marian as intersectional problem: librarian stereotypes and stunted diversity

Marian as intersectional problem: Librarian stereotypes

& stunted diversity

Nicole Pagowsky, MLIS, MS

LIS590DU Guest Lecture

October 28, 2014

Nicole Pagowsky LIS590DU Guest Lecture

About MeFaculty Librarian, Research & Learning Department

University of Arizona Libraries

student retention, general education, online learning, & subject liaison

@pumpedlibrarian

librarianwardrobe.com


The BookPublished June 2014, ACRL Press

librarianwardrobe.com/book

Foreword & Chapter 1 as free OA PDF


LIBRARIAN STEREOTYPESPerspectives


What are some common librarian

stereotypes?Shout them out in the chat box

Q:

via diamondencrusteddreams.blogspot.com

via bookriot.com via tobeshelved.com

Q: What’s missing in these images?


StereotypeExhaustion


A couple of minutes after the dawn of librarianship two librarians started worrying about what other people thought of them. They were suffering from what might be called “reverse narcissism.” They did not so much want to dive into the pond as flee from the ugly sight it reflected (Fisher, 1993).

As cited in Pagowsky & DeFrain, 2014


Privilege

via http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/11/social_justice_comedy.html


PROBLEMSThat our stereotypes contribute to


External Perceptions• Students / patrons• Campus / community• Faculty / teachers• News & media• Funding

via matchstic.com

Q:

What have you

experienced?


Internal Perceptions & Presentations• Other librarian & staff

opinions, microaggressions• Status & pay• Hiring, recruitment• Imposter syndrome• Research and publishing

via matchstic.com

Q:

What have you

experienced?

The Unbearable Whiteness of Librarianship

via Chris Bourg @ chrisbourg.wordpress.comMarch 3, 2014

“For a profession that claims diversity as a core value and declares that ‘We value our nation’s diversity and strive to reflect that diversity by providing a full spectrum of resources and services to the communities we serve’ to be so lacking in diversity is embarrassing.”


More depressing numbers…

via Chris Bourg @ chrisbourg.wordpress.comFebruary 22, 2014*See blog for links to original sources

via Andromeda Yelton @ andromedayelton.comSeptember 17, 2014*Looking specifically at keynotes

“Librarianship in general is 80% female, while only 58% of

directors of ARL libraries are female.”

“At national-scale US/Canadian library conferences:

43% of speakers are female

74% of speakers are white, 14% black, 7% Asian, 4% [Latin@]”


WHY THE BOOK?Re-directing the conversation


Image via wjmc.blogspot.com


“…The perceptions of the librarian matter as much as the image of the institution when people decide to vote…”

-EveryLibrarySeptember 14, 2014everylibrary.tumblr.com


Div

ersi

ty Identity

Hiring

Micro-aggressions P

rese

ntat

ion The stories

we tell

Tattoos

Intersection-ality

Ste

reot

ype

Impa

ct Pink collar work

LGBTQ Archives

Stereotype obsession

Per

cept

ions Student

interaction

“Sexy” - Porn & censorship

“Cat ladies”

Overview of Chapters


ReferencesBourg, C. (March 3, 2014). The unbearable whiteness of librarianship [blog]. Retrieved from http://chrisbourg.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-librarianship/.

Bourg, C. (February 22, 2014). Lack of diversity by the numbers in librarianship and in book stuff [blog]. Retrieved from http://chrisbourg.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/lack-of-diversity-by-the-numbers-in-librarianship-and-in-book-stuff/.

Fisher, D. (1993). Book Reviews: Bruijns, R.A.C. Status and image of the librarian: Report of a sample survey carried out in twelve countries. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 25(3). 155-156.

(Cited in) Pagowsky, N. & DeFrain, E. (2014). Ice ice baby: Are librarian stereotypes freezing us out of instruction. In the Library with the Lead Pipe. http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2014/ice-ice-baby-2/

Pagowsky, N. (July 6, 2014). Hiring and retaining diverse talent by supporting risk [blog]. Retrieved from http://pumpedlibrarian.blogspot.com/2014/07/hiring-retaining-diversity.html.

Yelton, A. (September 17, 2014). Counting keynoter diversity in libraryland [blog]. Retrieved from http://andromedayelton.com/blog/2014/09/17/counting-keynoter-diversity-in-libraryland/.


Questions?Thanks! You can get in touch at:

[email protected] | nicolepagowsky.info | @pumpedlibrarian

marian as intersectional problem: librarian stereotypes and stunted diversity

Education

pagowsky defrain

diversitynicole pagowsky

keynoter diversity

diversity isembarrassing

nations diversity

lack of diversity

librarian staffopinions

book stuff blog