The Truth About Librarians

When you hear the word “librarian” what do you think? Chances are you probably conjure up an image of a female, with glasses, telling people to be quiet. You probably think that all librarians love books, right? We all have schemas, or representations, of different things and that’s okay. But I’m here to shed some light on what librarians are really like and debunk librarian stereotypes. Spoiler alert–we don’t love silence!

What Is True

Librarians tend to be female, yes. According to the American Library Association, 61% of library directors are female. But that means 39% are male, which is still a good number. 78.9% of public librarians are female and 67.99% of academic librarians are female. When I worked in my college’s library, the department I worked in had 5 librarians and 2 of them were men. So although the majority of librarians are female, it is certainly not a female-only field.

If you think of an older woman, you are not wrong either. Becoming a librarian requires a Master’s of Library and Information Science. Not all young people can afford to get the degree right away, and others want to enter the workforce before earning their Master’s. According to Data USA, the average age of a librarian is 47.6.

I don’t have any empirical evidence to back this up, but librarians are cat people. I think I’m one of the only people in my Master’s program who doesn’t have a cat, and all of the librarians I’ve worked with in the past have cats. Some libraries even have resident cats (RIP Emily <3)!

Now, let’s debunk some of the stereotypes that don’t ring true!

Librarians Love to Shush You

I asked my Instagram followers what librarian stereotypes they held and it was nearly unanimous–librarians like quiet! This is the one stereotype that really drives me crazy. I understand it originated because the purposes of libraries have evolved over time. Did you know that before electricity was commonly used, libraries were not lit out of fear of fires burning everything? Libraries used to be a bit more like dungeons than pleasant public spaces. And while yes, they certainly exist to provide access to information and learning, they are not all meant to be silent.

At my college (Go Bullets!), the main floor and lower level floor were known as collaborative floors. These two floors are social hubs for students and you could walk through nearly anytime of day and it would be far from silent. Seriously, sometimes people were actually yelling or singing or whistling! Not only did the librarians not shush students, they actively encouraged the space to be used as such. We even had Notes at Noon, an event where the conservatory students would play some pieces on the main floor. Definitely not silent.

That being said, some libraries do have quiet policies so that people can have designated places to work, learn, and access information. But that does not mean that librarians take joy or pleasure in shushing people! I promise, we’re a friendly bunch.

All We Care About Is Books

Okay, obviously books are a big part of the job. But we are not all book obsessed people. I like reading, but it probably doesn’t even make the top 5 of my favorite activities. Working with books comes with the job territory, but being a librarian is very much about customer service. People are what we really care about!

I’m in my second semester of my Master’s program and of the 6 classes I’ve been enrolled in, every single one of them has had a big focus on people! The needs of the community, of its people, are one of the driving forces for libraries. These needs can take on different appearances depending on the type of library and its location. In particularly urban areas, some say that librarians have become like social workers. There have even been instances of librarians having to know how to administer Narcan.

In academic libraries, librarians are focused on students. They teach classes, help students find sources, have one-on-one appointments with students, and organize events all for the benefits of the students. Are books involved sometimes? Of course, but librarians really love people. It’s a customer service job!

Librarians Wear Glasses & Cardigans

I honestly don’t know wear this stereotype started, or why. And I do wear glasses so I support the stereotype, but none of the librarians I worked with in college wore glasses! Wearing glasses is not a pre-requisite to becoming a librarian, contrary to what the Google search shows above.

Looking for affordable and stylish glasses? I have a post on that!

Similarly, librarians do not only wear cardigans! We wear regular clothes like any other person in the education field or working world. Dresses, skirts, pants, jumpsuits, you name it, we wear it (assuming it’s appropriate). I don’t think I have ever worn a cardigan to any of my shifts at the library, actually.

Librarians Are Nerdy

I think this librarian stereotype derives from the stereotype that we all love books. But really, what is a nerd? Isn’t that just someone who is passionate about something? So basically everyone is a nerd then! Just because someone is intelligent and passionate does not mean they are socially inept or awkward. There will be “nerds” in any profession, but librarians as a whole are not all nerds.

Librarians are pretty cool people, and they do a lot for their community. Truthfully, they’re underpaid for all they do but they keep doing their work anyway. Did you have any of these librarian stereotypes? Are there any other stereotypes you had that I didn’t include? Make sure to share this and debunk those librarian stereotypes!