1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stump Mom Never Told You? 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: From house Stop Works dot Com. Hello and welcome to 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Kristen and I'm Molly. So over the holidays, Molly, 5 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: I oh well. On Christmas Eve, to be specific, I 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: was carrying out a long lived tradition in my life. 7 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: On Christmas Eve, I watched It's a Wonderful Life, Frank 8 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: Capra's classic Share. Plenty of people out there have seen it, 9 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: and just for a quick recap in case you have 10 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: not seen It's a Wonderful Life, and you really should 11 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: see It's a Wonderful Life if you haven't. They're George Bailey, 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,480 Speaker 1: the main character played by Jimmy Stewart, has this nightmare 13 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: essentially in which he sees his wife Mary and what 14 00:00:58,080 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: would have happened to her life if you had never 15 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: around and never had lasted the moon and swept her 16 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: off her feet and he runs into her leaving the 17 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: library because horror of horror, she's become a spinster librarian, 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: never getting married, and she has a dowdy outfit on 19 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: and she's wearing glasses and she just looks so sad, 20 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: her beauty is withered up, whereas in uh if he 21 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: had come around even after giving birth to four children, 22 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: she looks crazy, looks look a day over eighteen. Uh 23 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: So I was laying there eating, eating cookies and chocolate 24 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: and whatever other things I was stuffing my face with 25 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: all all Christmas holiday. I thought I had a mom's 26 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: stuff moment. Molly it on holiday, I said, I actually 27 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: turned to my mom. This is true. I turned my 28 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: mom as a mom. Why are librarians always spencers? Where 29 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: on earth that come from? And I feel like, really 30 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: mind have talked about that moment in the movie in 31 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: our Spinster podcast because it is so iconic of uh 32 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: the the unmarried woman. The worst that can happen to 33 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: this The worst thing that you can do for yourself 34 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: is not get married and end up working in a 35 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: library and were glasses. Yeah, it's it's I think, one 36 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: of the most pitiful moments in the in the movie 37 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: for any woman. And so we took Christen's mom stuff 38 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: moment from the holidays and we're bringing it to you now. 39 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: The answer to the question you asked your mom, what 40 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,959 Speaker 1: is the deal with all these librarian stereotypes. Yeah, because 41 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: you brought up a good point once. I Once I 42 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: told you about my It's a wonderful life question. You said, Well, 43 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: on the other side of it, Yeah, there's a spinster stereotype. 44 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: But then there's also the hot librarian. You behind to 45 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: go far to find pictures of hot libraries. All she's 46 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: got to do is take off her bun, take off 47 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: those glasses and whoa who knew beautiful and unbridled. She 48 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: knows where all the sex books are catalog So we 49 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: wanted to kind of unpack all these stereotypes, figure out 50 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: where they came from, and ultimately show that there's not 51 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,519 Speaker 1: obviously much truth to any of them. Although the one 52 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: thing that we can say is that is that all 53 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: librarians do wear buns. True, because it's a very fashionable 54 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: hairstyw You've said during a podcast that buns that's what 55 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: helps you get through an episode. Yeah, I do like 56 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: the bun, but it's all right. Um. Now, the one 57 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: thing we could say is that we do have this 58 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: idea of most librarians as female, and according to the 59 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 1: two thousand to u S Statistical Abstract Figures of librarians 60 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: in the United States are women. So we do have 61 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: this um idea that a librarian is typically a woman. Yes, 62 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: and we have Melville Dewey to thank for the feminization 63 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: of librarianship, which also happens to be the title of 64 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: an article that we read by Tonni spared Lytton and 65 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: Melville Dewey if that rings the bell since we're talking 66 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: about libraries, is the man who created the Dewey decimal system. 67 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: But he also championed women as librarians, and he got 68 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: Columbia College, which later became Columbia University, and he petitioned 69 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: for the Library School at Columbia College, which would later 70 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: become Columbia University, to start admitting women in eighteen eighties seven, 71 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: because he thought gals would be great in this program. 72 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: Although unfortunately he is not the feminist champion that we 73 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: might hope, because the reason he championed women is he 74 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: thought they'd be very good at dull, repetitive work. Yes, 75 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: and even though he saw, as you know, something that 76 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: even women could do, he was very uh terse with 77 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: women who did not meet his very exacting standards of quality. 