The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians through Film brought up several ideas about librarianship that I had not considered before, or only thought about vaguely. As I watched, I came to the conclusion that the library and the librarian are the same. Both foster community, serve the people, and provide access to information. Without a librarian, a library becomes a building that houses books instead of a place that opens doors to various types of information. A librarian's most important role is to break down barriers between people and information, i.e., making materials accessible to all people, particularly individuals belonging to marginalized groups. Through continuing education and dialogues with the people they serve, librarians can perform their duties.
Another part of the film I found interesting was the talk of gender. Librarianship is viewed as a feminine profession, and is not taken seriously. The video discussed the "proper" way that women librarians presented themselves decades ago, and how that is still the pervading stereotype. I think that the stereotype still fits in some ways, though I am a little biased due to a strong appreciation for pencil skirts. Women librarians today need to dress sharply in order to command as much respect as possible from their men colleagues and their patrons. Women have to practice respectability politics in order to succeed professionally.
Overall, the video was interesting. I enjoyed the different clips of films referencing library science, and the different perspectives from real librarians.
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