Head Tale

The public library in Timmins, Ontario recently tried to offer a “boys only” robotics class but ended up facing a huge backlash (including many female scientists and engineers) after not allowing a girl to register for the program.

I understand what the library was trying to do in offering a program focused on reaching boys who tend to slide further in academic skills over the summer than girls.  It’s also commonly understood in libraryland (though I don’t have current stats in front of me) that boys are harder to get into the library than girls, especially as they reach the teen years.  (With that said, my direct anecdotal experience at my branch is boys out-number girls in the branch 10-1 most days!)

Libraries constantly struggle with how to reach all sorts of target groups and even at RPL, I’ve provided feedback on the types of programs I thought might help attract new fathers for instance or helped develop programming targeted at new immigrants.  But maybe the solution is to stay out of the targeting completely?  Or, if you’re trying to target specific groups, don’t be explicit about it – then if a woman wants to a register for a “How To Maintain Your Motorcycle” program, no problem.  Or if a long-time Canadian wants to register for “Camping for Newbies” you hope will attract new immigrants, no problem.  Or if a pre-teen girl wants to register for a “Robots Are Cool” program, no problem.

So clearly, the Timmins library was in the wrong here and it’s good they relented although their (lawyer-approved I’m sure) apology missed actually acknowledging the girl who made the original complaint or giving more than a passing reference to explain why they thought offering a “boys only” program was a good idea in the first place which may have helped defuse the situation a bit.

It’s interesting too because we had a similar issue here in Regina last summer where a woman visited a barber shop that specialized in men’s haircuts and was refused service even though she was asking for a specific men’s cut.  As with the Timmins case, this one is clear cut (er, pun not intended) from a human rights perspective – someone shouldn’t be denied service because of their gender.  Period.  The barber shop should have cut her hair.

The only hesitation I have around that particular incident is a concern that the resultant publicity may have actually undermined what the complainant was trying to do in raising awareness of gender discrimination by picking a subject – haircuts – that many people might view as trivial.  Again, to be clear, most thinking people will agree that gender discrimination shouldn’t be allowed.

But if people who don’t see the issue the same end up saying “It’s just a hair cut – why make a big deal out of it?”, does that make it more or less likely that’s what they’ll say the next time something similar comes up – like when a young girl is denied entry into a boys-only library program?

Food for thought.