Librarians--The Image and the Myth

We've all heard the negative connotations that plague many professions: absent-minded professor, crooked politician, dishonest used car salesman, computer nerd. But none of these evokes a singular, consistent stereotypic image the way the term "librarian" does...no pejorative adjective needed. At the mere mention of the term, it is the image of a middle aged, pinch-faced woman, dressed in frumpy clothes and sporting a bun and glasses that often pops into the forefront of one's consciousness. Intrigued, I read many articles related to the subject of the image of librarians. I found that theories about the origins of the stereotype abound, but little concrete evidence exists to explain how the stereotype started or why the image persists. There is also little consensus about how one should react to the stereotype. Some librarians find humor in the image; others take great umbrage at the stereotype. But one thing is certain: nearly everyone has an opinion about the subject. So whether you feel abused or amused by the librarian stereotype, check out these articles and web sites for a fascinating look at the image of librarians, and how that image has evolved (or not) over time.

"Attitudes Toward Public Libraries and Librarians." Library Journal. Nov 1958: 3056-3058.

Bobrovitz, Jennifer and Rosemary Griebel. If the (Sensible) Shoe Fits: The Image of the Librarian. 17 July 2001. 30 September 2005. www.sla.org/chapter/cwcn/wwest/v4n4/jbimage.htm

Engle, Michael. Remythologizing Work: The Role of Archetypal Images In the Humanization of Librarianship. 12 April 2005. 30 september 2005. www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/staff/moe/archetype.html

Foster, W.E. "Being a Librarian." The Library Journal. Oct 1890: 294-296.

Kneale, Ruth A. You Don't Look Like a Librarian!: Librarians' Views of Public Perception in the Internet Age. 22 June 2004. 30 September 2005. www.librarian-image.net/perc.html

"Librarians: Just a Bunch of Lonely Bananas." American Libraries. Oct 1982: 557.

Parham, Nellie. "As Others See Us." Illinois Libraries. July 1923: 44-51.

Radford, Marie and Gary P. Radford. "Power, Knowledge, and Fear: Feminism, Foucault, and the Stereotype of the Female Librarian." Librarian Quarterly. July 1997: 250-263.

Sable, Arnold. "The Sexuality of the Library Profession: The Male and Female Librarian." Wilson Library Bulletin. April 1969: 748-751.

Tevis, Ray and Brenda Tevis. The Image of Librarians in Cinema, 1917-1999. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, 2005.

Wiebe, Todd J. "Issues Faced by Male Librarians: Stereotypes, Perceptions, and Career Ramifications." Colorado Libraries. Sept 2004: 11-13

Words of wisdom from Isaac Asimov...

I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough. My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the wit to charge through that door and make the most of it.
Now, when I read constantly about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that the door is closing and that American society has found one more way to destroy itself.
— I, Asimov. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
Isaac ASIMOV

A plug for libraries and librarians...

"He is wise who knows the sources of knowledge -- where it is written and where it is to be found." - A.A. Hodge

"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries."- Anne Herbert

"Librarians are almost always very helpful and often almost absurdly knowledgeable. Their skills are probably very underestimated and largely underemployed."- Charles Medawar