Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
Just a note that yes, the hosting committee was a bit surprised by the number of scholarships that came in this year! We realized at the last minute that perhaps we should have discussed a scholarship based SOLELY on economic need, but there just wasn't the opportunity to thoughtfully consider changing course for this year at a late date. It's an idea we put a pin in to suggest to next year's hosts to consider if a large number of scholarships are available again next year. And yes, at least one scholarship has been provided in past years through a collection of small donations from the community itself. So anyone could organize an additional scholarship. If there is an organization we could invoice, scholarships could STILL be added to the roster for this year and handled by the local hosts, as well. -emily - Date:Mon, 25 Nov 2013 16:28:14 -0500 From:Sarah Shealy sarah.she...@outlook.com Subject: Re: Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications It's honestly too late this year to change the entire scholarship system. I don't disagree that it would be awesome to have scholarships for everyone who has some sort of economic need, and this is a conversation that should be had. But there's a lot that goes into opening something up based on economic status, and while that work would be valuable and awesome, it's a little late in the game for 2014. There's also the consideration of when to offer both gender and need-based scholarships, since the number of scholarships are variable and if there are only two to be awarded then the historic trend of ethnic/gender based awards should probably be carried forward. Or not. I would like to point out that for a lot of white men working in the tech field, going to a local user group or conference is an easy thing and you get to see people like you who do the things you do. I had to go to Chicago last year (I live in SC - and I was a scholarship recipient) in order to see women doing the same thing that I do. And it was pretty awesome. So I would vote for always having the ethnic/gender based scholarship simply for the connection it can give people - it honestly isn't something that be described. I went from having no cultural touchstones in this area of my life to having several. Hopefully this will help turn the tide from rabble rabble rabble to thinking about ways to add to the system - not just overhaul the whole shebang. I would suggest that some of you who are upset about how things are run sign up for the Scholarship Committee next year and do some work from the inside. Because, again, you should have raised your concerns before we sent out the call. The scholarships happen every year. Sarah -- Emily Lynema Associate Department Head Information Technology, NCSU Libraries 919-513-8031 emily_lyn...@ncsu.edu
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
So, by diversity you mean every single type of person except white male that believes they are actually male. Is that accurate? So... diverse except for one category specifically excluded through these rules. Is there any other category other then this one, specific, group of people who are not qualified to receive one of these scholarships? Really, I'd like to know. Perhaps it would have been more efficient to list who cannot get the help they need. On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 9:19 PM, Jason Ronallo jrona...@gmail.com wrote: For the Code4Lib 2014 Conference, 9 scholarships have been sponsored to promote diversity. CLIR/DLF has sponsored 5 scholarships, EBSCO has sponsored 2 scholarships, ProQuest has sponsored 1 full scholarship, and Sumana Harihareswara has sponsored half a scholarship which was matched by ProQuest. All sponsors have left it up to the discretion of the Code4Lib 2014 Scholarship Committee for how to award these diversity scholarships. The Code4Lib Scholarship Committee will award 9 diversity scholarships based on merit and need. Each scholarship will provide up to $1,000 to cover travel costs and conference fees for a qualified attendee to attend the 2014 Code4Lib Conference, which will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, from March 24 - 27, 2014. CONFERENCE INFO For more information on the Code4Lib Conference, please see the conference website: http://code4lib.org/conference/2014 You can see write-ups of previous Code4Lib Conferences: http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/6848 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/2717 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/998 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/72 CODE4LIB 2014 DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS ELIGIBILITY, CRITERIA, AND REQUIREMENTS To qualify for a scholarship, an applicant must be interested in actively contributing to the mission and goals of the Code4Lib Conference. - Four scholarships will be awarded to any woman or transgendered person. - Four scholarships will be awarded to any person of Hispanic or Latino, Black or African-American, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or American Indian or Alaskan Native descent. - One scholarship will be awarded to the best remaining candidate who meets any of the previously mentioned eligibility requirements. Eligible applicants may apply based on multiple criteria, but no applicant will receive more than one scholarship. Past winners of any Code4Lib scholarship are not eligible for a scholarship. The scholarship recipients will be selected based upon their merit and financial needs. Scholarship recipients are required to write and submit a brief trip report to the Code4Lib 2014 Scholarships Committee by April 1, 2014 to be posted to the Code4Lib wiki. The report should address: (a) what kind of experience they had at the conference, (b) what they have learned, (c) what suggestions they have for future attendees and conference organizers. All reimbursement forms and receipts must be received by May 26, 2014. HOW TO APPLY To apply, please send an email to Jason Ronallo (jrona...@gmail.com) with the subject heading “Code4Lib 2014 Diversity Scholarship Application” containing the following (combined into a single attached PDF, if possible): 1. A brief letter of interest, which: - Identifies your eligibility for a diversity scholarship - Describes your interest in the conference and how you intend to participate - Discusses your merit and needs for the scholarship 2. A résumé or CV 3. Contact information for two professional or academic references The application deadline is Dec. 13, 2013, 5pm EST. The scholarship committee will notify successful candidates the week of Jan. 6, 2013. SPONSORS We would like to thank our sponsors for supporting the Code4Lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships. Council on Library and Information Resources http://www.clir.org/ Digital Library Federation http://www.diglib.org/ EBSCO http://www.ebsco.com/ ProQuest http://www.proquest.com Sumana Harihareswara http://www.harihareswara.net/
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
