We Can Do IT: Women in Library Information Technology

246 Pages·2018·0.814 MB·English

by  Jenny Brandon, Sharon Ladenson, Kelly Sattler

We Can Do IT
Tis book is number ten in the Litwin Books Series on Gender and
Sexuality in Information Studies, Emily Drabinski, Series Editor.
We Can Do IT
Women in Library Information Technology
Edited by
Jenny Brandon
Sharon Ladenson
Kelly Sattler
Library Juice Press
Sacramento, CA
Copyright respective authors, 2017
Published by Library Juice Press in 2018
Library Juice Press
PO Box 188784
Sacramento, CA 95818
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication data pending.
Table of Contents
ix Acknowledgements
1 Introduction
9 #Advice
11 Be Competent, Be Confdent, and Dare Greatly: Lessons Learned
from Twenty-fve Years of Surviving and Triving in Library IT
Janet Crum
#Advice #Confdence #Opportunities #Sexism
16 Support for Women in IT is Support for the Team
Allison Deluca
#Advice #SupportWomeninIT #TeamSupport
20 A Road Not Planned: My Journey in Library IT
Denise A. Garofalo
#Advice #CareerPath #Challenges
26 My Journey and Tips for Women Interested in IT
Vincci Kwong
#Advice #Challenges #Tips
30 How Two Women Embraced Teir Path to IT Management
Rachel Vacek and Kat Hagedorn
#Advice #Advocacy #CareerPath #GetTingsDone #Leadership
#Management #Mentorship #UnconsciousBias
37 Finding Your Job-Career Balance
Melissa Wisner
#Advice #CareerStrategy #ProjectManagement #VerticalNetworking
43 Trust me, I’m a Library IT Professional
Jingjing Wu
#Advice #Communication
47 #Observations
49 Librarian as CIO? Naturally!
Susie Speer Corbett
#Observations #CareerPath #LibrarianAsCIO #ManagementAdvice
#NotJustaLibrarian #RedefneLibrarian #UnLimited
54 Essentialism, Social Construction, or Individual Diferences
Jenelys Cox, Jef Rynhart, Shea-Tinn Yeh
#Observations #Advice #ChangeAgents
59 Women in Library IT – One Man’s Perspective
Kevin Finkenbinder
#Observations #Advice #BreakingStereotypes #CareerPath
#Confdence #Perspective #TakeRisks
65 A Career in Library Technology: A Personal Essay
Julie Guzzetta
#Observations #Advice #CareerPath
69 Beyond the Horizon – Learning New Skills Trough the Infuence of
Diverse Computer Professionals
Alisha Taylor
#Observations #LearnCode #Mentorship #Persist
73 #CareerPath
75 Jump Ship
Marcia L. Dority Baker
#CareerPath #Advice #BeBold #ChangeAgent #JumpShip #Leadership
81 Te Story of My Unintended Journey into Systems Librarianship
Olufunmilayo Fati
#CareerPath #UnintendedLibrarianship
84 “I’ve Had the Perfect Job for Me”: An Interview
Alexandra Gallin-Parisi and Donna Kaminski
#CareerPath #Biography #Interview
93 My Journey Trough Library IT
Robin Hastings
#CareerPath #Advice #BeConfdent #StretchGoals
98 Not the “Same As It Ever Was”: An Accidental Systems Librarian
Amy Hezel
#CareerPath #Accidents #Future
103 Library IT is Never Boring
Tari Keller
#CareerPath #Advice #ExcitingCareer #History 
vi
109 IT and Libraries: A Perfect Career Marriage
Karen Knox
#CareerPath #KnowYourStrengths #LibraryLeadership
#TechnologyAdvocate #TechnologyInLibraries
114 Blending Liberal Arts and IT: Finding a Place for a Tech-Loving Non-
Programmer
Amanda Hartman McLellan
#CareerPath #FindingYourPlace #LeanIn #NeverGiveUp
