This blog started for the project I am a Librarian! It gave detail the project progress. It will now focus on discussions of the image of the librarian and my interactions with librarians and library staffers as well as cool information that I think could be useful to others.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Taking Opportunities

This weekend I when I was out to lunch with my friends, we were seated next to a table of girls at a birthday party who were probably about in the range of 8-10 years old. The following is a paraphrase of the discussion and situation that occurred.

In the distance my friend hears "You look like a librarian."

So I walk over to the table...

'I heard someone mention something about librarians..."

"We said that when you put your glasses on the end of your nose you look like a librarian." - Girls

"Do I look like a librarian?" - Me

"No." -Girls

"Well, I am a Librarian!" - Me

"What school or library do you work in?" - Girls

"I work in an office building. There is so much more that you can do as a librarian. Not all librarians work in libraries. I am working to educate people on the profession and to help dispel stereotypes of librarians through a book." - Me

"Will we be in your book?" - Girls

"Well, the book has photographs of the librarians, who are people who have their Masters in Library Science. You can look at some pictures on my website- www.iamalibrarian.com." - Me

"You can go to the website and then later get her book and read about it." -Parent

"Librarians often talk about how we can change the image of the profession. If we took more opportunites like this one to talk to people about the profession then we would see more people with an open mind. Thank you for your time. Have fun!" - Me


-Now the girls will probably go and tell their friends about this librarian who came up to their table at the party. It is just a little thing like this that can get people talking about the profession and maybe help open their minds to the profession. I really hope that the girls think it was interesting to learn about.