The world of coding (as many STEM disciplines) remains white male dominated. These scholarships, like most diversity scholarships, are there to encourage people who frequently do not feel included in the coding community to learn and add their own thoughts and experiences to the world of this conference. A wide range of voices is important to any discipline. On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 10:43 AM, Dan Eveland devel...@gmail.com wrote: So, by diversity you mean every single type of person except white male that believes they are actually male. Is that accurate? So... diverse except for one category specifically excluded through these rules. Is there any other category other then this one, specific, group of people who are not qualified to receive one of these scholarships? Really, I'd like to know. Perhaps it would have been more efficient to list who cannot get the help they need. On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 9:19 PM, Jason Ronallo jrona...@gmail.com wrote: For the Code4Lib 2014 Conference, 9 scholarships have been sponsored to promote diversity. CLIR/DLF has sponsored 5 scholarships, EBSCO has sponsored 2 scholarships, ProQuest has sponsored 1 full scholarship, and Sumana Harihareswara has sponsored half a scholarship which was matched by ProQuest. All sponsors have left it up to the discretion of the Code4Lib 2014 Scholarship Committee for how to award these diversity scholarships. The Code4Lib Scholarship Committee will award 9 diversity scholarships based on merit and need. Each scholarship will provide up to $1,000 to cover travel costs and conference fees for a qualified attendee to attend the 2014 Code4Lib Conference, which will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, from March 24 - 27, 2014. CONFERENCE INFO For more information on the Code4Lib Conference, please see the conference website: http://code4lib.org/conference/2014 You can see write-ups of previous Code4Lib Conferences: http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/6848 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/2717 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/998 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/72 CODE4LIB 2014 DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS ELIGIBILITY, CRITERIA, AND REQUIREMENTS To qualify for a scholarship, an applicant must be interested in actively contributing to the mission and goals of the Code4Lib Conference. - Four scholarships will be awarded to any woman or transgendered person. - Four scholarships will be awarded to any person of Hispanic or Latino, Black or African-American, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or American Indian or Alaskan Native descent. - One scholarship will be awarded to the best remaining candidate who meets any of the previously mentioned eligibility requirements. Eligible applicants may apply based on multiple criteria, but no applicant will receive more than one scholarship. Past winners of any Code4Lib scholarship are not eligible for a scholarship. The scholarship recipients will be selected based upon their merit and financial needs. Scholarship recipients are required to write and submit a brief trip report to the Code4Lib 2014 Scholarships Committee by April 1, 2014 to be posted to the Code4Lib wiki. The report should address: (a) what kind of experience they had at the conference, (b) what they have learned, (c) what suggestions they have for future attendees and conference organizers. All reimbursement forms and receipts must be received by May 26, 2014. HOW TO APPLY To apply, please send an email to Jason Ronallo (jrona...@gmail.com) with the subject heading “Code4Lib 2014 Diversity Scholarship Application” containing the following (combined into a single attached PDF, if possible): 1. A brief letter of interest, which: - Identifies your eligibility for a diversity scholarship - Describes your interest in the conference and how you intend to participate - Discusses your merit and needs for the scholarship 2. A résumé or CV 3. Contact information for two professional or academic references The application deadline is Dec. 13, 2013, 5pm EST. The scholarship committee will notify successful candidates the week of Jan. 6, 2013. SPONSORS We would like to thank our sponsors for supporting the Code4Lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships. Council on Library and Information Resources http://www.clir.org/ Digital Library Federation http://www.diglib.org/ EBSCO http://www.ebsco.com/ ProQuest http://www.proquest.com Sumana Harihareswara http://www.harihareswara.net/ -- Kate Hill Library Fellow-User Experience and Acquisitions 919-513-7806
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
Actually I am not familiar with those. I will have to look into that. Thanks. On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 11:24 AM, Keri Cascio kcas...@gmail.com wrote: Hi, Matthew, have you looked into general continuing education grants? Perhaps your state library offers these for conference and workshop attendance, we have a program here in Missouri. And there is usually more money available than applications as people often forget about it. -Keri -- Keri Cascio kcas...@gmail.com 314-458-7428 (cell)
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
I think this discussion is exactly the reason we need scholarships like these. I'm glad that Keri and others are able to turn this into a productive dialogue. I'll definitely be attending the pre-conference event - thanks for sharing, Lisa. Heidi -- *Heidi Elaine Dowding*, Resident * Library of Congress National Digital Stewardship Residency (NDSR)* Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection 1703 32nd Street NW Washington, DC 20007 dowdi...@gmail.com dowdi...@doaks.org Direct: 202-339-6487 www.thegloballibrarian.com @theglobal_lib http://twitter.com/theglobal_lib On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 1:40 PM, Lisa Rabey lra...@grcc.edu wrote: I'm sorry you are feeling excluded but when statistically men, primarily white men, will make 25-30% more than I do, for the same job, over the course of my career, will be given precedence not only in my professional life but personal one on anything that is deemed stereotypically male, who will more than likely when attending technology conferences will NOT be sexually harassed, called a whore, slut, and other charming names for espousing ones opinion and expertise, well -- I hope you can see why comments like yours are a little frustrating. I would highly recommend anyone interested in advancing the conversation forward and putting together living, working solutions on gender in tech disparity to sign up for the pre-conference I proposed for #c4l14 http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/2014_preconference_proposals#Technology.2C_Librarianship.2C_and_Gender:_Moving_the_conversation_forward Topics to include: Fairness, bias, impostor syndrome, code of conducts, sexual harassment, training opportunities, support systems, mentoring, ally support, and more Myself, and others, have started writing extensively about the imbalance of women in tech, primarily within the library field and how that imbalance is causing a rift not only in our professional lives, but our personal ones as well. You can read all the varying perspectives from males and females, which I've started to collect here https://lisa.rabey.net/projects/libtechwomen-libtechgender/ So if you think there is not a problem with gender disparity in tech, I again invite you to read the articles, and join the pre-conference, and listen to the stories. This is what we call a teachable moment - and if after all that you're still not convinced there is an issue or a need to support women in tech, even with scholarships - well, may the gods have mercy on your soul and hope that your female loved ones never experience what many have experienced just to do their jobs. -Lisa Lisa M. Rabey, MA, MLIS Systems Web Librarian Grand Rapids Community College p: 616.234.3786 | e: lra...