The library profession has been committed to affirmative action, yet it has been historically difficult to convert that philosophical commitment into activity. Academic libraries have paid uneven attention to affirmative action programs over time. This paper examines the historical role affirmative action programs have played in academic libraries, and the shift in focus in recent years from affirmative action to more broadly based diversity programs. It then describes the contribution a library staff may make to these programs by examining the evolution and function of Iowa State University Library's Committee on Diversity.