Cultural Competence: Toward a More Robust Conceptualisation

ABSTRACT

This article revisits LIS literature about cultural competence. It is not the prominent topic it was but is still considered important for addressing diversity, and is still criticized for obscuring racism and power structures in librarianship and society. Articles published in the last four years suggest, however, that library and information studies educators are teaching to engage with these issues. The cultural competence conceptual framework, specifically the environmental domain, can be recast to incorporate engagement with race and power. This more robust framework would enable culturally competent professionals to do more than accommodate difference.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural competence
• library
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• race
• power

Acknowledgments

This article has been prepared with the assistance of the ANU Library.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fiona Blackburn

Fiona Blackburn is the Senior Archivist at the Australian Institution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. She has worked in libraries and archives for twelve years. Most of her roles have involved community engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Australia’s First Peoples.