@grcc.edu http://grcc.edu/library | http://grcc.edu/library/socialmedia On 11/25/2013 at 10:43 AM, Dan Eveland devel...@gmail.com wrote: So, by diversity you mean every single type of person except white male that believes they are actually male. Is that accurate? So... diverse except for one category specifically excluded through these rules. Is there any other category other then this one, specific, group of people who are not qualified to receive one of these scholarships? Really, I'd like to know. Perhaps it would have been more efficient to list who cannot get the help they need. On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 9:19 PM, Jason Ronallo jrona...@gmail.com wrote: For the Code4Lib 2014 Conference, 9 scholarships have been sponsored to promote diversity. CLIR/DLF has sponsored 5 scholarships, EBSCO has sponsored 2 scholarships, ProQuest has sponsored 1 full scholarship, and Sumana Harihareswara has sponsored half a scholarship which was matched by ProQuest. All sponsors have left it up to the discretion of the Code4Lib 2014 Scholarship Committee for how to award these diversity scholarships. The Code4Lib Scholarship Committee will award 9 diversity scholarships based on merit and need. Each scholarship will provide up to $1,000 to cover travel costs and conference fees for a qualified attendee to attend the 2014 Code4Lib Conference, which will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, from March 24 - 27, 2014. CONFERENCE INFO For more information on the Code4Lib Conference, please see the conference website: http://code4lib.org/conference/2014 You can see write-ups of previous Code4Lib Conferences: http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/6848 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/2717 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/998 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/72 CODE4LIB 2014 DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS ELIGIBILITY, CRITERIA, AND REQUIREMENTS To qualify for a scholarship, an applicant must be interested in actively contributing to the mission and goals of the Code4Lib Conference. - Four scholarships will be awarded to any woman or transgendered
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
Lisa, Those are terrible experiences. If that's what happens at where you work, then you should certainly change jobs. No one deserves treatment as you describe. I will not lower this discussion to address your personal attacks. As I look around me, all my full-time co-workers are very well-respected, fairly-paid (and just so happens... all female) professionals. No-one does anything to be disrespectful to anyone. It's a great place to work for everyone. That's what everyone deserves. Anything else is totally unacceptable. Scholarships don't effect behavior like that, management does. My point about scholarships is only that no one deserves more help simply by virtue of sex or race. People need help because they actually need help, and they should be given equal consideration regardless of ethnic background, gender or sexual orientation. Giving economic help to people who need economic help is fair. I believe that paying for only certain arbitrary classes of people to go to an event does not change disparities, it's just discriminatory. Dan On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 1:52 PM, Heidi Elaine Dowding dowdi...@gmail.comwrote: I think this discussion is exactly the reason we need scholarships like these. I'm glad that Keri and others are able to turn this into a productive dialogue. I'll definitely be attending the pre-conference event - thanks for sharing, Lisa. Heidi -- *Heidi Elaine Dowding*, Resident * Library of Congress National Digital Stewardship Residency (NDSR)* Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection 1703 32nd Street NW Washington, DC 20007 dowdi...@gmail.com dowdi...@doaks.org Direct: 202-339-6487 www.thegloballibrarian.com @theglobal_lib http://twitter.com/theglobal_lib On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 1:40 PM, Lisa Rabey lra...@grcc.edu wrote: I'm sorry you are feeling excluded but when statistically men, primarily white men, will make 25-30% more than I do, for the same job, over the course of my career, will be given precedence not only in my professional life but personal one on anything that is deemed stereotypically male, who will more than likely when attending technology conferences will NOT be sexually harassed, called a whore, slut, and other charming names for espousing ones opinion and expertise, well -- I hope you can see why comments like yours are a little frustrating. I would highly recommend anyone interested in advancing the conversation forward and putting together living, working solutions on gender in tech disparity to sign up for the pre-conference I proposed for #c4l14 http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/2014_preconference_proposals#Technology.2C_Librarianship.2C_and_Gender:_Moving_the_conversation_forward Topics to include: Fairness, bias, impostor syndrome, code of conducts, sexual harassment, training opportunities, support systems, mentoring, ally support, and more Myself, and others, have started writing extensively about the imbalance of women in tech, primarily within the library field and how that imbalance is causing a rift not only in our professional lives, but our personal ones as well. You can read all the varying perspectives from males and females, which I've started to collect here https://lisa.rabey.net/projects/libtechwomen-libtechgender/ So if you think there is not a problem with gender disparity in tech, I again invite you to read the articles, and join the pre-conference, and listen to the stories. This is what we call a teachable moment - and if after all that you're still not convinced there is an issue or a need to support women in tech, even with scholarships - well, may the gods have mercy on your soul and hope that your female loved ones never experience what many have experienced just to do their jobs. -Lisa Lisa M. Rabey, MA, MLIS Systems Web Librarian Grand Rapids Community College p: 616.234.3786 | e: lra...@grcc.edu http://grcc.edu/library | http://grcc.edu/library/socialmedia On 11/25/2013 at 10:43 AM, Dan Eveland devel...@gmail.com wrote: So, by diversity you mean every single type of person except white male that believes they are actually male. Is that accurate? So... diverse except for one category specifically excluded through these rules. Is there any other category other then this one, specific, group of people who are not qualified to receive one of these scholarships? Really, I'd like to know. Perhaps it would have been more efficient to list who cannot get the help they need. On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 9:19 PM, Jason Ronallo jrona...@gmail.com wrote: For the Code4Lib 2014 Conference, 9 scholarships have been sponsored to promote diversity. CLIR/DLF has sponsored 5 scholarships, EBSCO has sponsored 2 scholarships, ProQuest has sponsored 1 full scholarship, and Sumana Harihareswara has sponsored half a
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
To respond to the question Mr. Eveland posed, I believe that cis men of Arab or
North African decent or cis men who identify as multi-racial or multi-ethnic
may be technically excluded by the specific phrasing of the diversity
scholarship, given how the definitions are used by the US census bureau. (I
would personally recommend people fitting those descriptions to apply anyway.)