78 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: If you did not immediately excel in his library scholarship program, 79 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 1: you were out um, and he has the reputation a 80 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: bit of a sketie guy, frequently being accused of sexual 81 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 1: harassment and uh an other assorted lovely things. But we 82 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: still have to give him credit for getting the women 83 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: into the program because at that time, eighteen eighties, there 84 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: were not a lot of occupational opportunities for women, so 85 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: pretty quickly women carved out librarianship as an employment sector 86 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: that they really thrived in. But it's also still a 87 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: very low paying job. And at the time as well, 88 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: male library administrators were totally fine with employing women because 89 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: they would accept lower wages than they would have to 90 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: pay other men. Right, And the men throughout the centuries 91 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: have still maintained those managerial positions that are higher paid, 92 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: whereas the women tend to be the lower paid in 93 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 1: the profession. Despite it being a low paying profession. There's 94 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: still a pretty wide gender gap between the male libraries 95 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: and the female libraries. But Molly, what about these stereotypes 96 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: of librarians as either spencers or unbridled sex goddesses just 97 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: waiting to be let loose. Well, you know, let's go 98 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: back to the Middle Ages, Kristen. We probably didn't think 99 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: we'd got back that far. But according to an article 100 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 1: by Will Manley, and it is not the last time 101 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: we're going to mention old Will Manly in this podcast, 102 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 1: the theory of the sexless library and probably gained additional 103 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: credibility during the Middle Ages, when celibate monk librarians safeguarded 104 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 1: the intellectual treasures of the ancient world so early on. Uh. 105 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: And also he mentions in that article that becoming a 106 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: librarian was something that you kind of were born into. 107 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: It was since it was an exalted position that had 108 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: to do with knowledge. Not anyone in those days could 109 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: be a librarian, so it was very much this higher 110 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: position and you had to be, you know, a monk 111 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: to do it. So it was it was sexless from 112 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 1: the start. But the idea of the sexless female, we 113 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: don't get to that until yes. Will Manly tracked down 114 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: the June issue of American Libraries and he stumbled upon 115 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:52,280 Speaker 1: an article titled search for an Assistant or Mortician by 116 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: Clara E. Breed, who was a city librarian for San Diego. 117 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 1: And Breed was a little bit of set about this 118 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: magazine article that she had seen a few months earlier, 119 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 1: in which the author Carl E. Zeisler speculated about whether 120 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: libraries had become morgues of culture, and then he also 121 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: went on to claim that when that librarians were just 122 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: self effacing introverts and the sevent eight percent of them 123 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,679 Speaker 1: were quote spensters who throw up their hands and retire 124 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: behind their catalog cards when confronted with dwindling budgets in 125 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: public indifference. Now, the thing is Breed's main complaint, this 126 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: whole image crisis, and the idea of them being too 127 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: introverted in the face of dwindling budgets in public indifference 128 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: is something that librarians are facing today as well. But 129 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: it all starts back in nine, just a year before 130 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: the music Man would come out immortalizing the phrase Mary 131 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: and the Librarian, right, And Mary and the Librarian is 132 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: this character who the main female character in the movie, 133 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: who refuses to find a man, very shy retiring and uh, 134 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: and you know, she's a spenser by choice. I think 135 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: she describes herself at what and she is sort of 136 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: the quintessential librarian in terms of the bun and whatnot. 137 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: So we've got nineteen forty six, It's a Wonderful Life, 138 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: nineteen forty nine Zeisler writing his uh Spinster Thing nineteen 139 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: fifty The Music Man. This is a very key time 140 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: in cementing that um librarian wearing glasses, living alone, wearing 141 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: daddy clothes. You know, they're buttoned up to the very top. 142 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: They install extra buttons, no skin can be shown. Uh, 143 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 1: this is where we get really the buttoned up Spencer 144 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,439 Speaker 1: library image. And this image is repeated constantly on film, 145 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: and it goes back even before It's a Wonderful Life 146 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: to the nineteen thirty two Barbera Standwick movie Forbidden where 147 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: when it depicts the Spinster library. And this is coming 148 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: from a study that Molly and I found and they 149 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 1: are actually this is one of many studies actually that 150 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 1: so many studies about movies in libraries. Yeah, the reviews 151 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:57,959 Speaker 1: the image of librarians in movies because typically it's uh, 152 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: you know, we think of the of the woman in 153 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: a horn rimmed glasses to shushing the characters and breakfast 154 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: at Tiffany's, or you have more of the the young 155 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: librarian who's just kind of waiting for a man to 156 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: come sweeper up her feet and throw away her glasses. Right, 157 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 1: and so that Barbara Standward movie before, according to the study, 158 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,439 Speaker 1: was the first sound film to depict a librarian. And 159 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: when she arrives to go to work, all the boys 160 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:26,599 Speaker 1: call old Lady four eyes, Old Lady four eyes. He 161 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: called me that when I walk into work to Barbara's Stanley. 