No stereotypes!

You Don't Look Like a Librarian!

Other interesting tidbits


This is a small potpourri of quotes, images and cartoons that didn't make it into the talk for some reason or another.

From "Thus Said" in January 2002's American Libraries:
"As a general rule, librarians are a kick in the pants socially, often full of good humor, progressive, and, naturally, well read. They tend to be generalists who know so much about so many things that they are quite the opposite of the boring old poops they have been made out to be. Most of them are full of life, some even full of the devil." - Bill Hall, editorial page editor, Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune, September 19, 2001.

From "Thus Said" in August 2001's American Libraries:
"Thoughtful. Deliberate. Contemplative. Respectful. These are good words to describe a librarian. Agressive. Relentless. Fierce. Fearless. Thesea re good words to describe a hockey player." - Jonathan Bombulie, Scranton (Pa.) Times Tribune, May 22, 2001.

From p. 59, June/July 2001 American Libraries, "Making a Difference":
"The worst thing about the stereotype is that it impacts on the psyche of librarians who really begin to believe that they don't deserve the kingpin role." Congressman Owens, the only librarian in Congress, had introduced a bill requiring the Librarian of Congress to actually be a librarian (there's a shocker), and it was shot down.... "it just wasn't seen as that important. As part of changing the perception of librarians we have to start with ourselves." I really recommend you read the article if at all possible!

From the March 20, 2002 Washington Post:
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chile Peppers is quoted on his feelings upon first hearing the music of the Talking Heads: "I felt smart. I liked that. It made me want to dance like a maniac. It made me want to have sex with a lot of librarians. It was like nothing else I had ever heard."

In the March 19, 2002 Business Week, page 16:
(This was sent on a list.) In the Up Front section, an image of a "glasses-and-bun wearing, book clutching, shushing librarian" accompanies an article about the growing shortage of public and school librarians. As the poster said, "[It's] hardly an advertisement for the field."

the cartoon Blondie:
In the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, June 30, 2001
In the Denver Post, March 1, 2001
Many other cartoons, especially the Dilbert cartoons about the reference librarian (I was denied permission to scan them from my books and display them here).

Another advertisement, from the April 2002 Triathlete:
Triathlete librarian ad

One more advertisement, not for the prudish:
Posted at Jessamyn.net, and sent to me by many alert readers.


Ruth A. Kneale, rkneale@nso.edu, June 27, 2002. No, I don't look like a librarian.