as a current minority student finishing library
school:
no instructor has ever mentioned arlis to me. i found
it on my own. as i have found other organizations
that i am a part of. and yes, when i go to
conferences, i feel awkward - being one of the few, if
only "person of color" (i hate that phrase).
should things change? i guess. but everyone needs to
be involved and invested in the prospect.
.m.
--- Ray Anne Lockard <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Deborah and Miquel,
>
> I think this is something really important for
> ARLIS/NA, as well as the rest of
> the library profession, to work on. My own personal
> feeling about ARLIS/NA and
> people of color has been this.... I think it is
> challenging to know who the
> people of color are. I know Miguel and Miguel has
> been voal about this subject -
> rightly so! I know of only one other person of
> color who has been a member of
> ARLIS/NA and I no longer see that person at our
> annual conferences. I do not
> know if that means the person is no longer a member
> or just can no longer attend
> the conference. Perhaps it is a question of
> visibility. Do we always know who
> people of color are? I don't think so. Do we
> always SEE people of color when
> people are right in front of us? I don;t think so.
>
> I think we all -- art librarians and librarians and
> people of the majority --
> need to become much more informed about diversity.
> The subject of diversity is
> also about IMAGERY and becoming VISIBLE and learning
> how to SEE each other.
>
> Ray Anne Lockard
>
> "Smedstad, Deborah Barlow" wrote:
>
> > > My take on the travel awards is that few persons
> of color who live and
> > > work
> > > in the United States and work as art librarians
> or in art libraries in the
> > > past have received those awards. I know of
> several persons of color
> > > (including myself) who have applied twice and
> have been denied both times.
> > > In a recent case, I heard a person applied three
> times before she was
> > > given
> > > the award! In addition, I know committee chairs
> appoint their committees
> > > (usually persons they feel comfortable with,
> people who are like them and
> > > look like them). My question, how much of the
> appointment process stifles
> > > committee processes and produces biases? I
> guess there is no easy answer
> > > to
> > > this question.
> > >
> > Miguel,
> >
> > I am really sorry to hear that you feel this way.
> I would hope that this is
> > not really true. As a former board member and
> chair and member of many
> > committees over the years, it is true that we tend
> to appoint members we
> > feel comfortable with - generally people we know
> or have worked with in
> > ARLIS in the past but personally, I have always
> based these considerations
> > on what the person's strengths are, their
> knowledge, their experiences and
> > sometimes their type of personality (out-going or
> serious, inwardly focused)
> > - it depends on the position. I consider if they
> will do a good job in that
> > particular position. Taking race or ethnicty into
> consideration would not
> > even enter my mind.
> >
> > I've always thought that the ARLIS membership was
> a particularly liberal,
> > enlightened and progressive group of
> professionals.
> >
> > The problem with recruiting individuals from a
> more diverse background is a
> > problem that is much wider than art librarianship
> or even librarianship in
> > general. It's a problem throughout academia and
> has been for years.
> >
> > I do think that we should be marketing ARLIS and
> art librarianship as widely
> > as we can not only to attract a more diverse
> membership but to recruit young
> > people into the profession. As the administrator
> of an internship program
> > associated with UCLA, I can tell you, this is not
> easy.
> >
> > I definitely don't want this to start a huge
> controversial thread on this
> > topic but I felt I had to respond.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Debbie Smedstad
> >
> >
>
__________________________________________________________________
> > Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
> > Administrative matters (file requests,
> subscription requests, etc)
> > to [log in to unmask]
> > ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
> > http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
> > Questions may be addressed to list owner (Kerri
> Scannell) at: [log in to unmask]
>
> --
> Ray Anne Lockard, Head Librarian
> Frick Fine Arts Library
> University of Pittsburgh
> Pittsburgh, PA 15260
> Voice: 412-648-2411
> Fax: 412-648-7568
> E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> "A book should be a ball of light in one's hands."
> Ezra Pound
>
>
__________________________________________________________________
> Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
> Administrative matters (file requests, subscription
> requests, etc)
> to [log in to unmask]
> ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
> http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
> Questions may be addressed to list owner (Kerri
> Scannell) at: [log in to unmask]
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__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
Administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
Questions may be addressed to list owner (Kerri Scannell) at: [log in to unmask]
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