These are at least two groups who may not receive the career advantages and
privilege accorded to white cis men (like myself), but may not qualify
according to a strict reading of this particular assistance and award
opportunity.
Beyond that, I would like to specifically contradict the assumption that this
is a zero sum game and assistance for traditionally under-served demographics
hurts others. If I am reading the posting correctly, the funds for these awards
comes from CLIR/DLF, vendors, and private donations. As others have pointed
out, other avenues, not specifically tied to diversity or demographics, are
available for those in need. This will make Code{4}Lib better for all. After
all, given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow. By making efforts to
specifically invite people who have not have felt welcome or been excluded in
the past, this assistance is making a better Code{4}Lib for everyone.
White cis men who have financial need have avenues, as others have referred to.
Additionally, this scholarship is not the ONLY form of aid. No avenue for
financial assistance has been taken away from white cis men. This is *new* aid
that was not available in the past. Scholarships in the past have been given
for staff from public libraries that use Evergreen/Koha. Those awards did not
harm staff from academic libraries or public libraries that purchase commercial
products. In precisely the same way, taking action to make the conference
accessible to people not traditionally served by it does not harm anyone.
Indeed, by making the community more welcoming, it strengthens the group and
brings in more eyes to make the bugs even shallower.
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
On 11/25/13 11:16 AM, Dan Eveland wrote: Lisa, Those are terrible experiences. If that's what happens at where you work, then you should certainly change jobs. No one deserves treatment as you describe. I will not lower this discussion to address your personal attacks. 1) That's what happens everywhere -- the problem is not her job 2) The attacks are against a person, but not personal -- it's not that people don't like HER, it's discrimination against women. It can be shown to be statistically significant for women as a group. Some individuals have it better, some have it worse. The group is discriminated against. Thus, scholarships are aimed at members of the group, not at individuals. As I look around me, all my full-time co-workers are very well-respected, fairly-paid (and just so happens... all female) professionals. No-one does anything to be disrespectful to anyone. It's a great place to work for everyone. That's what everyone deserves. Anything else is totally unacceptable. Scholarships don't effect behavior like that, management does. I'm afraid that a sociologist studying this phenomenon would not consider you to be a viable informant on the issue. And, as I stated above, it's not about any one person's experience. My point about scholarships is only that no one deserves more help simply by virtue of sex or race. People need help because they actually need help, and they should be given equal consideration regardless of ethnic background, gender or sexual orientation. That's different, albeit legitimate, reason for scholarships, but it does not negate the need for the diversity scholarships. Giving economic help to people who need economic help is fair. I believe that paying for only certain arbitrary classes of people to go to an event does not change disparities, it's just discriminatory. Of course, it's far from arbitrary. We've got the facts and figures. If these scholarships miss any groups that should be added, because of discrimination, then let's add them. If we want scholarships based on economic need, let's add them. But let's not take anything away. kc Dan On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 1:52 PM, Heidi Elaine Dowding dowdi...@gmail.comwrote: I think this discussion is exactly the reason we need scholarships like these. I'm glad that Keri and others are able to turn this into a productive dialogue. I'll definitely be attending the pre-conference event - thanks for sharing, Lisa. Heidi -- *Heidi Elaine Dowding*, Resident * Library of Congress National Digital Stewardship Residency (NDSR)* Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection 1703 32nd Street NW Washington, DC 20007 dowdi...@gmail.com dowdi...@doaks.org Direct: 202-339-6487 www.thegloballibrarian.com @theglobal_lib http://twitter.com/theglobal_lib On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 1:40 PM, Lisa Rabey lra...