Let's Talk about Librarian Stereotypes

The infamous librarian scene from It’s a Wonderful Life has always puzzled me. It is one of my all-time favorite movies--a story of redemption. I know the scene where George encounters Mary-the-Librarian is meant to be solemn and dramatic. But I find it comical. It makes sense to me that Mary has devoted her life to the library (since George Bailey was not there to marry). What I do not understand is the debilitating fear that she expresses when he accosts her. Surely, as a dedicated librarian, she deals with patrons all the time. We see her locking up at night, so she must have significant responsibilities at the Pottersville Public Library. When I watch this scene I chuckle at the extreme caricature that has no basis in reality.

Professor Debbie Hansen’s lecture helped me realize that there is a historical basis that links the job of librarian with “old maidhood.” In the nineteenth century, some unmarried women were given employment as librarians, since they did not have husbands as a source of income. Perhaps the directors of It’s a Wonderful Life were trying to point out the fact that Mary had remained unmarried, not specifically that she worked in a library. Her single status implies that she would have married George, and not someone else--if only he were alive.

Perhaps I am also able to laugh at this scene because of my experience with actual librarians. I do not remember a time in my life when I did not visit the library. Growing up, I felt very comfortable in my small-town library and spent a lot of time there. I enjoyed my school libraries during each phase of my education. Libraries, and the people who work in them, are familiar to me. I do not recall any negative experiences with librarians. The irrelevant librarian played by Donna Reed bears no resemblance to any library personnel in my real-life experience.

But there is something else. I have a confession to make. I like librarian glasses. I think they are both classy and fun. In fact, since I now (sigh) need reading 

glasses, I bought a purple pair with pointy corners. The pointy corners have sparkles! I have even considered putting them on a chain. Yes; you read that correctly. Having my reading glasses on a chain would be very convenient for work. That way I could read Kirkus reviews at the circulation desk, but not lose my glasses when a patron comes up and I whip the reading glasses off to see the person’s face clearly. In that way, it could be argued that pointy purple sparkly reading glasses on a chain actually improve user experience!

Personally, I think we modern librarians can learn a thing or two from this neatly-coiffed, professionally-dressed woman with statement eyeglass frames. (Plus look at her necklace--it’s off the chain!)

In my experiences being around library professionals--as a patron, as a library employee, at conferences--there seems to be ambiguity about how library professionals should dress. Some library people choose to dress very casually. A few dress in suits. Some dress up, but not precisely in professional attire. Today I discovered the Librarian Wardrobe website. I find the website fascinating and I am thrilled that I “bumped into” this resource http://librarianwardrobe.com/. The (self-submitted) images of real-live librarians illuminate issues about library professionalism that I have been thinking about. The “About” section explains that the purpose of the website is “To document, organize, and make accessible how a variety of information professionals dress for work and work-related activities (conferences, for example).”

No one likes to be stereotyped. No one wants their individuality suppressed. However, I think that we can use appearance as a tool. We learn to use technology to bring about certain results. I believe that we can learn to use clothing in a similar way. Using a computer for circulation does not define our worth. There are other ways to circulate library materials. But a computer sure helps. Likewise, the way we dress for work does not determine our value as people. Nevertheless, what we wear can augment our transactions with patrons, colleagues and supervisors. For example, I try to dress professionally for my job as a library associate. I do not have a Library Technical Assistant Certificate, and I am only a few classes into my MLIS program. However, people coming into the library often think that I am the new director!

Missus Smarty Pants--a subscription newsletter and fashion blog--offers balanced and practical tips for dressing well. http://www.missussmartypants.com/index.php?route=blog/blog/view&blog_id=201&page=1 

Londyn at Blogfashion also has some useful ideas in her images of professional outfits, like the one below. http://fashionistastyle1.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html

By educating ourselves about attire, we can express ourselves through clothing, while at the same time presenting ourselves as the professionals that we are.