Langston Bates Featured in the Association for Black Culture Centers

ATLANTA, August 17, 2017 (Newswire.com) - ​Langston Bates was featured in the Association of Black Culture Centers for his various contributions to the community and for his numerous career achievements. He does so through a variety of ways, including working in important university libraries and in music production and composition. He has shown that he is clearly dedicated to furthering his education and skills while giving back to his community. 

Langston Bates first completed a Bachelor of Music Arts in Music Composition and Technology at the University of Oklahoma in 2005. He subsequently obtained a Master of Music, Media Writing, and Production degree, at the University of Miami in 2008. In 2011, he completed an MS in Information Science degree at the University of North Texas.

In 2009, he was selected as one of 20 students who could take part in the 2009-11 Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce. He was one of the very few ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Diversity Scholars to be considered. This initiative provides stipend funding up to $10,000 over a two year period to students who are members of underrepresented groups, and who wish to work in research libraries. The funding is provided by the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services), as well as by the 52 libraries who are members of the ARL. While the library contributions are voluntary, they reflect members' commitment to ensuring that the community of research and academic libraries is as diverse as possible, thereby being more in line with the changing demographics of those in higher education, as well as the global perspective that is now emphasized by academies.

Aside from receiving $10,000 over a two year period, Langston Bates was also undergoing leadership development training as he was invited to the annual Leadership Institute of the ARL. He also took part in a hosted visit to one of the libraries, giving him the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of how research libraries operate. Furthermore, he was mentored by an existing ARL librarian and his membership in the Black Caucus of the ALA (American Library Association) was paid for.

In 2010, he was appointed as a member and grant recipient of the MLA (Music Library Association). Specifically, he received a travel grant to attend the 2011 MLA Annual Meeting, together with five others. He was chosen for this because of his interest in African and African American Music, and how this relates to research in music technology.

In September 2011, he was appointed as a librarian for the Purdue University Black Cultural Center, which is part of the University of North Texas. Previously, he was Langston University's Melvin B. Tolson Black Heritage Center's library assistant. Throughout his career, he has expressed an interest in American popular music and culture, information literacy, and contemporary global folk music. He also works as a hip-hop producer and composer, working with various local MCs, gospel choirs, and symphony orchestras.

In 2012, Langston Bates was named Secretary of the Indiana Black Librarians Network (IBLN), which was first formed on Oct. 13, 2001, at the Purdue University Black Cultural Center. This is also a Black Caucus ALA affiliate, which aims to increase the chances of black librarians to share and exchange ideas and work together on projects relating to libraries, including scholarship opportunities, professional development, and information sharing through improved communication among black professionals across Indiana.

In the same year, he was also appointed Emerging Conference Leader through the Black Caucus of the ALA. He was also interviewed by the Purdue University newsletter, The Exponent. Not long thereafter, he became employed with the Purdue University newsletter itself. Furthermore, he was also featured in the Fall 2012 issue of the newsletter of the Association for Black Culture Centers.

Langston Bates was present at the most recent Black Caucus event, held on June 26, 2016, where the Demco/ALA Black Caucus Award for Excellence in Librarianship was awarded to Dr. Yvonne Chandler. In his role as Business Development Manager and Research Analyst at Kiewit, Langston wrote the introduction for Dr. Chandler and brought her forward for the award. Dr. Chandler is a graduate of the University of North Texas LIS, and she hired Bates as her teaching assistant, a role that he had always cherished.

Press Contact: Eric Blankenship 786-332-6554

Source: Langston Bates