Metadata is a love note to the future

A librarian's musings on books, libraries, and reading.

[snmdnsns]

Instructions on how to spend rainy, Sunday mornings::

[bookphile]

Smol baby cat bookmark, will bite at attempt to remove  x

[writerswritecompany]

[loquaciousliterature]

I got a request to make a “Read” poster for an elementary school library with my interpretations of the HP characters! So fun to work on!  \(• ◡ •)/

If you’d like to own your very own “Read” poster, this print is up on my Society6! 

[cherrykller]

when in doubt write it out

[librarian-secrets]

The Stereotype Stereotype | American Libraries Magazine

Why are we interested in, invested in, and driven to change librarian stereotypes, especially concerning fashion, sexuality, and subcultural membership?

Once upon a time, like nursing and secretarial work, librarianship was a sausage-fest. Over time, it became clear that a) women were equally (if not more) competent, equally (if not more) educated, and could be payed a much lower wage. 

And thus the march of librarian stereotypes began. This article is a great history of both the history of the stereotypes, and the evolution of the profession. Give it a read. It’s good for you. 

My thoughts: there are professions that have become highly stigmatized over the years due to the number of women in the field. Teaching, nursing and librarianship to name a few. Obviously they can’t be as valid as male jobs, because (feminist rant) anything a woman does is lesser, by virtue of a male doing it. This is why (white) women make 70 cents to every dollar made by a white male. The money made by women of color is even less. 

As for librarianship–you know this is true. You are not going to get rich being a librarian. You may be an academic librarian and considered faculty, but you will make less than other non-tenure faculty. You may be a public librarian, but will make less than someone else working for local government with the same level of education and experience. 

Another fun fact about librarianship: most librarians are women. Most library administrators are men. 

During the selection process (and even internal promotion process) males are seen as instantly more competent. This isn’t even conscious in most cases. It is a prejudice that runs so deep that administrators and boards don’t even know they’re doing it. Most of the people on that hiring board may even be female. 

Gaining respect for a female dominated field is hard. Other fields, like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) are very difficult for women to break into, and stay in. The level of exclusion and harassment (this is a MAN’s field, after all) is more than some women are willing to put up with at the high school and college level, much less in graduate or doctoral programs. 

Librarian stereotypes aren’t just about what we look like, or what we wear, or our sexuality. It’s about gender, race, glass ceilings, equal treatment, misogyny and fair pay. It’s depressing, complicated, and I could write a book on it. 

[alilypea]

Who needs room for anything but books? 

[positivepaige]

library vibes

[writelaurengray-deactivated2021]

That early morning winter light

[carlydraws]

Number 1 of a new series, ‘Bookworms United’. A little homage to one of my favourite books. Prints available

[meowmeow-beenz-deactivated20160]

So I have this idea

But I don’t know how well it will work, so I wanted to get your thoughts, dear tumblr-ites

I’ve been thinking a lot about the way that libraries do reader’s advisory, and whether it still works as well as it did in the past. It’s fairly rare that I have patrons who come and ask me for book suggestions, and when they do, 90% of the time they approach the desk and begin with “I hate to bother you…”

So here’s my thought: what about revamping reader’s advisory in a way that builds off the subscription box/book of the month idea. Patrons give you a list of genres they like, or books they’ve liked in the past, we put together a bundle of three books for them to check out, and they get a new bundle each month. Then you would also get something extra (a bookmark or something that we can mass produce). So you would be getting personalized book picks each month, and since it’s the library, you don’t have to pay a cent.

My question to you all is if this is something that you would be interested in, or something you think people would be interested in.

Thoughts?

[the-library-kat]

Super cool. :)

[dajanareads]

[bookswithdylanw]

[veronikelly-mars-deactivated201]

Looking for a YA horror read?

Here’s a big round-up of titles that have recently hit – or will soon hit – bookshelves everywhere.

[tinabquotes]

[mollymwetta]

One of my colleagues told me that when she’s recommending books, she says, “This book is about a kid who…” instead of saying it’s about a girl or a boy. Here are a few recommendations to start you moving beyond “girl books” and “boy books” - they’re about kids who do everything from Tae Kwan Do to flying planes to walking between worlds.

Mary McCoy, “Beyond Boy Books”

The best answer to the the whole “boy v. girl” books deal. They’re not boy books or girl books. They’re books for kids or teens or READERS. 

(via mollymwetta)

[bookandbeer]

The head may be the by-product of carrying it in my luggage from Virginia to London.