162 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 1: I mean, if Barber Standwich can't get any respect, then 163 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,319 Speaker 1: you're you're got a long road to home. Christen Conger, 164 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: I'm not even a librarian. But this study is uh 165 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: did come out in two thousand nine, and so the 166 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: study and like some of the other ones, can take 167 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: it up to more of the modern era movies like 168 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: The Mummy with Rachel Weiss being a librarian, party Girl 169 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: the story of a party girl who becomes a librarian, 170 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: and it looks at more modern librarians in film and 171 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: finds that maybe the stereotype is slightly changing, that you know, 172 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: they're less likely to wear buns, they're less likely to 173 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: wear glasses. Movies will actually dare show a male librarian 174 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,439 Speaker 1: and they do fall in love. So it's it's starting 175 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: to come around. But but you know, the authors were 176 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: that we still have these know at all librarians who 177 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: are unapproachable, or we have these spinster librarians who can 178 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:22,839 Speaker 1: barely stand to deal with people and just want to 179 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 1: be left alone with the book. So it's a slow transition. 180 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: Although even from older studies covering movies and librarians, they 181 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: do conclude that a lot of the times, at least 182 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: when the librarian plays a larger role in a film, 183 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: she's usually and yes, it is usually a female, but 184 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: she is usually younger and more on the end of 185 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: the spectrum of the of the hot girl behind the glasses. 186 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: So so the ideas are slowly changing, and I think 187 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: that will probably please the people who are actually working 188 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: in the library industry today because there are tons of 189 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: trend pieces now about how librarians and information scientists and 190 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: whatever you call your particular position after getting this masters 191 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,679 Speaker 1: and library science, how they desperately want to be seen 192 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 1: as cool and relevant and approachable. And you know, I 193 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: think that's really good job security, because in these days 194 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:16,199 Speaker 1: of the Internet, we need to realize that we still 195 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: need librarians who are like walking search engines. Yes, and 196 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: since especially with public libraries that are funded by tax dollars, 197 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: and with you know, so many state and local governments 198 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: running large deficits, library budgets are getting axed left and right. 199 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: And if we, you know, only think of librarians as 200 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: these dodgy women who are just keeping the noise levels down, 201 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: then they seem like useless items on a line, items 202 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 1: on a budget. Exactly. Now we've talked about the spencer librarian. 203 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: Shall we shall we talk about the sexy librarian? And 204 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 1: by which I mean, should we talk about Will Manly again? 205 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: Because oh, Will Manly used to work at the will 206 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: Some Library Bulletin and in nine two he was He 207 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,599 Speaker 1: sent out a survey that he got five thousand responses 208 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: to about the sex habits and other sexual abuse of librarians. 209 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: And this was so controversial to the library bulletin that 210 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: they fired him and they did not allow the results 211 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 1: to be published until he did so on his blog 212 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: more than a decade later. Yeah. So the nine Librarians 213 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 1: and Sex survey found that librarians pretty much they break 214 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: any stereotype of being boring old spensers, nay, unsuspecting public. 215 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: They have a spicy side. Specifically, they seemed to enjoy 216 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: reading the joy of sex of people. And this is 217 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: FROMO but still it's it's it's fun to go over 218 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: and of respondents had read The Joy of Sex only 219 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: four percent we're still virgins at the time of the survey, 220 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: and believed that Playboy should be in libraries. And I 221 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: think that's interesting because one of the articles you're read 222 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: talked about how we have this idea of librarians is 223 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: so sexless and spinster like, But these are the ones 224 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: who are deciding what's going to be in libraries. So 225 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: they are one of the professions that is most confronted 226 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: with what's appropriate for libraries in terms of censoring sexual content, 227 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: deciding what's too violent, and by and large they're not 228 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: as conservative as we think. Is manly statistics proven. So 229 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: it's it's showing us that even though we think of 230 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: these libraries as spinsters, in fact, they do have liberal, 231 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: accepting viewpoints on some of these issues, and UH can 232 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 1: really cultivate libraries of of why, you know, interests. And 233 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:49,319 Speaker 1: while librarians are not only battling this fifties six year 234 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:54,439 Speaker 1: old image crisis that started, you know, with the June 235 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: nine article that we were talking about, and also now 236 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: with these dwindling budgets and the question whether or not 237 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 1: their libraries or even gonna be around for them to 238 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: come to they also have to deal with, oh, sexual harassment, 239 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: because this survey also found that seventy of female librarians 240 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: felt that they had been sexually harassed by a patron. 241 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 1: So you know, it's tough out there for a librarian. 