DC Day 3 part 1

I attended a panel on racism in academic libraries. I thought it would be about service-end racism but it was about hiring policies and racism towards librarians in the workforce. The panel consisted of three people. The first gave a background of racism and affirmative action in US education. I was sort of annoyed because I know all this. And considering the audience, all academic librarians and mostly nonwhite/people of color, I'm positive they too know the supreme court cases. I do not need another explanation of Brown v Board or Bakke v California. No mention of academic libraries in this person's speech.

The second speaker just conducted a survey of African American librarians about their attitudes towards their jobs. She had done this same survey in 1996, and she was sharing the results. Unfortunately, she has not yet synthesized the results so she ended up just reading numbers with no analysis. Having just conducted a statistical presentation myself, I was really irritated with this.

The final speaker was rambling and difficult to follow. In fact, I'm not sure what her point was other than racism and classism intertwine. Yeah, I think everyone in the room knows that already. No mention of any other groups than African Americans in any of the three presentations.

Then there were some audience responses, one was pretty amazing, from a man who was like "this isn't stereotype, it's just fact that Japanese people are quiet and subservient. Black people are loud. It doesn't mean they can't talk quietly, but culturally they are loud." (He was African American by the way) People were pretty irritated with him.

My problem with these panels at ALA is this: the people that attend these panels are already aware of the issues and the background, but the panels cover ONLY issues and background definitions without any in-depth analysis as to what to do next or what these issues mean for the profession. How many times have I heard the exact same phrases over and over? Racism is a problem. People are afraid to use the words racism or sexism. Yes, I know, tell me something more substantial please. I come to these presentations to be enlightened or educated. I already have two degrees, I know what you are telling me.

In the end, all the race, gender, and class panels at conferences always end up being big preaching to the choir fests. Few, if any, people attend the panels that don't already know the information that is being presented. The presenters need to take this information to people other than those that attend the panels! They always end up being a 90 minute rehash of every other presentation I've been to. And yet, I continue to attend them. I think I need to stop attending them, or be one of the coordinators of a panel next year and force my panel to get down and dirty about it.

Alycia, I really could have used you as my buddy for this because I know you would have had all the same reactions as I. Conferences just aren't as fun without you!