[Web4lib] Code4lib 2008 Minority Scholarship

[Darci Hanning]

I for one benefited from something similar many years ago and I may not have found my way into electrical enginering / computer science if it hadn't been for that program. I didn't find it patronizing then and I don't find it so now. If getting one more woman in the field of engineering and/or IT (and/or keeping her there!) is the result of these endeavors then I say we're making much needed progress.

Regarding "women" qualifying for this "library" conference as a "minority" -- I can assure you that the men at Code4LibCon far outnumber the women -- we women are still in the minority among Library IT folks.

Cheers,
Darci

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Darci Hanning * Technology Development Consultant * Library Development Services
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR  97301
503-378-2527 darci.hanning at state.or.us  

Ask me about Plinkit!    http://www.plinkit.org/    http://oregon.plinkit.org

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Mike Taylor
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 1:41 AM
To: Jeremy Frumkin
Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Web4lib] Code4lib 2008 Minority Scholarship


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.

(Though I'm sure it's done from the best of motives.)