SPINSTERS & MAGOOSPORTRAYALS OF LIBRARIANS

IN MASS MEDIA

IAN BLOOMFIELDGSLIS 701

MON – FALL 2012

How a group is seen in cultural forms affects how others see them and how they view themselves (Dyer, 2002)

“Understanding…can act as a stimulus for improving services” (Shaw, 2010, p. 555)

Can impact:WagesStatus

Perceived UsefulnessFundingGrowth

SurvivalMajid & Haider (2008), Peresie & Alexander (2005), Yeagley (2009), cited in Shaw, 2010, p.555)

STEREOTYPICAL IMAGES

MODERN VARIATIONS

THE SPINSTER THE POLICEMAN THE MAGOO

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

Are they valid?Are they accurate?

NepotismVague credentials/Lack of trainingStamping, Shushing & Shelving (Yeagley, 1999 )Inadequate Reference ServiceQuestionable ethics, boorish behaviorLeaving the profession - SWF seeks Marriage

CONTENT ANALYSISPERCEPTION QUESTIONNAIRESPERSONALITY TYPE STUDIES

CONCLUSIONS Complaints are mostly within the

profession Librarians are overly concerned with image Public attitudes are generally positive &

accurate No grand conspiracy to discredit Misunderstanding of skills 58% described as doing nothing

(Shaw, 2010, p.561 )

Focus on promoting skills & services via:*Community Outreach*Use of marketing & other modes of messaging*Use of new technologies i.e. The Internet

LIBRARIAN SELF-PORTRAITS2007 ALA Documentary The Hollywood LibrarianUsing the Web to: Present research

http://emp.byui.edu/RAISHM/films/introduction.html Archive past images – 1947 Vocational film

http://archive.org/details/Libraria1947 Blog (Bellydancing Librarian, Lipstick Librarian) Network (Facebook Librarians) Make videos (Librarians Do Gaga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_uzUh1VT98

Mission accomplished?

Reflections on a Wonderful Career (Kentucky Libraries)

1800 subscribers Librarians Do Gaga > 875,000 YouTube hits Which one has a mass

audience?

IMAGE CREDITS

Marinell, Stacie. (2000). Image and the Librarian. Bun Lady. Retrieved from http://home.earthlink.net/~cyberresearcher/stereotypes.htm   Patrick Owsley (2010, February 1). Re: Mr. Magoo Boxers. [Web log post]. Mr. Magoo (Hot Sauce). Retrieved from

http://powsley.blogspot.com/2010/02/mr-magoo-boxers.html   Martin Belam (2009, July 9). Re: The tyranny of chronology: Part 4 - Meaningful metadata and our missing librarians. [Web log post]. 3 Librarians. Retrieved from

http://www.currybet.net/cbet_blog/2009/07/the-tyranny-of-chronology-part-3.php   Achen, Paris (August 4, 2012). 1940 Census search online conjures up details of a life. Eva Santee. Retrieved from

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/aug/03/1940-census-search-online-conjures-up-details-of-a/?print   Will Henry. (2011, December 10). Re: Poor William’s Almanack. [Web log psot]. Melvil Dewey. Retrieved from http://poorwilliam.net/al-121011.html   Aveleyman (2012). Ghostbusters Librarian. Retrieved from http://www.aveleyman.com/FilmCredit.aspx?FilmID=7175   Facepunch Studios. (2012, September 9) Re: 61 year old Japanese man arrested for stealing 1,100+ library books simply because he loves books. [Online Forum Comment].

Seinfeld Library Cop. Retrieved from http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1210750   The Despectacled Librarian (2010, July 1). Re: Movies, My Favorite Subject! Let’s include lirbarians! [Web log post]. Evie Carnahan. Ghostbusters. Retrieved from

http://despectacledlibrarian.wordpress.com/tag/librarian/   Jack Schofield. (2006, October 18). A sexy search engine, sort of. [Web log post]. Ms. Dewey. Retrieved from

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2006/oct/19/asexysearche   Anders, Charlie Jane. (October 22, 2010). 20 Heroic Librarians Who Save the World. Luna Moth, Rupert Giles & Flynn Carsen. Retrieved from http://io9.com/5671047/20-heroic-librarians-who-save-the-world   Jacobs, Aida. (February 26, 2012). Reflections on Batgirl. The Oracle. Retrieved from http://www.wordofthenerdonline.com/reflections-on-batgirl/   Claire Kirwan. (2010, May 21). Library Assistant - week 2. [Web log post]. Hot Librarian. Retrieved from

http://brokenbiro.blogspot.com/2010/05/library-assistant-week-2.html   The Carleton Place Public Library Blog. (2008, May 19). Librarians...who are they really??? [Web log post]. Shushing Librarian. Male Librarian. Retrieved from

http://talesfromanopenbook.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/librarianswho-are-they-really/   IGN Entertainment (2012). Indiana Jones Librarian. Retrieved from http://www.ign.com/characters/librarian   Snoek-Brown, Jennifer. 2012). Marian the Librarian. Retrieved from http://reel-librarians.com/rolecall/femaletypes/   Shannon E. Kennedy. (2010, March 27). Happy “Whee” Day. Mr. Magoo (color). [Web log post]. Retrieved from

http://greenmonkeytales.blogspot.com/2010/03/happy-wheeeee-day.html   You Remember That.com. Re: 1960s/Barbara Gordon Batgirl. [Online Forum Comment]. Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. Retrieved from

http://www.yourememberthat.com/media/16162/Barbara_Gordon_Batgirl/#.UKXLHoXG6Ql   Cinema.de (2012). Miss Marple and Mr. Stringer. Retrieved from http://www.cinema.de/bilder/dame-margaret-rutherford,1569132.html   Read to Me Foundation (n.d.) Laura Bush. Retrieved from http://www.readtomefoundation.org/BECOME-A-LITERACY-ANGEL.html   Sharlee Jesser-Skags. (2010, June 8). Librarians Do Gaga! [Web log post.] Librarians Do Gaga. Retrieved from

http://richlandcollegelibrary.blogspot.com/2010/06/librarians-do-gaga.html    

CONTACT INFORMATION

Ian Bloomfield ianblmfld6@gmail.com