[Web4lib] Code4lib 2008 Minority Scholarship

Tue Dec 18 13:25:01 EST 2007

Wow, Roy, this thread seems to have hit a nerve.

Coud we all back up a little bit and take a look from a cooler and wider
perspective?

I'm not sure anyone is attacking anyone. But it does appear that some of
us feel some kind of attack directed their way. Despite that I trust
that no one has been truly 'alienated' by anything written so far.  But
I do think that Roy's thought that the list would be better off without
anyone who felt 'alienated' would have been better left unsaid. It
sounds like some of us cannot tolerate others thinking differently and I
hope that it not the case. Surely we can be as welcoming of different
points of view here as we are of anyone new who would like to attend our
conferences.

I would ask Roy about a seeming inconsistency. He is disturbed that
library technical conferences are populated with more men than women
(let's not use the emotionally loaded term 'dominated'), but has not
mentioned being disturbed that the library profession has more women
than men. 

Finally I would hope that we could all let this discussion cool off and
fade away before the words 'Hitler' or 'Nazi' get bandied about. Few
minds are going to be changed by comments about the evils or the virtues
of affirmative action.

L. Hunter Kevil
University of Missouri

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Roy Tennant
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 10:15 AM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Code4lib 2008 Minority Scholarship

The gender ratio of Code4Lib is the exact opposite of what Robert
Baillot imagines it to be. Therefore, encouragement to help us alleviate
this imbalance is badly needed. As for Mike Taylor's comment that this
is "patronizing", shouldn't the potential recipients of this offer
decide? So far we have had no indication that it is perceived so. Is it
"divisive"? I think not, but if someone were alienated by such an offer
then perhaps we are better off without them.

The future I want is the one that Jeremy Frumkin is working to create --
library technical conferences such as Code4Lib that are welcoming and
fostering of female participation. The very fact that we can have a
technical conference overwhelmingly dominated by men in a profession
dominated by women is disturbing to me, as I would like to think it is
disturbing to others.

Jeremy is one of the few to take real actions while others such as
myself appear content with rhetoric. If you want to attack someone, I
would make a much better target for your ill-aimed sniping.
Roy

On 12/18/07 5:30 AM, "Robert L. Balliot"
<rballiot at oceanstatelibrarian.com>
wrote:

> Greetings,
> 
> I can understand the minority scholarship, but I cannot understand the

> majority scholarship. Every library conference/meeting I have attended

> seems to have been about 80-90% white female - other than vendors.
> 
> In effect, it is a rather exclusive club that could really benefit 
> from some diversity. If it were my call, I would recommend two 
> minority scholarships.
> 
> When I looked at the Code4Lib conference schedule, I noted a 'Free 
> Happy Hour'.  The first thing I thought was 'nerd dating hook'. :)
> 
> *************************************************
> Robert L. Balliot
> 1-401-441-5763
> Skype: RBalliot
> Bristol, Rhode Island
> http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
> *************************************************
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Mike Taylor
> Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 4:41 AM
> To: Jeremy Frumkin
> Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: [Web4lib] Code4lib 2008 Minority Scholarship
> 
> Jeremy Frumkin writes:
>> The Oregon State University / Code4lib Minority Scholarship will 
>> provide up to $1000 to cover travel costs and conference fees for one

>> qualified attendee to the 2008 Code4lib conference (February
>> 25-28 in Portland, OR).  To qualify for this scholarship, an 
>> applicant must be a member of a principal minority group (American 
>> Indian or Alaskan native, Asian or Pacific Islander, 
>> African-American, or Hispanic / Latino).
> 
> ... and ...
> 
> Jeremy Frumkin writes:
>> The Oregon State University / Code4lib Gender Diversity Scholarship 
>> will provide up to $1000 to cover travel costs and conference fees 
>> for one qualified attendee to the 2008 Code4lib conference (February 
>> 25-28 in Portland, OR). This scholarship is eligible to any woman 
>> interested in actively contributing to the mission and goals of the 
>> Code4lib Conference.
> 
> 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.)
> 
>  _/|_
___________________________________________________________________
> /o ) \/  Mike Taylor    <mike at indexdata.com>
http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
> )_v__/\  "If a player is not interfering with play or seeking to gain 
> an advantage, then he should be" -- Bill Shankly.
> 
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