| Abstract: | African American female faculty at large research universities are given the same responsibilities as other faculty. They must teach, conduct research, engage in worthwhile service to the university community, and regularly disseminate the results of their work in scholarly publications. Rewards from the university are directly tied to the level of success that the faculty member experiences. The minority label is often a barrier to the African American female faculty member's search for full standing in the university's community of scholars. To overcome this barrier, African American women must find and use the best information available to help them. This includes finding a good mentor, mastering a variety of information sources, and building a strong personal and professional network.Melvin M. Bowie is an associate professor and graduate coordinator in the Department of Instructional Technology at the University of Georgia. She received her A.B. degree in history and French from Tougaloo College; an M.S. in library science from the University of Illinois; and, a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instructional Media from Iowa State University. Her current research interests, including studies carried out for the National Reading Research Center, focus on collection development and resource-based teaching. Her teaching areas include technical services in school media centers, collection development, and administration of school media programs. |
