Feminism and Librarians

It's International Women's Day! Yay!

Every year on March 8th, International Women's Day is commemorated worldwide with celebrations of all the women in our lives, as we honour those who have come before us and continue to inspire us. Many women often come together on International Women's Day to discover the social, economic, cultural and political achievements made by women and their ongoing struggles in local communities and around the world. In a time where women's rights are being trampled on by governments and societies worldwide, it is important to demand justice and equity. We must support women's rights worldwide, decent wages & working conditions, peace and stability in our world where the war in Iraq, violence in our communities & violence against women continues, and poverty still remains.

In light of International Women's Day, today, I began to think more about women in the workplace... Specifically women in the institute of the library. Women manke up the majority of librarians; yet, how strong are our voices?

I have always been interested in the idea of women's libraries. In particular, I hope to, one day, visit The Women's Library in London. Not only does The Women's Library house a lot of information on women's history, it also celebrates women through exhibitions and programs.

I think the idea of women celebrating women is important. However, this need not be done solely in our homes or telephone conversations. Women celebrating and supporting women should be a active and vibrant part of our institutions.

As women librarians it is important to ask ourselves questions such as... What is the role of feminism in the institution? How can we propse and support feminist causes in the institution? How can we involve our local libraries in communal and global feminist events and movements?

Although these questions don't jump-out to the reader as intrinsically managerial or administrative, they are interlinked with managerial and administrative policies. They force us (At least consciously) to view our library teams, practices, and goals in lieu of broader philosophical and ethical motivations.

So, I dare repeat, "This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. it should be thrown with great force." (Dorothy Parker)