Comments on: “I’ve never seen so many middle-aged white women in one place!” http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html Official Blog of the Public Library Association Mon, 14 May 2012 15:08:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Sarah Nagle http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html/comment-page-1#comment-2094 Sarah Nagle Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:43:20 +0000 http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html#comment-2094 My system supports PLA attendance (for which I am very grateful) but not ALA attendance, which makes sense to me. This is my fifth PLA conference, and I frankly enjoy the practicality and lack of "politics", especially as I'm turned off by ALA's politicking at the expense of getting things done. My coworkers and I are intensely political, even partisan, but at work our job is to channel the "political" into becoming a community "go-to" institution (and we're succeeding). I'm female, white, and middle-age (whoa, when did THAT happen?) but am more engaged than ever in learning new things. It's a question of opportunity and attitude. There are rules and exceptions to everything, and the library profession is no exception! My system supports PLA attendance (for which I am very grateful) but not ALA attendance, which makes sense to me. This is my fifth PLA conference, and I frankly enjoy the practicality and lack of “politics”, especially as I’m turned off by ALA’s politicking at the expense of getting things done. My coworkers and I are intensely political, even partisan, but at work our job is to channel the “political” into becoming a community “go-to” institution (and we’re succeeding).

I’m female, white, and middle-age (whoa, when did THAT happen?) but am more engaged than ever in learning new things. It’s a question of opportunity and attitude. There are rules and exceptions to everything, and the library profession is no exception!

]]> By: Tony Ross http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html/comment-page-1#comment-2087 Tony Ross Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:55:06 +0000 http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html#comment-2087 "Maybe it’s my age, but I personally don’t feel like PLA is the place to strut my political stuff;" I tend to agree, I just wanted to point out the stark contrast between last year's ALA (where there were tons of political badges) and the stereotype of the radical public librarian. “Maybe it’s my age, but I personally don’t feel like PLA is the place to strut my political stuff;”

I tend to agree, I just wanted to point out the stark contrast between last year’s ALA (where there were tons of political badges) and the stereotype of the radical public librarian.

]]> By: Rolf Laun http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html/comment-page-1#comment-2081 Rolf Laun Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:53:26 +0000 http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html#comment-2081 Inteesting, and certianly food for thought. I think part of the problem might be "competition" with other library conferences, and probably ALA in particular. I know for our system it's hard to send lots of people to all of the conferences (for us that would be ALA, PLA, TLA, and all the other specialty conferences that provide so much great info), and so those who go tend to be those who've been around awhilte or in higher positions. I work in the largest department in my system, Reference, and while not as diverse as our population, it's still a pretty diverse group. yes, the female dominance is still there, but even that is changing, and I will say that at 45, i'm starting to feel like the old man of the group. Thankfully my boss is positivitly ancient, so until he retires I'm safe. :-) The politics part. Hmmmmm...interesting. Maybe it's my age, but I personally don't feel like PLA is the place to strut my political stuff; it's too easy to become a devisive issue and that's not what I want out of this experience. Of course it could just be the result of the extended Democratic race. Inteesting, and certianly food for thought. I think part of the problem might be “competition” with other library conferences, and probably ALA in particular. I know for our system it’s hard to send lots of people to all of the conferences (for us that would be ALA, PLA, TLA, and all the other specialty conferences that provide so much great info), and so those who go tend to be those who’ve been around awhilte or in higher positions. I work in the largest department in my system, Reference, and while not as diverse as our population, it’s still a pretty diverse group. yes, the female dominance is still there, but even that is changing, and I will say that at 45, i’m starting to feel like the old man of the group. Thankfully my boss is positivitly ancient, so until he retires I’m safe. :-)

The politics part. Hmmmmm…interesting. Maybe it’s my age, but I personally don’t feel like PLA is the place to strut my political stuff; it’s too easy to become a devisive issue and that’s not what I want out of this experience. Of course it could just be the result of the extended Democratic race.

]]> By: K.G. Schneider http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html/comment-page-1#comment-2076 K.G. Schneider Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:24:23 +0000 http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html#comment-2076 Whoa, the demographics of PLA are driven overwhelmingly by the demographics of public librarians. It doesn't improve much outside the midwest. Whoa, the demographics of PLA are driven overwhelmingly by the demographics of public librarians. It doesn’t improve much outside the midwest.

]]> By: Michael Golrick http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html/comment-page-1#comment-2074 Michael Golrick Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:13:36 +0000 http://plablog.org/2008/03/ive-never-seen-so-many-middle-aged-white-women-in-one-place.html#comment-2074 You are so right about both the age and gender issues. The diversity issue is an upper Midwest issue. The Cities are the most diverse in the area. My community, 80 miles away, is the 6th most diverse city in Wisconsin and is 94% white! The next largest group are the Hmong at 4%. The other 2% are black and Hispanic in that order You are so right about both the age and gender issues. The diversity issue is an upper Midwest issue. The Cities are the most diverse in the area. My community, 80 miles away, is the 6th most diverse city in Wisconsin and is 94% white! The next largest group are the Hmong at 4%. The other 2% are black and Hispanic in that order

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