Why so few? 2010 March 22
The ratio of men to women in library technology comes up every once in a while in Code4Lib and other library technology communities. People interested in that topic may want to read the Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics report just released by the AAUW. I learned about the report via a post on Inside Higher Ed called “Attracting Women to Stem.” The134 page report for the most part is a large literature view with some recommendations added. To a large degree the report focuses on issues of girls in STEM during K-12. Because of that and the length I didn’t read the whole report, but the executive summary and recommendations were interesting. As mentioned, the report discussed a lot of K-12 issues that academic library technologists have little, if any, direct control of, but there is also some recommendations on how to “attract and retain female faculty” that may apply to library technology positions within academia. The three recommendations are:
- Conduct departmental reviews to assess the climate for female faculty.
- Ensure mentoring for all faculty.
- Support faculty work-life balance.
I think all three of these can apply to libraries. And really, at least the second and third, will improve the work environment (and hopefully retention and happiness) of all employees.
The AAUW is going to have a podcast about the Why so Few? report on Thursday, March 25, 2010 from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (ET). The registration deadline is March 23. If you are interested in the report, you may want to register.
Since I mentioned this report, I should mention that Diane Auer Jones offered a rebuttal of sorts in The Chronicles’ web site titled “Are Women Partly to Blame for the Gender Gap in STEM Fields?” I offer that without comment, except to say that even if Diane Auer Jones’ opinion is closer to the truth then the AAUW report, the recommendations still make sense to me.