Informatics' Equality and Diversity Blog

Library of Equality and Diversity Books

arrow 20170119_112220We have started a small library of Equality and Diversity books, which are located in MF1, on the top shelf of the furthest bookcase (by the balcony overlooking the Atrium). Please feel free to borrow a book – and please return it when you’re finished. If you could sign your name / leave a comment on the short form inside the cover, that will help us to track usage and usefulness.

At the moment the focus of most of the books is gender but we are interested in developing resources to reflect all nine of the Equality Act’s “protected characteristics” – age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex (gender) and sexual orientation.

So if you can recommend a good book, or would like to donate one, please email Equality and Diversity Co-ordinator Kami Vaniea.

Here’s what’s on offer meanwhile:

Why Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation – and Positive Strategies for Change
By: Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
Summary: Outcome of extensive research on how women and men negotiate differently and how that leads to a pay gap. Also discusses how to negotiate effectively as a woman or other minority.

Ask For It: How women can use the power of negotiation to get what they really want
By Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
Summary: How to negotiate for all sorts of things as a woman. This is an extension of the earlier book by the same authors with more how-to and less research on why.

Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in computing
By Jane Margolis and Allan Fisher
Summary: Outcome of a multi-year research study at Carnegie Mellon University following a set of female computer science majors to understand what their experiences were like and what barriers they faced. For a while it was given as a gift to all incoming CMU students as a way of helping them understand that they are not alone in their experiences.

Recoding Gender: Women’s changing participation in computing
By Janet Abbate
Summary: Historical take on the role of women in computer science following the stories of early pioneers in the field.

Gender Codes: Why women are leaving computing
Edited By Thomas J. Misa (multiple authors)
Summary: Collection of essays by multiple experts on gender issues in education and the office. Looks at both historical context and explores different approaches that have been taken in the past.

Computer Boys Take Over (History of Computing)
By Nathan L. Ensmenger
Summary: History of computer science focusing on how we went from nearly 100% of computer programmers being women to the much smaller number today.

Whistling Vivaldi: How stereotypes affect us and what we can do (Issues of our time)
By Claude Steele
Summary: Research on unconscious bias and how it is impacted by issues like stereotypes and identity.

Kicking Butt in Computer Science: Women in Computing at Carnegie Mellon University
By Carol Frieze, and Jeria Quesenberry
Summary: Discussion of research and approaches taken at Carnegie Mellon University since the early 1990’s. What worked, what didn’t, and how they are seeing student attitudes change over time.

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
By Sheryl Sandberg
Summary: Controversial book on how to succeed as a woman in technology written by the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook.

Theme: Rubric.