Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Department

Educational Leadership

First Reader/Committee Chair

Wang, Viktor

Abstract

Despite record Latinx student enrollment across California's higher education systems, Latino men remain severely underrepresented in academic librarianship, comprising less than 0.5% of librarians nationally. This persistent gap represents a critical equity issue within a profession that increasingly serves diverse student populations. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of twelve Latino male academic library professionals at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) through in-depth interviews to understand the factors shaping their professional identity, the barriers they encounter, and what sustains their persistence in the profession. Using transcendental phenomenology as the methodological approach and Critical Race Theory as the theoretical framework, the study centered participants' voices and counter-narratives as legitimate sources of knowledge about systemic inequities within academic librarianship. Findings revealed that participants drew on their cultural identities and lived experiences to connect with the students and communities they serve, while simultaneously navigating institutional barriers related to hiring practices, professional norms, and racialized expectations. Participants also described experiences of tokenization and hypervisibility, which complicated their sense of belonging and professional legitimacy within predominantly white institutional environments. Family influence, community commitment, and personal resilience emerged as key factors sustaining their persistence and professional satisfaction. Additionally, mentorship and the presence of culturally affirming spaces within their institutions played meaningful roles in supporting their continued engagement with the profession. These findings have implications for equity-focused recruitment and retention efforts in academic libraries and HSIs and contribute to a growing body of scholarship calling for structural change within the library profession.

Download

  Contact Author

Share

COinS