by Laura Birkenhauer
The Librarian Stereotype
If you’re plugged into the LIS field, you’re likely already aware of the librarian stereotypes. A 2015 American Libraries article sums it up well:
“There are numerous librarian stereotypes, with the most recognizable being the middle-aged, bun-wearing, comfortably shod, shushing librarian. Others include the sexy librarian, the superhero librarian, and the hipster or tattooed librarian. These stereotypes are all characterized predominantly as feminine, white women. Newer librarian stereotypes, particularly those proffered by librarians themselves, tend to be depicted as younger white women. The original librarian stereotype, which was superseded by the introduction of his prudish sister, was that of the fussy (white) male curmudgeon.”
This month’s online discussion forum asked NMRT members to share about defying the stereotypes, with the goal of highlighting the diversity of NMRT membership and the many representations of library work within the ranks of NMRT. As much as they were comfortable, respondents were asked to share more about themselves and their experiences.
In response, we heard from a library school student, business librarians, an NMRT Past President, a cataloger, a young adult librarian, an online learning and instruction librarian, library managers, a metadata librarian, and a former Library of Congress Librarian-in-Residence, among others. Here’s what they had to say about defying the librarian stereotype:
On Dressing Differently
“My colors are too bright, my shoes are too funky. Style is important to me. I am not going to wear black and brown shoes with bows” (Carter, 2021)
“The students are always a little taken aback when I walk in – most business students dress very conservatively, ‘professionally,’ etc. in class. No unnatural hair colors or tattoos to be seen! I typically have both. […] I feel like I crack their stereotypes a bit and bring some entertainment into the classroom with my bad jokes.” (Wilhelm, 2021)
“My director even believed that we should always dress formally because we are a serious profession. I disagreed wholeheartedly. If kids came into the library with their parents, I got on the floor with them and entertained them. My coworkers started calling my Aunty Kim. I slowly started dressing more casually with fun patterned leggings and silly socks.” (Cull, 2021)
On Serving Our Community in Our Own Way
“[…] I think more than how librarians dress, we need to disrupt the stereotypes of how we act. We need to embrace being open and accessible to our patrons of all colors, creeds, and abilities. And yes, we need to be bringing our whole authentic selves to the library, so we are talking about the important issues like Justice, mental health, disability, child rearing, burnout, etc.” (Ward, 2021)
“[…] I didn’t put on a “professional” mask around anyone. I just acted like my weird, goofy self. The result? The students were more comfortable asking me for help.” (Cull, 2021)
“Maybe because my primary patron base is teenagers […] I’ve found that being open about my knowledge limitations (i.e., I haven’t read everything they mention and I don’t pretend otherwise) while mentioning the titles I am familiar with has gone a long way toward [countering misconceptions].” (Doherty, 2021)
“I’ve been intentional about being open and willing to share and talk about mental health topics with students. Even sharing a little bit about my own experiences or resources I’ve used related to mental health have made a major impact in conversations I’m having with students this semester.” (Birkenhauer, 2021)
On Supporting Others
“While I don’t personally debunk [the stereotype], I think supporting librarians who defy stereotypes is something I put into practice.” (Creswell, 2021)
“As a White female who wears glasses for computer work/driving and often wears her hair in a ponytail, I probably look the librarian part more than a lot of others. […] I think we can all support librarians who defy stereotypes by providing a listening ear for those who feel marginalized or who just want a couple moments to chat.” (Boniface, 2021)
Beyond the themes seen in the quotes outlined above, important issues arose from this conversation, including the damaging stereotype of the “sexy librarian” leading to harassment in public-facing roles (Creswell, 2021) and experiences involving one’s appearance and dress connecting to being taken seriously (or not) on the job (Lagasca, 2021).
It was also clear that the phrase “the librarian stereotype” did not evoke the same image for each participant, but that ideas of what a “stereotypical librarian” might look and behave like varied. These ideas were informed by pop culture, books and the media, as well as coworkers and others in the profession.
References
Birkenhauer, L. (2021, October 4). RE: Online Discussion Forum October 2021 Topic: Combatting the Librarian Stereotype. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/digestviewer/
Boniface, E. (2021, October 9). RE: Online Discussion Forum October 2021 Topic: Combatting the Librarian Stereotype. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/digestviewer/
Carter, L. (2021, October 4). RE: Online Discussion Forum October 2021 Topic: Combatting the Librarian Stereotype. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/digestviewer/
Creswell, M. (2021, October 7). RE: Online Discussion Forum October 2021 Topic: Combatting the Librarian Stereotype. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/digestviewer/
Cull, K. (2021, October 4). RE: Online Discussion Forum October 2021 Topic: Combatting the Librarian Stereotype. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/digestviewer/
Wilhelm, J. (2021, October 5). RE: Online Discussion Forum October 2021 Topic: Combatting the Librarian Stereotype. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/digestviewer/
Doherty, E. (2021, October 4). RE: Online Discussion Forum October 2021 Topic: Combatting the Librarian Stereotype. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/digestviewer/
Lagasca, M. (2021, October 12). RE: Online Discussion Forum October 2021 Topic: Combatting the Librarian Stereotype. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/digestviewer/
Pagowsky, N. & Rigby, M. (2015, October 30). The stereotype stereotype: Our obsession with librarian representation. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2015/10/30/the-stereotype-stereotype/
Ward, K. (2021, October 4). RE: Online Discussion Forum October 2021 Topic: Combatting the Librarian Stereotype. Message posted to https://connect.ala.org/nmrt/communities/community-home/digestviewer/