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The "Old Maid," the "Policeman," and How Stereotypes Deter Library Use
May 20, 2008
From an article titled
Old Maids, Policeman, and Social Rejects: Mass Media Representations and Public Perceptions of Librarians, by Maura Seale, Arts and Humanities Librarian, Zumberge Library, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, in the
Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship:
"Representations of librarians by the mass media generally fall into one of five somewhat discrete categories: the old maid librarian, the policeman librarian, the librarian as parody, the inept librarian, and the hero/ine librarian. Public perceptions of librarians are somewhat different; although librarians are often described in positive terms, there is nearly no awareness as to the knowledge, duties, skills, and education of librarians...Ultimately, librarians and libraries tend to not be effectively utilized, as users remain unaware of librarians’ abilities and responsibilities."
Posted by Norman Oder on May 20, 2008 | Comments (1)
