding and fear. It is a problem that has always been with us, and unfortunately will probably always exist. Individuals are afraid of groups they don't know or understand. I believe based on personal experience, that most librarians are not racists. We are for the most part tolerant people who go out of our way to provide service to all.
Racism is more a societal problem than a library or library association problem.
Because it is caused by a lack of understanding, librarians can play a key role in providing information to help people understand why racism is not good for the individual or society as a whole. The American Library Association through its programs and activities has generally done a good job in providing information and programs to celebrate the individual as well as groups of people in this country. I wrote a paper about diversity and have delivered programs around the country about diversity and why it is one of the most important issues facing society today. When people think about diversity, they usually think about racial diversity. But it is much more than race.