A Gaggle of Librarians
OK, well, I am not really sure if a group of Librarians is called a gaggle, and even if it is, at what threshold does it become a gaggle and not simply a group? But, if not gaggle, then what? A collection? A classification? A range? A pod? A herd? Who knows?
This is just to say that I am off for a one day meeting with a number of librarians tomorrow (out of blogging range). I am not sure how many librarians will be there. I will know a few of them and others will be new to me. Whenever I attend library conferences or meetings, I invariably reflect on the librarian stereotype. You must have heard about Marian the Librarian. I think that comes from the Music Man, wherein we meet a librarian, Marian Paroo, who is dubbed 'Marian The Librarian'. There is even a song by that title in the film. In fact, here are the lyrics:
Madam Librarian
What can I do, my dear, to catch your ear
I love you madly, madly Madam Librarian...Marian
Heaven help us if the library caught on fire
And the Volunteer Hose Brigademen
Had to whisper the news to Marian...Madam Librarian!
What can I say, my dear, to make it clear
I need you badly, badly, Madam Librarian...Marian
If I stumbled and I busted my what-you-may-call-it
I could lie on your floor
'Till my body had turned to carrion....Madam Librarian.
Now in the moonlight, a man could sing it
In the moonlight
And a fellow would know that his darling
Had heard ev'ry word of his song
With the moonlight helping along.
But when I try in here to tell you, dear
I love you madly, madly, Madam Librarian...Marian
It's a long lost cause I can never win
For the civilized world accepts as unforgivable sin
Any talking out loud with any librarian
Such as Marian.....Madam Librarian
The truth is that I am saddened by the stereotype. It does not serve us well, but I guess I'll have to live with it. It leads people to assume that the writer of this blog is female. It leads others to assume that I am gay (not that there's anything wrong with that). It leads others to assume that I check out books all day and tell people to be quiet. That is the lament of the librarian. The truth is that we have multi-faceted jobs that cannot be summed up neatly in answer to the question "what do you do?" I want to say: let me write a paragraph, and I'll get back to you.
'Tis true: some librarians do have buns and wear wool suits. Some librarians are a walking, talking stereotype, but I don't know any of them personally.
Technorati Tags: librarians
20 comments:
Fish, I checked my reference section and according to 'An Exaltation of Larks' by James Lipton (428.1) a group of Librarians is called a 'Shush'. A group of libraries is called a 'trove'.
Enjoy the conference and if you find any of the stereotypical sexy libraries feel free to share some photos ;-)
There is a very sexy librarian at my local library. She fits that sexy librarian sterotype. You however don't fit the sexy librarian sterotype. At least not for me.
The librarians at my high school, and in one of the small towns where I lived for a while as a small child were two of the funniest, sweetest, most intelligent people I've ever encountered, and it's clear those are traits that YOU share, so in my world THAT is a 'stereotypical librarian'.
Enjoy the conference.
Damn...I had such a witty comment before...and then it disappeared when I submitted it.
Here's the summary:
My impression of you was that you were a guy who wore his hair in a bun and wore tweed skirt suits.
You've destroyed this mental image, and for this I'll never forgive you.
I will also not attempt to understand the numerous facets of being a librarian, but I'm sure it's much more than falling in love with the Dewey decimal system.
Damn...I had such a witty comment before...and then it disappeared when I submitted it.
Here's the summary:
My impression of you was that you were a guy who wore his hair in a bun and wore tweed skirt suits.
You've destroyed this mental image, and for this I'll never forgive you.
I will also not attempt to understand the numerous facets of being a librarian, but I'm sure it's much more than falling in love with the Dewey decimal system.
Oh...I just have to be patient I see.
Sorry for the multiple comments.
:|
I'm HAVING so much trouble posting comments here.
Ugh.
The library where I work runs the gamut. But what office/workplace in the world doesn't have the slutty dresser, the quiet one, the control freak, the slacker, etc.?
According to some tests I just took, Librarian is one of the top three careers I should consider. Lots of the librarians I know always have funky Christmas earrings or sweaters. Is that a prerequisite?
You know, there really are no good stereotypes of male librarians. Even the guy from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show was a little strange.
Yeah, as a straight male librarian who does no reference, no tech services, etc, I hear ya. (Exclusively outreach and special projects, neither of which involve traditional librarianship.)
Whenever I go to conferences, I am amazed by how many DO look like the stereotype. Maybe because most of my conferences are for school librarians? I don't know. I'm just determined not to be one of them.
This librarian I knew once didn't have a bun but she wrote poetry and wore cardigans.
I love cardigans with little pearl buttons.....on other people.
Then again I'm not a librarian.
I love cardigans with little pearl buttons.....on other people.
Then again I'm not a librarian.
Some librarians wear their hair rolled up on the back of their heads. other librarians have nice buns. I like to think I'm one of the latter. :-)
Ok, I confess to part of the stereotype. I wear cardigans A LOT!
Chris: I am amazed. Shush, trove! Who knew?
MK: We have all of the above.
Jen: Yes, sadly.
Liz, are you going to offer any proof to support the nice buns statement?
I know many.
[*shudder*]
Tend to see it more in rural libraries than cities. Head out to a library in the sticks, and I guarantee you'll meet some incredible matches to the stereotype. There's more truth behind it than you'd believe ... hell, I work with 'em!
Hey, I'm a librarian too. And I don't fit the stereotype. I'm a children's librarian, and I am proud to say that I don't own even one holiday vest or sweater. No scarecrows and apples on my bod during the fall, no snowmen or reindeer during the winter. No cardigans either. And the head of children's is a straight male--he has a mental list going of the hot storyhour mothers! Have fun.
As Marian form that classic movie shows, just as many librarians "turn your pages" as the rest of the population. I'll "leave" it at that and not make any comments about being "stacked librarians" or otherwise. Same goes about those who decide male librarians are all geeks, with broken glasses, wearing suspenders and plaid pants while stuttering to the tune of the dictionary. It's not my career but I have relatives who defied the stereotype.
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