why steriotypes exist

So why is it that this stereotype exists? Almost every profession has its negative stereotypes: ambulance-chasing lawyers, pushy reporters, untrustworthy used car salesmen. It is human nature to extract a relatively small number of characteristics and project them onto an entire group of people in order to simplify our understanding of what we know very little about.

“Stereotypes are persuasive and pervasive because they seem, in some manner, to contain real attributes and qualities…so, for example, the stereotype that librarians are detail oriented and concerned with maintaining order in a quiet library is based on experiential reality” (Adams 2000).

A great deal of writing on this subject has led to much speculation as to the reason for the persistence of an old-fashioned image of librarians: “Stereotyping tends to occur where there are gross inequalities of power” (Hall 1997). “I see the librarian stereotype as part of a broader cultural notion that says intelligent women cannot be physically attractive” (Adams 2000). “Why librarians are seen the way they are reflects complex social and cultural forces that have short-changed traditionally ‘female’ professions – both in dollars and respect” (Wallace 1989).

Part of the problem could be that, due to the hidden nature of much of a librarian’s work, people generally lack an understanding of what it is that librarians actually do. Many people assume that the job is simply that of shelving and checking out books, since these are the tasks seen by the public. This misunderstanding perpetuates the negative stereotype and has even broader ramifications: without a solid understanding of the value of librarians, funding support for libraries can diminish (Nilsen & McKechnie 2002). “Perhaps one of the reasons librarians are so concerned with their image is our recognition that what people think of us not only limits our status and salaries, but also the growth of our profession and the funding and use of libraries” (Schuman 1990).

Another important point to consider is that it is typically a goal of librarians to make their library as welcoming and user-friendly as possible. Librarians want the public to think that it is easy to use libraries, reference librarians seek to take the mystery out of their work, and librarians avoid claiming expert knowledge (Nilsen & McKechnie 2002). With this approach, perhaps the public comes away with a lack of appreciation for the complexity of the job.


IT’S THE LIBRARIANS’ FAULT!

Is it fair to blame the prevalence of a negative stereotype on the public? “I realized it wasn’t the public’s fault for not being interested in us; it is our fault. We do little to promote ourselves, and when we do, we rarely deviate from the traditional images” (Hutchins 2000). How can the public be expected to shift their impressions of a profession when little is done on the professionals’ part to portray themselves in a new light?

“When it comes to professional dress, librarians are slobs” (Herring 2000).

“If we had attended business school, we would have learned the importance of selling our own image, as well as our product” (Kalan 2002). Perhaps instead of only focussing on the four walls around us, librarians need to realize the importance of the image portrayed by the professionals inside the building.


Much has been done in the past few decades to bring about change in public perception of librarians…