An Anti-Stereotype Article

What’s the problem?
I think that a lot of people are being silly over this doll/action figure/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. Okay yeah she has shushing action kung-fu grip. So?

Okay so there’s a stereotype about librarians including, but not limited to hair in buns, glasses (usually on a chain), continuous shushing, and conservative dress. Now most, if not all of us, know that this stereotype isn’t true. The last couple of library conferences I went to proved that. I spoke to one beautiful woman who had a MLIS and specialized in computer databasing and web access systems for libraries. She was fresh out of school, pierced from head to toe, and had full sleeve style tattoos up both arms. Obviously she doesn’t fit the stereotype.

And I think a lot of people know this. I think anyone who walks into a library today and sees one of us knows that we’re not all stuffy intellectuals. But if they’ve been reading the news recently they know that we seem to be pretty shallow and defensive about a novelty toy hitting the market. Not only that, we’ll go out of our way to make sure that anyone willing to listen knows that we’re not like that. Who cares? Lemme tell ya somethin’, no one cares that even though I’m a librarian, I’m a master swordsman (And we’re not talking epees and foils here.), a martial artist, and an anime freak. I could put it on a t-shirt and they won’t care. Why should they? All they want is information, and usually they’re not after information about me.

Every job pretty much has it’s stereotypes about the people working it. All service station workers have silly names like “Goober” and don’t know anything about anything other than cars. The guy pumping your gas is too stupid to go find a “real” job. All male beauticians are gay. All firefighters are sexy and will appear in charity calendars at the drop of a hat. All lawyers are pigs. All dancers are full of themselves. I know people who work in each job I just named that break the stereotype, and most break it hard. But you know what? If they made an action figure of a car mechanic, he’d probably have a dumb look on his face. They do make action figures of firefighters that are all good looking. All lawyers are pigs, oh yeah, except those who work against the PATRIOT act and CIPA.

So really? Can we get over the damn doll already? I think librarians have far more important things to do than worry about an action figure. Besides, no one would believe or buy a “samurai librarian” doll or a “Pole Dancing Laura the Librarian” figure. (Well they might buy Laura, but for reasons other than her profession.)