We have been discussing our image since I was in Geneseo's library school
n - I graduated in 1963 - and the same arguments have been made before and
since then.
I worked with a wonderful librarian when I was 14 as a page at the public
library - Hilda Atterberg of the Rochester Public Library. She was tall and
thin, wore long dresses and had her hair in a bun. She invited me to dinner
at her house with her partner, my school librarian - short, squat - with a
hairdo that was severe to say the least. I loved the two of them and learned
how to be a librarian long before I got to library school. Ms Atterberg
taught us manners - we had afternoon tea in the staff room every day. On the
wall she had always posted (in her wonderful script - those were the days of
handwritten catalog cards) a poem or a positive thought or a piece of
Scripture.We learned to be ladies and gentlemen. I am a librarian today
because of these two librarians.
My point -- well, who cares about image, who cares what we look like? Why
don't we just be who we are? Let us celebrate ourselves as wisdom people -
be with pink hair, tats, piercings, buzzcuts, slacks, skirts, boots or
Birkenstocks.... Let us just be.
Allan
Dr. Allan O'Grady Cuseo (Brother Donogh Allan, MGC)
Bishop Kearney High School Library
125 Kings Highway South
Rochester, New York 14617
585-342 - 4000 x231
585-342 - 4694 (FAX)
acuseo@bkhs.org
Education in the tradition of the Christian Brothers and the School Sisters
of Notre Dame
FAC OMNIA BENE (Do all things well)
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Lynn Butler" <Teri.Butler@SAISD.ORG>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 3:38 PM
Subject: Re: [LM_NET] Librarian's image
I found the remark about Mary Kay makeovers somewhat out of line. Who
doesn't love a makeover? <SMILE> Seriously, if the librarian image that
prevails in our society is one of a frumpy woman wearing sensible shoes,
and hair in a bun who goes around saying, "Shh!" then we might ask
ourselves how that image came to be? Only we can change our image and
reinvent ourselves personally as well as professionally. The question
was asked, "So how DO we go about changing our image?" Personally, that
is up to each individual person. Manner of dress and hairstyle is a
personal as well as a professional choice. Ask yourself, "Am I
comfortable with how I dress? Do I look like a professional who knows
her stuff or do I look like some ancient creature who wouldn't know a
good book from a dark hole?" "Do I have a pleasant expression on my
face and seem approachable to students or do I have an, 'I'm busy.
Don't bother me.' look?"
To change our collective image from the stereotype involves not only
knowing how to teach but how to reach. To reach our students we must
stay on top of the latest research skills as well as the latest fads.
We need to know who's who in American history as well as who's who in
pop culture. Librarians need to know who the hot characters are in
children's literature as well as the hot stars in movies. I just
returned from a professional librarians' delegation to Russia and one of
the places we visited was the University of Art and Culture in St.
Petersburg. Librarians who train there go through an intensive six-year
program of not only library, technology, and information skills classes
but literature, drama, art, music, and dance. In Russia, librarians are
the repository of all art and cultural knowledge. They are respected
and admired and particularly in smaller towns, are viewed as the
fountain of all wisdom.
As librarians of the new century we must reshape our images as we rework
our job descriptions. In my humble opinion, the old stereotype has no
place in our world and until we work diligently to change that, it is
going to remain with us. As we redefine the job, we will redefine
ourselves and bury those stereotypes for good.
Just my $1.00 worth!
Lynn Butler, LMS
Lamar Elementary Library
San Angelo, Texas
"Reading is a Window to the World!"
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