This topic is really interesting and worthwhile, although I have to agree some
of the questions were a bit difficult to answer. I would also like to read the
findings once completed as I would l be very interested to find out about male
perceptions and experiences of library work.
I completed the MA Librarianship last year and carried out my final dissertation
on women's career progression in academic libraries. I used the group Women
in Libraries for the background to my research and tried to discover whether
the group's original aims had been met.
You are completely right in that men were over-represented in higher level
positions in the 80s (and part of the 90s) and the group Women in Libraries
fought to bring about change in the profession and I believe they successfully
played some part in doing this.
As for actual statistics, I struggled to find any covering gender and libraries
throughout the years so set about acquiring my own data which highlighted
that it is a very different case today and there are now more women in senior
roles (in academic libraries) than men.
I think today women are afforded a lot more opportunities than they were 30
years ago including things like flexible working, staff development - and any
barriers that they still come up against are often just as applicable to men
also.
Kind regards
|