@grcc.edu wrote: I'm sorry you are feeling excluded but when statistically men, primarily white men, will make 25-30% more than I do, for the same job, over the course of my career, will be given precedence not only in my professional life but personal one on anything that is deemed stereotypically male, who will more than likely when attending technology conferences will NOT be sexually harassed, called a whore, slut, and other charming names for espousing ones opinion and expertise, well -- I hope you can see why comments like yours are a little frustrating. I would highly recommend anyone interested in advancing the conversation forward and putting together living, working solutions on gender in tech disparity to sign up for the pre-conference I proposed for #c4l14 http://wiki.code4lib.org/index.php/2014_preconference_proposals#Technology.2C_Librarianship.2C_and_Gender:_Moving_the_conversation_forward Topics to include: Fairness, bias, impostor syndrome, code of conducts, sexual harassment, training opportunities, support systems, mentoring, ally support, and more Myself, and others, have started writing extensively about the imbalance of women in tech, primarily within the library field and how that imbalance is causing a rift not only in our professional lives, but our personal ones as well. You can read all the varying perspectives from males and females, which I've started to collect here https://lisa.rabey.net/projects/libtechwomen-libtechgender/ So if you think there is not a problem with gender disparity in tech, I again invite you to read the articles, and join the pre-conference, and listen to the stories. This is what we call a teachable moment - and if after all that you're still not convinced there is an issue or a need to support women in tech, even with scholarships - well, may the gods have mercy on your soul and hope that your female loved ones never experience what many have experienced just to do their jobs. -Lisa Lisa M. Rabey, MA, MLIS Systems Web Librarian Grand Rapids Community College p: 616.234.3786 | e: lra...@grcc.edu
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
I would like to add that the diversity scholarships have a multiplier
effect, beyond enabling some people to go to conferences. I spent about a
year deliberating whether I was cool enough to be part of code4lib, and
whether I was willing to risk that it might be a gender-hostile space
(something that is, sadly, common enough that many women need to weigh this
risk before joining tech communities). One of the big things that
convinced me that joining would be okay was the existence of these
scholarships.
Note that I have never *applied* for a code4lib diversity scholarship. But
the fact that the community was, literally, willing to put its money where
its mouth is, was a powerful signal to me that I probably wouldn't have to
deal with rape jokes or groping or people assuming I'm dumb because I'm
female.
(It turns out it's better than that, really. It's not just that you all
aren't awful - you're actively excellent. I would've settled for
technologically useful plus not-awful...this is better.)
Finances are a limiting factor on conference attendance for people of all
demographic groups, and I would endorse plans to surmount that. But
finances *and other demographically-specific issues* are barriers to
conference attendance for members of minority groups. In my mind the
code4lib diversity scholarships primarily address these other issues. A
major reason to have money on the table is that it proves to the world at
large - not just the recipient - that these efforts are credible and
sincere.
Andromeda Yelton
LITA Board of Directors, Director-at-Large, 2013-2016
http://andromedayelton.com
@ThatAndromeda
On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 2:35 PM, Nicholas Schiller
schil...@vancouver.wsu.edu wrote:
To respond to the question Mr. Eveland posed, I believe that cis men of
Arab or North African decent or cis men who identify as multi-racial or
multi-ethnic may be technically excluded by the specific phrasing of the
diversity scholarship, given how the definitions are used by the US census
bureau. (I would personally recommend people fitting those descriptions to
apply anyway.) These are at least two groups who may not receive the career
advantages and privilege accorded to white cis men (like myself), but may
not qualify according to a strict reading of this particular assistance and
award opportunity.
Beyond that, I would like to specifically contradict the assumption that
this is a zero sum game and assistance for traditionally under-served
demographics hurts others. If I am reading the posting correctly, the funds
for these awards comes from CLIR/DLF, vendors, and private donations. As
others have pointed out, other avenues, not specifically tied to diversity
or demographics, are available for those in need. This will make Code{4}Lib
better for all. After all, given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow. By
making efforts to specifically invite people who have not have felt welcome
or been excluded in the past, this assistance is making a better Code{4}Lib
for everyone.
White cis men who have financial need have avenues, as others have
referred to. Additionally, this scholarship is not the ONLY form of aid. No
avenue for financial assistance has been taken away from white cis men.
This is *new* aid that was not available in the past. Scholarships in the
past have been given for staff from public libraries that use
Evergreen/Koha. Those awards did not harm staff from academic libraries or
public libraries that purchase commercial products. In precisely the same
way, taking action to make the conference accessible to people not
traditionally served by it does not harm anyone. Indeed, by making the
community more welcoming, it strengthens the group and brings in more eyes
to make the bugs even shallower.
