4. Feminism and Education for Library and Information Work
| Date | 01 April 1984 |
| Pages | 23-29 |
| Published date | 01 April 1984 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb054871 |
| Author | Margaret Redfern |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
4.
Feminism and Education for
Library and Information Work
by Margaret Redfern
Since feminism is a political stance which draws attention to the external factors
which limit women's lives we can predict that it may be slow to make an impact
in a professional group which accepts the mores of conservatism in both its practice
and its educational institutions. Nevertheless, in a professional group which has a
professional register of 6,890 women there are likely to be some movements or shifts
in attitudes leading to changes in behaviour eventually. Library and information work
in common with many other service occupations has relied heavily on a female
workforce. It has frozen into many of the organisational patterns designed by and
for men that are present in both bureaucratic public service and industrial/commer-
cial work organisations.
The women's movement can be said to have existed in the United Kingdom since
the late 1960s, and therefore there are young women entering the professional group
at this stage who have a developed awareness of the debates relating to women's
roles.
They have expectations that a library school servicing the practising group will
reflect that awareness in the conduct of the courses, and will stimulate and encourage
further debate. Perhaps even more importantly, they expect that there will be a sen-
sitivity to the issues relating to sexism, sexual discrimination, the use of sexist language
in the conduct of the library school, and in the formal teaching as well as in all the
relationships they experience with practising librarians. Those expectations have rarely
been met or at best erratically attempted. This is one of the influences that led to
the emergence of the Women in Libraries (WIL) group in 1980, as well as positive
action programmes being developed and negotiated with both staff and student bodies
in library schools. Such programmes vary in their content and implementation; they
build on experience in other spheres and tend to reiterate that the reasons for women's
under-achievement are such things as: the traditional domestic role; conditioning
to accept male authority; limited educational options, i.e., subjects considered ap-
propriate for women.
Positive action is seen as a means by which staff and students can attempt to effect
changes in course content. To promote an awareness of the position of women in
libraries it is vital that changes should take place. Examples drawn from the policy
statement of the School of Librarianship & Information Studies, Polytechnic of North
London Women in Libraries group include the following items: book selection ses-
sions should cover sexist language and contents of books; book publishing should
include the output of the women's presses; professionalism discussions should in-
clude the stereotype image of women in libraries; the necessity for part-time pathways
to qualification; the impact of technology on female library workers; management
teaching should include discussions on sexual bias in interviewing; the role of women
in union and staff associations; job sharing possibilities; prospects for promotion.
The policy statement was agreed at a meeting of the School in 1982, and
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