…because I’ve long considered myself radically feminist it was natural for me to gravitate toward librarianship. I made a conscious decision to choose a woman-dominated profession for some important reasons. To the point, if I was going to spend 40 or 50 hours a week of my working life in intense interactions with other people, I wanted the majority of those people to be women.
I wanted to invest myself – my emotions, my intellect, my personal and my professional development over the years – with other women. To build community with other women. To build up other women.
As most woman-dominated fields are not as financially lucrative as male-dominated fields, I was willing to take that pay cut. As it turns out I didn’t have to. As a state employee with a Master’s degree I don’t make as much as some of my friends in the private sector, but I do very well when compared with other librarians.
I also wanted less hassle in my professional life. Less mansplaining. Fewer “teachable moments” where I avoid the word feminism for fear of alienating someone and spend my time explaining exactly why feminism is necessary to a civilized society. I considered going into IT when I was younger and staring at the looming landscape of that male dominated profession made me realize that in numbers there is Power. Mores. Culture. I try to be careful with the primarily white female culture to which I now belong, and to realize that it can be just as much of a club over someone else’s head as the white, male IT world looked to me 20 years ago.
I wanted the majority of my bosses to be women, even if some of them weren’t great. They were developing as managers and I’m happy to engage in that process with them.
I wanted the majority of my colleagues to be women, even I didn’t like some of them. I have a high tolerance for not liking women and still working with them to produce high quality library services in a professional atmosphere.
I wanted to support women as they earned their living. I wanted to be a bright spot in their professional worlds and I take pride in doing that. My nickname at work is “Glinda the Good Witch of the North” because I’m so cheerful. I have taken on a professional persona of extreme customer service and as a library consultant it’s literally my job to go out into Library Land and be helpful. It’s my job to learn what librarians in the field need, and to fill those needs. I pay attention to them and use my skills, both technical and interpersonal, to make their jobs easier.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I dislike men. I shouldn’t even have to say that. I’m married. I enjoy my male colleagues very much. But we’re not in a post-misogyny, post-feminist world. We don’t live in a country where gender doesn’t matter. I have chosen to reduce the level of sexism I have to face as a female member of American society by surrounding myself with other women. It’s a strategy to shield myself from one prevalent form of prejudice that I am particularly sensitive to.
I’m proud of my profession. I knew I’d never have to hang my head when I told people: “I’m a librarian.” We’re trusted, for good reason. We’re good people who care deeply about community service. I’ve never regretted becoming a librarian.
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