Stereotyped Librarians in MoviesWhat do you think of when you hear the word "librarian"? Several years ago 100 people were surveyed and asked what they thought of as the typical librarian. The results showed that most people thought librarians were quiet, mean, stern, single or unmarried, stuffy, and wore glasses. In most cases, librarians have proven to be sweet, fun-loving people. Hollywood created this negative connotation of librarians, which has been proved as a stereotype and untrue.The term librarian can be defined as someone who specializes in library administration and library studies. They may perform in-depth work and synthesize information. They may database information syst ...view middle of the document...
I once had to do a research project on fashion of the late eighties and early nineties. I went my high school library and spent hours looking through fashion books, but I could not find one bit of useful information. Just as I was ready to give up, Mrs. Dunn came over to offer me some help. At first I turned her down because I thought that anyone who was a librarian couldn't know a thing about fashion. She insisted that I let her help me so I finally gave in, not expecting high results. She went to the shelves and within five minutes came back with ample resources that I needed for my project. She also gave me some of the names of the top fashion designers in that era and several stores where she used to shop. The project, which started out as a flop, turned into a huge success all because of Mrs. Dunn's information. Since that project, I now have a higher regard for a librarians intelligence in matters other than knowing where the books can be found.Hollywood has created quite a different view of librarians. Most librarians that have appeared in Hollywood films have been stuffy and straight-laced. They most often are shown as old spinsters who always have a book in their face. Typically anyone who works in a library is called a librarian. The movie Ghostbusters is a prime example of most common stereotypes. One of the librarians represented is a neurotic elder woman who is asked in the film if she has a history of family insanity. The other, which appears as a ghost in the film, is the typical hash old maid with ...