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
Hi all, I can’t believe we are having this conversation again. I have nothing to add except to say that rather than feed the troll, you might do what I did, and turn your frustration at this thread arising *once again* into a donation to the Ada Initiative or similar organization. Sadly, it seems that one cannot contribute to the diversity scholarships, as I would be happy to do so. If anybody knows how, please let me know. best, Erik
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
I am going to reiterate my push to turn this conversation to a discussion for funding options for everyone who wants to attend Code4Lib 2014. I think that will be a much better use of our time. On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 3:13 PM, Erik Hetzner erik.hetz...@ucop.edu wrote: Hi all, I can’t believe we are having this conversation again. I have nothing to add except to say that rather than feed the troll, you might do what I did, and turn your frustration at this thread arising *once again* into a donation to the Ada Initiative or similar organization. Sadly, it seems that one cannot contribute to the diversity scholarships, as I would be happy to do so. If anybody knows how, please let me know. best, Erik
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
On 11/25/13 12:17 PM, Matthew Sherman wrote: I am going to reiterate my push to turn this conversation to a discussion for funding options for everyone who wants to attend Code4Lib 2014. I think that will be a much better use of our time. Agreed. Someone mentioned state scholarships that many of us didn't know about. I think a page on the c4l wiki for scholarship opportunities could be a win. People could add any that they hear about. And I wince a bit at mentioning this, but with actual non-profit status, c4l might be more able to solicit donations. Or perhaps the group could find a non-profit partner that could help out in that regard? kc On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 3:13 PM, Erik Hetzner erik.hetz...@ucop.edu wrote: Hi all, I can’t believe we are having this conversation again. I have nothing to add except to say that rather than feed the troll, you might do what I did, and turn your frustration at this thread arising *once again* into a donation to the Ada Initiative or similar organization. Sadly, it seems that one cannot contribute to the diversity scholarships, as I would be happy to do so. If anybody knows how, please let me know. best, Erik -- Karen Coyle kco...@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net m: 1-510-435-8234 skype: kcoylenet
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
Finances are a limiting factor on conference attendance for people of all demographic groups, and I would endorse plans to surmount that. Code4Lib is, of course, one of the least expensive conferences you'll find. And the community and organizers care a lot about keeping it so -- there are sometimes disputes in a given year about whether the organizers could have kept it even less expensive. But it's still, every year, one of the most affordable conferences around. Which is pretty darn awesome, and important. That's pretty much what we do try and increase financial accessibility for people of all demographic groups. We also try to switch the regional location around the country every year, to even out transportation costs for for people in different parts of the country. If you can afford to go to any conference at all, you can afford for Code4Lib to be that conference. Of course, there are people who can't afford to go to any conference. Which is unfortunate. But I'm not sure what, if anything, is being suggested we could do about that? If you have or can find a source of funding willing to pay registration, hotel, and transportation for anyone who can't afford it, then please feel free to organize it to happen. That's what the people who organized, and continue to organize, the diversity scholarships did. They just organized it. Jonathan
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
Not to stir things up, but I've been to a few conferences this year, and Code4lib will be the most expensive one. Not for the registry fee, but for the hotel, flight, and other expenses. For sure, it isn't the cheapest this year ($195.00 for one). Not trying to start a fight. I'll be quiet now. -John Blair On 11/25/13 2:46 PM, Jonathan Rochkind rochk...@jhu.edu wrote: Finances are a limiting factor on conference attendance for people of all demographic groups, and I would endorse plans to surmount that. Code4Lib is, of course, one of the least expensive conferences you'll find. And the community and organizers care a lot about keeping it so -- there are sometimes disputes in a given year about whether the organizers could have kept it even less expensive. But it's still, every year, one of the most affordable conferences around. Which is pretty darn awesome, and important. That's pretty much what we do try and increase financial accessibility for people of all demographic groups. We also try to switch the regional location around the country every year, to even out transportation costs for for people in different parts of the country. If you can afford to go to any conference at all, you can afford for Code4Lib to be that conference. Of course, there are people who can't afford to go to any conference. Which is unfortunate. But I'm not sure what, if anything, is being suggested we could do about that? If you have or can find a source of funding willing to pay registration, hotel, and transportation for anyone who can't afford it, then please feel free to organize it to happen. That's what the people who organized, and continue to organize, the diversity scholarships did. They just organized it. Jonathan
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
Perhaps Code4Lib could have some form of nominal membership, and the funds derived from membership dues could be put into an array of scholarships. Membership wouldn't necessarily have to be a privileged state, but for some (many?) library positions, promotion criteria include membership in professional organizations, so being able to point to Code4Lib and say I'm a member of this! would be a benefit for some of us. The necessarily managerial overhead (in the form of a Scholarships Committee or some such) would also provide a service opportunity for folks looking to round out their CVs. Personally I'd rather have my annual professional membership dollars go towards scholarships to help others attend a C4L conference than to ALA. -Ian -Original Message- From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Karen Coyle Sent: Monday, November 25, 2013 3:34 PM To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications On 11/25/13 12:17 PM, Matthew Sherman wrote: I am going to reiterate my push to turn this conversation to a discussion for funding options for everyone who wants to attend Code4Lib 2014. I think that will be a much better use of our time. Agreed. Someone mentioned state scholarships that many of us didn't know about. I think a page on the c4l wiki for scholarship opportunities could be a win. People could add any that they hear about. And I wince a bit at mentioning this, but with actual non-profit status, c4l might be more able to solicit donations. Or perhaps the group could find a non-profit partner that could help out in that regard? kc On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 3:13 PM, Erik Hetzner erik.hetz...@ucop.edu wrote: Hi all, I can't believe we are having this conversation again. I have nothing to add except to say that rather than feed the troll, you might do what I did, and turn your frustration at this thread arising *once again* into a donation to the Ada Initiative or similar organization. Sadly, it seems that one cannot contribute to the diversity scholarships, as I would be happy to do so. If anybody knows how, please let me know. best, Erik -- Karen Coyle kco...@kcoyle.net http://kcoyle.net m: 1-510-435-8234 skype: kcoylenet
