April 3, 2018 - The Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL) joins over 700 individuals and organizations in signing the Code4Lib Community Statement in Support of Chris Bourg.
In her keynote at the 2018 Code4Lib conference, Director of the MIT Libraries Chris Bourg talked about how technology-centric workplaces and events might work to foster more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments. Her comments were based on substantial research undertaken by the Kapor Center for Social Impact.
According to the conference organizers, Bourg has since been “subjected to widespread and coordinated harassment across several platforms, including homophobic and sexist personal attacks, as well as commentary that discounts her expertise, ignores the nuances of her argument, and misrepresents her position.” As ARL succinctly put it, “such attacks underscore the extent of the problem and the need for greater focus on these issues.”
COPPUL is firmly committed to fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments. COPPUL supports Chris Bourg and the important message she shared at the Code4Lib conference. COPPUL joins the Code4Lib community in support of Bourg and encourages others to sign the community statement.