Matthew Heintzelman\’s article Children\’s Picture Books with Librarians and Libaries: An Annotated Bibliography investigates the images and stereotypes of librarians as found in picture books.
He discovers that
\”librarians are often judged on the basis of their ability to connect with their respective communities. Perceptions of the librarian as aloof, shy, bookish, authoritarian, fragile, etc., are so ingrained into the popular psyche that their image–and that of libraries–in popular culture is rarely varied\”.
Here\’s the story of Library Lil:
\”A small-town librarian converts the residents to reading books. When confronted by a hostile motorcycle gang, she turns out to be physically strong enough to defend her library. In the process, she converts the motorcycle gang into readers, and develops a special relationship with the gang\’s leader.\”
(This comes under the heading \”Librarians and Control\”, of course.)
Matthew Heintzelman\’s article Children\’s Picture Books with Librarians and Libaries: An Annotated Bibliography investigates the images and stereotypes of librarians as found in picture books.
He discovers that
\”librarians are often judged on the basis of their ability to connect with their respective communities. Perceptions of the librarian as aloof, shy, bookish, authoritarian, fragile, etc., are so ingrained into the popular psyche that their image–and that of libraries–in popular culture is rarely varied\”.
Here\’s the story of Library Lil:
\”A small-town librarian converts the residents to reading books. When confronted by a hostile motorcycle gang, she turns out to be physically strong enough to defend her library. In the process, she converts the motorcycle gang into readers, and develops a special relationship with the gang\’s leader.\”
(This comes under the heading \”Librarians and Control\”, of course.)
Heintzelman divides the picture books he examines into the following categories:
Librarians and Control
Non-Fiction Books
Spinster Librarians
Librarians as Facilitators
Miscellaneous Librarians
Maternal Librarians
Feline Librarians
Fearsome Librarians
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