The Press Herald Says You can take your stereotypic image of a school librarian and shelve it. Suzan Nelson, the librarian at Falmouth High School, says the job of a school librarian in 2003 is quite different from what it was in the past.
“We’re not the little bun and glasses, the shushing type any more,” said Nelson, who has long, red flowing hair and an outgoing personality. “That image is, like, gone.”
Is “librarian” really such a dreary title?
When I worked in a corporate setting I got into more arguments with the other “information professionals” about the term “librarian”.
Is the stereotype really that strong? And even if it is, is that a bad thing? I know as a relatively young librarian I gain authority based on that image. Sometimes I think we’re trying too hard to be hip.
i hate hate hate
The terms cybrary and cybrarian. They are stupid, try-hard, and don’t say much at all about what we do. People know and understand ‘librarian’ and I’m happy to be called one.
Librarian Nation
We’re here!
We’re Librarians!
And we’re not going away!
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.
Who pictures librarians this way?!
I keep hearing about how we’re supposed to STOP picturing librarians “that way” and substitute a new “hip & ultra-cool” image. I never did picture librarians “that way”, and I don’t know who did.
The first librarian I ever met (circa 1965) was the hippest, most ultra-cool person you could ever hope to know … and remained so until she died last year in her 80s.
I have two things to say about “cybrarian” –
1) It’s shaping up to be just another stereotype.
2) It doesn’t even deserve to, because it smells bad.
Mock
‘Cybrarian’ reeks
…of desperation, among other things. Yes, librarians are struggling to remain relevant (I know, I know…), but changing the name to some cutesy variation ain’t the way to do it.
I don’t get it
Why do we have to have a hip name in order to stay relevant? I’d like to think that our skills and gifts as Librarians would keep us relevant. Like a previous poster, I get much more respect by being a Librarian than anything. Cyberian (or whatever the term of the day is) will just require an explanation.
Plus, according to the weirdos that hail me via YahooIM, Librarians are hot.