242 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: Although you know, I don't want to minimalize that that statistics, 243 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: I kind of tell you two of the weirdest statistics, 244 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: and that in that study, yes of the response believe 245 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: the library should have condom dispensers in their bathroom, which 246 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 1: makes sense because a lot of librarians have had sex 247 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: in their very own libraries. Percent had had had sex 248 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: in the library. Son. You know, like I said, I 249 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: don't want to put those side by side with a 250 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: sexual harassment thing, because no one should have to be 251 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: sexually harassed at their job. But uh, like we said, 252 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: there's you know, it's a fine line between this oversexualized 253 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: librarian that you can feel free to harass, which you can't, 254 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: and the one that's the spinster who whose life was 255 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: ruined because Jimmy Stewart was never born right because there 256 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: was no man to for her to take her bun 257 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: down for. So uh, it's it really is kind of 258 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: a weird image crisis. And like we said, there are 259 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: a lot of new articles that are trying to put 260 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: forward the idea that librarians are hip approachable, that you'll 261 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: find male librarians, yeah, hidden throughout different forms of libraries. 262 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: And uh, I know we've got lots of listeners out 263 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: there who have been librarians or who are going to 264 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: library school. And Molly, I gotta say, since you and 265 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: I do not have the power to appropriate tax sellers 266 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: more tax sellers to our libraries, which you and I 267 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: do find indispensable in our research for this very podcast, 268 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: the least that we can do for all the librarians 269 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: out there listening, and I hope there are some librarians 270 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: out there listening is bust through this stereotype and figure 271 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: out why and where it started, rewrite the book on it. 272 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: And I feel good about a Molly, you feel like 273 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: you exhausted the car catalog of I think that we 274 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: trying to get some I think we checked out a 275 00:15:53,160 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: lot of interesting sources of false information about library and 276 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: we're only returning the ones with good information and the 277 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: rest can just get overduefined. Okay, alright, so we should 278 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: stop all of these awful library puns and open this 279 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: up to our listeners. If you have anything to say 280 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: about libraries, librarians, or if you are a librarian want 281 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: to share your experience with us, please do emails at 282 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 1: mom stuff at how stuffworks dot com and mom Let's 283 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: read a couple of emails. Okay, I won here from Jenny, 284 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: and it's about the child Free podcast. Jenny writes, from 285 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: a young age, I felt very strongly that I wanted 286 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: to be a mother. I got married, on my college degree, 287 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: and advanced in my career. However, I never felt completely 288 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: fulfilled until I became a mother. I truly believe that 289 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: I was born to be a mom. That being said, 290 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: I think it is near minded for people to think 291 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: that what brings them the most happiness is what would 292 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: bring someone else happiness. We're all different. We have different likes, talents, desires, 293 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 1: and capabilities. I don't think everyone is equipped to be 294 00:16:57,960 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: a parent, just like I don't think I have the 295 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: abilit to make important business decisions, perform brain surgery, or 296 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 1: maintain a clever podcast. I do not think less of 297 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: someone who does the wrong kids, and I hope that 298 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:10,720 Speaker 1: they don't think less of me because I do. I'm 299 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 1: happy that our society is becoming more accepting of the 300 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: choice to not have children. If someone's life is happy 301 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: and complete without kids, and there should be no pressure 302 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: to have them. So there you go, an endorsement of 303 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,360 Speaker 1: the child free lifestyle from someone who has children. Well, 304 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:27,159 Speaker 1: I've got another child free response here as well, and 305 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: this is from John, who is child and relationship free 306 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:33,959 Speaker 1: by choice. It is my feeling that I have very 307 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,199 Speaker 1: specific likes and dislikes, and that it would be unfair 308 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 1: of me to force other people to live as I do. 309 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: I like my life, but I know that not everyone would. Also. 310 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 1: From a young age, I've believed there are too many 311 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: people in the world, and that it's extremely unfair and 312 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: selfish to add to the population problem. Pollution, food shortages, 313 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 1: global warming, and I host some other problems would be 314 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: alleviated if there were fewer people. I'm a teacher and 315 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: I love children. However, my love for children brings me 316 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: to the believe that there are too many of them, 317 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: that too many of them are subjected to unfortunate lives, 318 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: which would be improved if there were fewer people. So 319 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: there you go, John, And if you have thoughts you'd 320 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: like to send our way, Our emails mom Stuff at 321 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. You can also shoot us 322 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: a line on Facebook over to Facebook page, and you 323 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: can follow us on Twitter at mom Stuff podcast. And lastly, 324 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: you can read what mine I are writing during the 325 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: week over to our blog stuff and I'm Never Told 326 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:35,639 Speaker 1: You at how stuff works dot com for moralness and 327 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,400 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Is it how stuff works dot com. 328 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 1: To learn more about the podcast, cook on the podcast 329 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 1: icon in the upper right corner of our home page. 330 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 1: The how stuff Works iPhone app has a ride. Download 331 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: it today on iTunes, brought to you by the reinvented 332 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you