Reference librarian: I’m too sexy for the Yahd

The New York Post reports that a Harvard librarian claims discrimination against her because she is black — and sexy. “White women wore sexy clothes, were outgoing, attractive and they were getting mentored and getting promoted, while I was being ignored and asked to work extra hours,” she says in the article.

October 13, 2003 by Uncategorized 4

You may also like...

4 Responses

  1. Anonymous Patron says:
    October 13, 2003 at 9:23 pm

    It says she had two Master’s degrees
    Is one an MLS?

    Is she a librarian or library assistant?

    Reply
  2. April says:
    October 13, 2003 at 10:53 pm

    Re:It says she had two Master’s degrees
    Read this story:
    http://www.co-star.org/harlib.html
    According to it, she does have an MLS, which she got while already working at Harvard.

    I wish her luck; sounds like she really got treated badly from the stories I’ve read.

    Reply
  3. mcbride says:
    October 13, 2003 at 11:50 pm

    Alleged bad reputation?
    I’m not certain if the author of the piece meant “alleged bad reputation” or just “bad performance”. Look, countless individuals are overlooked for promotion based on attitude, people skills and motivation. Years of experience, degrees held, even your clothes should not be factors considered for promotion of higher levels.

    Could her attitude have turned sour after the first missed opportunity for promotion, and hence subsequent missed promotions were a result of attitude? Who knows…

    > “I’ve been at Harvard for nine years and not once have I encountered a black professional librarian at any meeting or any gathering anywhere,” Goodwin said. “I’ve heard about them, but I haven’t seen one.”

    Really? Maybe the percentage of black professional librarians at Harvard coincides with the percentage in the library community at large? Just a thought.

    Does anyone have a resource that breaks down the field by race/gender (ALA/SLA pub)? Bowker’s just lists graduates, not the field as a whole.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous Patron says:
    October 14, 2003 at 10:21 am

    Cambridge. Harvard. Cambridge Public Library.
    Down the street from Harvard, Cambridge Public Library Director Susan Flannery raised concerns about prejudice when she got rid of a assistant director, a person of color.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

LISNews Archives