119 How Hamlet Helped Me Become a Library “Techie”
Este Pope
#CareerPath #Code #Confdence #DigitalLibrary #Techie
123 Chimera in the Library: A Journey Trough the Cultures of IT,
Libraries, & Library IT
Stephanie Walker
#CareerPath #Advice #DontFearFailure #Flexibility
#HighlightStrengths #HireGoodPeople #Lessons #ListenToEveryone
#NeverTalkDown #ServiceMatters #SoWhatIfItHasNeverBeenDone
#TrustStaf
131 #Challenges
133 Breaking Stereotypes and Meeting Challenges
Cathleen S. Carstens
#Challenges #AtMyAgeItsImportantToBeHavingFun
#BreakingStereotypes #ChangeAgent
#ExcitedAboutTeNextGenerationOfWomen #LifelongLearning
#LookingTowardTeFuture #TechnologyIsInMyDNA
140 Emotional labor: Te Unexpected Hard Work
Tara Coleman
#Challenges #EmotionalLabor
144 Yes, I Speak Tech; My Experiences with Sexism in the Workplace
Suzanna Conrad
#Challenges #ExperiencesWithSexism #RisingAboveSexism
155 Empowerment, Teamwork, and Personal Growth
Deloris J. Foxworth
#Challenges #Empowerment #ImposterSyndrome #Strength
#Teamwork
160 My Life in IT
Lynne E. Grigsby
#Challenges #CareerPath #Discrimination #Sexism #UnconsciousBias
164 Feminist Finds Her Footing
Dana Haugh
#Challenges #CareerPath #ChangeAgent #Sexism
vii
166 Counting Down to Looking Up
Rhela Sudo
#Challenges #Bias #Sexism
174 Walking the Tightrope!
Sharon Whitfeld
#Challenges #Bias #Discrimination
178 Where I Belong
Becky Yoose
#Challenges #Community #ImposterSyndrome
181 #ChangeAgents
183 Girls to the Front: What Riot Grrrl Tells Us About Women in Library IT
Kate Dohe
#ChangeAgent #DIY #Feminism #Leadership #RiotGrrrl
187 Setting Our Values as Library Technology Leaders and Women
Margaret Heller and Hong Ma
#ChangeAgents #Collaboration #Community #Flexibility #Workfows
193 Girls Don’t Do Woodworking
Catherine Larson
#ChangeAgent #Advice #GenderNormsChanging #SupportingFolks
200 From Imposter to Contender: Te Women of Library IT
Christina Mune
#ChangeAgent #Advice #DefyingStereotypes #EverydaySexism
#ImposterSyndrome
206 GratITude
Leah M Root
#ChangeAgents #Infuencers #Mentorship #RoleModels
209 What a Diference a Decade (or Tree) Makes
Kathy Watts
#ChangeAgent #CSEducation #Generations #GirlsInIT #RoleModels
#SelfConfdence #VisionForFutureForWomen
213 Tell Imposter Syndrome to Take a Seat
Kathy Zadrozny
#ChangeAgent #AddWomen #ImposterSyndrome #PublicSpeaking
217 Editors
219 Contributors
231 Bibliography
viii
Acknowledgements
First, we would like to thank all the people who responded to
our call for essays. We appreciate the authors for being will-
ing to share their experiences, thoughts, and for responding so
well to our edits. We thank Michigan State University (MSU)
Libraries for supporting us in this endeavor. Te MSU Librar-
ies’ writing group was invaluable for their feedback on the ini-
tial proposal. Tanks to Library Juice Press for their encourage-
ment and seeing value in publishing a book on this topic. We
are grateful for the people in our lives, personally and profes-
sionally, who encouraged us to be where we are today. Final-
ly, we would like to also acknowledge the enjoyment we had
working together on this project and our appreciation for what
we’ve learned from each other during the process. Each person
brought diferent strengths that made this a better book overall.