So, I was following the debate over the last few weeks on whether that New York Sun article and various others are a good thing or a bad thing for librarians.
Now, I don’t quite gets the fuss. We’re librarians, and we have a stereotype about us. Everyone knows stereotypes aren’t totally true…as a Scot, the stereotype is that I should be ginger haired, pasty-skinned, and unhappy about having to spend money…and in reality, only the money one’s true! 😉
Here’s a few more more:
Lawyers are evil, doctors are noble, firemen are brave.
We know stereotypes aren’t true, so why bother fighting them? Will it really make the world a better place if people know that librarians aren’t actually all old ladies who wear tweed, half moon glasses, pearls, and sit behind big intimidating desks in dusty libraries and say ‘shhh’ a lot? That sometimes we have a drink, act a bit silly
And what the hell is a guybrarian? Is librarianship such a female dominated world that they’re a rarity, and need a special description, based on their sex? Do female welders want to be called welderettes because they’re female, and their gender is essential in their job title? People, the profession is librarianship, making youmale librarians just plain librarians, not guybrarians. But if you insist on it, I’m going to start calling myself a librarianette!
But seriously, yes, it’s nice that librarians are in the papers, that they’re young and having fun…but wouldn’t it be nicer if they were in the papers because they’re doing innovative things with technology, giving access to learning, doing fabulous things in their jobs…not because they’re playing drinking games based on Dewey Decimal…..
Dumpling in a Hanky 