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
Interesting discussion. May I suggest we level the playing field by moving next year's conference to South Central Europe, say Pristina, Kosovo, or Sarajevo, or Zagreb? We'd reach a whole new level of inclusiveness. Carol Bean On Nov 25, 2013, at 9:46 PM, Jonathan Rochkind wrote: Finances are a limiting factor on conference attendance for people of all demographic groups, and I would endorse plans to surmount that. Code4Lib is, of course, one of the least expensive conferences you'll find. And the community and organizers care a lot about keeping it so -- there are sometimes disputes in a given year about whether the organizers could have kept it even less expensive. But it's still, every year, one of the most affordable conferences around. Which is pretty darn awesome, and important. That's pretty much what we do try and increase financial accessibility for people of all demographic groups. We also try to switch the regional location around the country every year, to even out transportation costs for for people in different parts of the country. If you can afford to go to any conference at all, you can afford for Code4Lib to be that conference. Of course, there are people who can't afford to go to any conference. Which is unfortunate. But I'm not sure what, if anything, is being suggested we could do about that? If you have or can find a source of funding willing to pay registration, hotel, and transportation for anyone who can't afford it, then please feel free to organize it to happen. That's what the people who organized, and continue to organize, the diversity scholarships did. They just organized it. Jonathan
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
It's honestly too late this year to change the entire scholarship system. I don't disagree that it would be awesome to have scholarships for everyone who has some sort of economic need, and this is a conversation that should be had. But there's a lot that goes into opening something up based on economic status, and while that work would be valuable and awesome, it's a little late in the game for 2014. There's also the consideration of when to offer both gender and need-based scholarships, since the number of scholarships are variable and if there are only two to be awarded then the historic trend of ethnic/gender based awards should probably be carried forward. Or not. I would like to point out that for a lot of white men working in the tech field, going to a local user group or conference is an easy thing and you get to see people like you who do the things you do. I had to go to Chicago last year (I live in SC - and I was a scholarship recipient) in order to see women doing the same thing that I do. And it was pretty awesome. So I would vote for always having the ethnic/gender based scholarship simply for the connection it can give people - it honestly isn't something that be described. I went from having no cultural touchstones in this area of my life to having several. Hopefully this will help turn the tide from rabble rabble rabble to thinking about ways to add to the system - not just overhaul the whole shebang. I would suggest that some of you who are upset about how things are run sign up for the Scholarship Committee next year and do some work from the inside. Because, again, you should have raised your concerns before we sent out the call. The scholarships happen every year. Sarah Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 22:09:23 +0100 From: beanwo...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Interesting discussion. May I suggest we level the playing field by moving next year's conference to South Central Europe, say Pristina, Kosovo, or Sarajevo, or Zagreb? We'd reach a whole new level of inclusiveness. Carol Bean On Nov 25, 2013, at 9:46 PM, Jonathan Rochkind wrote: Finances are a limiting factor on conference attendance for people of all demographic groups, and I would endorse plans to surmount that. Code4Lib is, of course, one of the least expensive conferences you'll find. And the community and organizers care a lot about keeping it so -- there are sometimes disputes in a given year about whether the organizers could have kept it even less expensive. But it's still, every year, one of the most affordable conferences around. Which is pretty darn awesome, and important. That's pretty much what we do try and increase financial accessibility for people of all demographic groups. We also try to switch the regional location around the country every year, to even out transportation costs for for people in different parts of the country. If you can afford to go to any conference at all, you can afford for Code4Lib to be that conference. Of course, there are people who can't afford to go to any conference. Which is unfortunate. But I'm not sure what, if anything, is being suggested we could do about that? If you have or can find a source of funding willing to pay registration, hotel, and transportation for anyone who can't afford it, then please feel free to organize it to happen. That's what the people who organized, and continue to organize, the diversity scholarships did. They just organized it. Jonathan
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
Let's not forget one of Code4Lib's most inclusive practices: it is usually (always?) possible to attend every single Code4Lib presentation virtually via live streaming video *for free.* Sure, it's not the same as being there in person, but it's not a bad substitute if you can't travel for whatever reason -- finances, health, family obligations, not allowed to take time off work, whatever. So if you can't afford to attend in person, you can still participate! Julia On Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 2:46 PM, Jonathan Rochkind rochk...@jhu.edu wrote: Finances are a limiting factor on conference attendance for people of all demographic groups, and I would endorse plans to surmount that. Code4Lib is, of course, one of the least expensive conferences you'll find. And the community and organizers care a lot about keeping it so -- there are sometimes disputes in a given year about whether the organizers could have kept it even less expensive. But it's still, every year, one of the most affordable conferences around. Which is pretty darn awesome, and important. That's pretty much what we do try and increase financial accessibility for people of all demographic groups. We also try to switch the regional location around the country every year, to even out transportation costs for for people in different parts of the country. If you can afford to go to any conference at all, you can afford for Code4Lib to be that conference. Of course, there are people who can't afford to go to any conference. Which is unfortunate. But I'm not sure what, if anything, is being suggested we could do about that? If you have or can find a source of funding willing to pay registration, hotel, and transportation for anyone who can't afford it, then please feel free to organize it to happen. That's what the people who organized, and continue to organize, the diversity scholarships did. They just organized it. Jonathan
Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
