Comments on: What are the Real Librarian Stereotypes?

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:45:32 +0000

Male librarian = beard. I was afraid I wouldn’t be allowed to graduate from library school if I didn’t grow a beard.

By: Edie Martimucci

Edie Martimucci — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:04:35 +0000

I would love to be an “imbedded librarian” setting up for a few hours in various gathering places in the neighborhood like coffee shops, and bookstores. I would, however stay clear of the nail places.

By: Jess

Jess — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:37:24 +0000

Librarian stereotypes was discussed a few weeks ago in one if my information management classes. We looked at a range of stereotypes, from stern bun-wearing librarians, to hip librarians with tattoos and piercings, as well as the idea of the ‘sexy’ librarian, which is often portrayed in movies and images.
What interests me is that all of these stereotypes are extremes in some way; librarians are placed at two extreme ends of the spectrum in being perceived as either boring and conservative and radical. In some ways, the ‘sexy’ librarian falls in the middle of the spectrum, often being both repressed and sensual.
I wonder why society seems to have a need for librarians to be ‘extreme’ in some way or another.

By: Kim

Kim — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:18:15 +0000

I like to dress well too and be in good shape. I’ve never understood why being a librarian means having to dress terribly. The people I work with are great to work with but dress like you describe, though I’ve not yet seen knees socks.

By: Penny

Penny — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:31:08 +0000

I am a librarian, but I wear beautiful clothing. I know this because I think some of my colleagues like to point out how “different” I am. My hair is professionally styled (including highlights) on a regular basis, and I wear tastefully applied make up every day. Yes, I wear glasses, but they are the most fashionable ones I can find that fit my face. Most of my colleagues are white and female, and even many of the young ones dress badly. Why the heck are grown women wearing knee socks with skirts?? They wouldn’t know lipstick or blush if it hit them over the head. That being said, they are smart dedicated, hardworking people who do all they can to support the students and faculty. (I work in an academic library.)

By: Marion

Marion — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:05:29 +0000

When I started in the field twenty years ago, I dressed fashionably in heels and skirts, sort of “bank teller”. Now I wear black sneakers, black dress pants, and have the same silky t-shirt top in seven different colours, that I occasionally switch out for a different blouse. There’s just no point to dressing up when you are crawling around plugging computers back in. I am also white and plump.

Yeah, we have some hipsters… but we all end up as one of the two – thin and cardiganed or fat with outrageous arty jewelry.

Yes, I would like to help people, but not the ones that spit, stand too close, or just drive me crazy with their obsessive weirdness… Sigh. You’ll find me glued to the computer too.

By: Kaylin

Kaylin — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:24:52 +0000

I’ve heard the term ‘librarian butt’ on more than one occasion to describe the results of sitting at the reference desk for prolonged periods.

By: MC

MC — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:15:22 +0000

Bow ties are cool.

(Doctor Who reference. Oh no! I’m a new-wave stereotype!)

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 03:40:06 +0000

My best friend (also a librarian) and I love to play a game at ALA annual in the Exhibitors hall. We sit somewhere central where we can see as many attendees as possible and then play, “God, please don’t tell me I look like that!”

I like the idea of trying to pick out the librarians at the airport pre-gate arrival, but you can really get an idea of what most librarians look like physically and fashion-wise by going to the Grand Central Station of librarians at any conference: the Exhibitions. For the most part, the comments I’ve read have had an element of me in them, some great, some, sadly, stereotypical, but one of the things I enjoy about being a librarian is an inclusive community of professionals that tend to be more interested in diversity than tired and worn-out visions that are well past their expiration dates!

Let’s retire the old perceptions of librarians perpetuated by people who probably haven’t seen a library much less a librarian in a cat’s age and continue the air of individuality and eclecticism librarians of all ages, sizes, fashion senses and ever-present humor and intelligence possess and demonstrate every day.

By: joy4evr

joy4evr — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 03:36:16 +0000

I’m a librarian in training and i get very disgusted with the stereotypes placed on librarians. It is understandable that the majority of professionals in the field are middle aged plump ladies but realistically the younger generation, such as myself, we are striving to change this outlook and eliminate this stereotype. Mind you I’m already half way there, because every time I’m asked my profession and I answer a librarian, the ensuing response is “yeah you look the type”, I’m still not sure what that type is but to me there is no type. People should not judge based on the physical look, they need to get to know their librarians and realise that they are very, very nice, quirky and well educated people.