[Web4lib] Code4lib 2008 Minority Scholarship

[arhyno at uwindsor.ca]

>You know, I just don't get this.  How can anyone think that these
>kinds of awards can do anything to counter racism or sexism?  What
>would we think of an award for which only white people were available,
>or only men?  Why would reverse discrimination be any better?  It's
>patronising at best and actively divisive at worst.

I went through some hoops in 2002 to try to bring someone from an AIDS 
clinic in South Africa to a library conference in North America under a 
government program to support diversity, and I remember well from my 
limited amount of research that the evidence was overwhelming that these 
kind of scholarships are beneficial.  The particular program I targeted 
required a lead time of one year, had never actually been awarded, and I 
was ultimately unsuccessful. I think Oregon State University should be 
applauded for offering an option that is both low barrier for applications 
and is as agile as the code4lib conference itself. 

art
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Art Rhyno
Systems Librarian
University of Windsor Libraries