When Women Didn't Count in Illinois

 I have been invited to speak about my nonfiction book via zoom at Western Illinois University as part of their Women's History Month celebration.  Here is a cool little video one of their communications students created about it.

When Women Didn't Count in Klipsun

Maya Anderson interviewed me for an article about the Census that appeared in Klipsun, the WWU magazine.  I appear way down the page, talking about When Women Didn't Count, among other things.  h

When Women Didn't Count wins in New Orleans

Last weekend was the American Library Association annual conference.  At the Government Documents Round Table reception, held at the Louisiana Supreme Court building, I received the Margaret T. Lane / Virginia F. Saunders Memorial Research Award for When Women Didn't Count.  It's always a thrill to be recognized by your peers.  Western's Dean of Libraries, Mark Greenberg was there and kindly took this video.

When Women Didn't Count gets video reviewed

Alicia Kubas works at the University of Minnesota Libraries.  Last week she appeared on their video series Read This Book! to review my book.  Thanks, Alicia.  Go Golden Gophers!

WWU on When Women Didn't Count award

My employer just bragged about my book getting an award. 

When Women Didn't Count wins!

Every year the Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association gives awards for special merit in the field.  The prize for scholarship was just given to my book When Women Didn't Count.

The 2018 Margaret T. Lane/Virginia F. Saunders Memorial Research Award is awarded to Robert Lopresti, Western Washington University Libraries, for his book, When Women Didn't Count: The Chronic Mismeasure and Marginalization of American Women in Federal Statistics published by Praeger. Digging back into the history of how women have been represented or completely missing in U.S. government data collections since the late 1700s, Lopresti has revealed how this inaccurate data has affected women, men, and all of American society. The book challenges readers to reexamine their understanding of data collection methodologies and to think more deeply about biases and weaknesses in these methodologies as they have changed throughout the history of the U.S. and its perception of women. The Awards Committee was impressed with the sheer number of government reports, documents, and statistical information consulted as well as the variety of federal agencies examined. The book is of critical importance at a time when data is valued so highly in decision-making and policy.

I am thrilled and honored.

When Women Didn't Count at WWU: the video

In February I was able to speak as part of the Western Libraries Readings Program.  I read the chapter on prostitution.  You can see the film of it...  This blog doesn't want me to load it so here's a link.

When Women Didn't Count bookfaced

Silly but it's fun.  Talented student photographer Michael Nguyen was taking bookface pictures in the library.  This is me with co-worker and firend Tamara Belts.

When Women Didn't Count at Wikipedia

Another first.  My book was cited in Wikipedia, in the article on Lucille Foster McMillin, who headed the Civil Service Commission during World War II.

When Women Didn't Count gets cited

A proud moment for a librarian author.  My book has just received its first citation in a scholarly article.  Thank you, Helen L. Norton.

When Women Didn't Count in Louisiana

To celebrate Women's History Month, the St. Tammany Library in Louisiana is urging people to read my book.  What excellent taste and judgment!

When Women Didn't Count at the FDLP Academy

In October I spoke about my book at the Federal Depository Library conference, sponsored by the U.S. Government Publishing Office.  They asked if I would like to do a webinar for their series the FDLP Academy.  I was honored to comply but I didn't want to repeat myself so I focused on the research process that went into making the book.  Figured that would be of more interest to govdoc librarians.  Anyway, I did it live and it is now available for anyone to watch.

When Women Didn't Count comes to Western Washington University

As part of the Western Libraries Reading Program I will be reading from my book at 4 PM, Wednesday February 21 in the Main Readng Room (i.e. Harry Potter Room) at Wilson Library.  Love to see you there.

DttP does When Women Didn't Count

DttP: Documents to the People is the newsletter of GODORT, the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.  In the Inter 2018 issue Sonnet Ireland wrote a very nice review of my new book.  Here is part of it. 

"How many women were the head of their households in 1930?  How man were single mothers in 1890? Librarians have a desire to answer every question that comes their way, but some questions have no accurate answers.  This is especially true of government statistics on women, as Lopresti demonstrates beautifully...   His treatise on the subject is enlightening, delving into the inconsistencies in how women were considered (or ignored) across different government surveys.  Most infuriating are the times when results were labelled as unreliable or flat-out wrong because the answers did not meet expectations.... This books is an important work that sheds light on the sexism that permeates our statistics, even as recently as the last decade."  

When Women Didn't Count at Island Library

Last night I had the honor to speak about my book at Island Library on Lummi Island.  Great fun  with a very engaged crowd.  Must have been half an hour of questions. 

When Women Didn't Count at NGIN

I got to speak about my book yesterday at a meeting of the Northwest Government Information Network.  That's the government information librarians for my part of the country, a jury of my peers.  It was fun.  And I was told that the King County Library System has four copoies of When Women DIdn't Count, and they are all checked out.  Clearly they need a fifth. 

When Women Didn't Count at the Federal Depository Library Conference

Last week I had the opportunity of speaking at the Federal Depository Library conference in Arlington, VA.  You can hear my speech and/or read the transcript right here.

And below you will witness most of the shockingly attractive audience.

When Women Didn't Count hits VB

Did my first reading/signing for the new book yesterday.  The staff at Village Books are wonderful and the crowd was terrific.  Lots of participation and questions. And cookies based on government recipes from World War II!

When Women Didn't Count at Village Books

Getting excited to be speaking this Saturday night at Village Books.  Here is their publicity page.

Western Washington University announces When Women Didn't Count

The Communications Office at WWU just put out a press release.