Library Stuff

Charlotte Hsu – “The college librarians’ job has changed immensely. In one generation the librarians’ world of shelves piled high with printed books, encyclopedias, magazines and scientific journals has given way to Wikipedia , pdfs, e-books and digital periodicals.”

See? It’s possible to write articles about librarians without resorting to stereotypes.

Cheryl LaGuardia – “OK, Sony, Here’s What You Can Do to Make It Up to Us.”

Connie Crosby – “Guess I was just playing devil’s advocate, stirring up trouble.”

Emily Clasper – “I would NEVER represent my organization and profession at a conference, meeting, or in a library wearing a hoodie sweatshirt.”

Good for those who sent in e-mails. Enough is enough.

Eric Ferreri – “Feel free to raise your voice a little in Duke’s Bostock Library. You won’t get shushed. And that steaming cup o’ java isn’t a problem, either. Just don’t spill it on the Ralph Waldo Emerson anthology.”

Regis Behe – “Williams, who plays in a noise-metal group during his spare time, is emblematic of how librarians are no longer staid and proper figures who speak in sotto voce tones when patrons raise their voices. Instead, they tend to blend in with patrons. A female librarian might wear a colorful cocktail dress suited for happy hour. A male librarian might come to work in sandals, slacks and an island-themed short-sleeved shirt.”

Writing about how librarians are now hip only adds to the stereotype, IMO. It’s almost as if these articles continue to poke fun at us. From a marketing profession, this is a double-edged sword.

Conntact – “When someone mentions a trendy or sexy career, does librarian come to mind? Maybe fashion designer, race car driver or even software engineer, but definitely not librarian – that is, until now.” (via)

The Bellingham Herlad – ““I think I dress a bit like a librarian, which I’m trying to break out of,” says Keleman, 31. “I would say I’m not a flashy dresser. I blend in.”….To encourage online discussion in the library’s summer reading program, Keleman is giving the kids a bit of incentive: if they make 400 online posts by Aug. 17, she’ll dye a chunk of her hair blue.”