In past years there was a crowdfunded scholarship for people in difficult financial circumstances. See http://www.mail-archive.com/code4lib@listserv.nd.edu/msg09183.html. Perhaps one of the organizers of that could speak to its success. But that's definitely something that people could organize if they were so inclined. Margaret Heller Digital Services Librarian Loyola University Chicago 773-508-2686 -Original Message- From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Sarah Shealy Sent: Monday, November 25, 2013 3:28 PM To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications It's honestly too late this year to change the entire scholarship system. I don't disagree that it would be awesome to have scholarships for everyone who has some sort of economic need, and this is a conversation that should be had. But there's a lot that goes into opening something up based on economic status, and while that work would be valuable and awesome, it's a little late in the game for 2014. There's also the consideration of when to offer both gender and need-based scholarships, since the number of scholarships are variable and if there are only two to be awarded then the historic trend of ethnic/gender based awards should probably be carried forward. Or not. I would like to point out that for a lot of white men working in the tech field, going to a local user group or conference is an easy thing and you get to see people like you who do the things you do. I had to go to Chicago last year (I live in SC - and I was a scholarship recipient) in order to see women doing the same thing that I do. And it was pretty awesome. So I would vote for always having the ethnic/gender based scholarship simply for the connection it can give people - it honestly isn't something that be described. I went from having no cultural touchstones in this area of my life to having several. Hopefully this will help turn the tide from rabble rabble rabble to thinking about ways to add to the system - not just overhaul the whole shebang. I would suggest that some of you who are upset about how things are run sign up for the Scholarship Committee next year and do some work from the inside. Because, again, you should have raised your concerns before we sent out the call. The scholarships happen every year. Sarah Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 22:09:23 +0100 From: beanwo...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU Interesting discussion. May I suggest we level the playing field by moving next year's conference to South Central Europe, say Pristina, Kosovo, or Sarajevo, or Zagreb? We'd reach a whole new level of inclusiveness. Carol Bean On Nov 25, 2013, at 9:46 PM, Jonathan Rochkind wrote: Finances are a limiting factor on conference attendance for people of all demographic groups, and I would endorse plans to surmount that. Code4Lib is, of course, one of the least expensive conferences you'll find. And the community and organizers care a lot about keeping it so -- there are sometimes disputes in a given year about whether the organizers could have kept it even less expensive. But it's still, every year, one of the most affordable conferences around. Which is pretty darn awesome, and important. That's pretty much what we do try and increase financial accessibility for people of all demographic groups. We also try to switch the regional location around the country every year, to even out transportation costs for for people in different parts of the country. If you can afford to go to any conference at all, you can afford for Code4Lib to be that conference. Of course, there are people who can't afford to go to any conference. Which is unfortunate. But I'm not sure what, if anything, is being suggested we could do about that? If you have or can find a source of funding willing to pay registration, hotel, and transportation for anyone who can't afford it, then please feel free to organize it to happen. That's what the people who organized, and continue to organize, the diversity scholarships did. They just organized it. Jonathan
[CODE4LIB] Code4lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships: Call for Applications
For the Code4Lib 2014 Conference, 9 scholarships have been sponsored to promote diversity. CLIR/DLF has sponsored 5 scholarships, EBSCO has sponsored 2 scholarships, ProQuest has sponsored 1 full scholarship, and Sumana Harihareswara has sponsored half a scholarship which was matched by ProQuest. All sponsors have left it up to the discretion of the Code4Lib 2014 Scholarship Committee for how to award these diversity scholarships. The Code4Lib Scholarship Committee will award 9 diversity scholarships based on merit and need. Each scholarship will provide up to $1,000 to cover travel costs and conference fees for a qualified attendee to attend the 2014 Code4Lib Conference, which will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, from March 24 - 27, 2014. CONFERENCE INFO For more information on the Code4Lib Conference, please see the conference website: http://code4lib.org/conference/2014 You can see write-ups of previous Code4Lib Conferences: http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/6848 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/2717 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/998 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/72 CODE4LIB 2014 DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS ELIGIBILITY, CRITERIA, AND REQUIREMENTS To qualify for a scholarship, an applicant must be interested in actively contributing to the mission and goals of the Code4Lib Conference. - Four scholarships will be awarded to any woman or transgendered person. - Four scholarships will be awarded to any person of Hispanic or Latino, Black or African-American, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or American Indian or Alaskan Native descent. - One scholarship will be awarded to the best remaining candidate who meets any of the previously mentioned eligibility requirements. Eligible applicants may apply based on multiple criteria, but no applicant will receive more than one scholarship. Past winners of any Code4Lib scholarship are not eligible for a scholarship. The scholarship recipients will be selected based upon their merit and financial needs. Scholarship recipients are required to write and submit a brief trip report to the Code4Lib 2014 Scholarships Committee by April 1, 2014 to be posted to the Code4Lib wiki. The report should address: (a) what kind of experience they had at the conference, (b) what they have learned, (c) what suggestions they have for future attendees and conference organizers. All reimbursement forms and receipts must be received by May 26, 2014. HOW TO APPLY To apply, please send an email to Jason Ronallo (jrona...@gmail.com) with the subject heading “Code4Lib 2014 Diversity Scholarship Application” containing the following (combined into a single attached PDF, if possible): 1. A brief letter of interest, which: - Identifies your eligibility for a diversity scholarship - Describes your interest in the conference and how you intend to participate - Discusses your merit and needs for the scholarship 2. A résumé or CV 3. Contact information for two professional or academic references The application deadline is Dec. 13, 2013, 5pm EST. The scholarship committee will notify successful candidates the week of Jan. 6, 2013. SPONSORS We would like to thank our sponsors for supporting the Code4Lib 2014 Diversity Scholarships. Council on Library and Information Resources http://www.clir.org/ Digital Library Federation http://www.diglib.org/ EBSCO http://www.ebsco.com/ ProQuest http://www.proquest.com Sumana Harihareswara http://www.harihareswara.net/
