The Image and Role of the Librarian

Get a unique insight into the image problems librarians face!

The Image and Role of the Librarian addresses all aspects of professional identity for librarians, including professional roles, cultural images, popular perceptions, and future trends. The book examines historical representations, stereotypes, and popular culture icons and the role each plays in the relationship between librarian and patron. The book also looks at the profound impact the Internet has had on the services librarians provide and how electronic resources have transformed the roles and responsibilities of librarians.

From the Editors: There seems to be no profession as preoccupied with self-examination as that of librarianship. While some of it may stem from an identity crisis, the refrain heard over and over is startlingly similar to Rodney Dangerfield's 'I don’t get no respect.' This seems to be true of all types of librariansfrom public librarians who (often rightly) complain of being treated like servants by the patrons they serve, to the academic librarians who are always trying to establish their 'faculty-ness' to the teaching professors.

Topics addressed in The Image and Role of the Librarian include:

• public, student, and faculty perceptions of librarians
• cinematic portrayals of librarians
• images of librarians in comic books
• librarians in children's literature
• male librarian stereotypes
• know-it-all librarians
• changing roles for specialty librarians
• Generation X and the future of librarianship
• and much more!

A unique examination of professional roles and responsibilities, patron expectations and perceptions, The Image and Role of the Librarian brings clarity and recognition to the services and functions librarians provide in their day-to-day work.