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"Against the hair of your professions": Fictional librarians and hair buns [Part 2]

Continued from part 2

Top row, from left to right: Violet Stanhope in Archie's Weird Mysteries, Miss Dickens in Carl Squared, Sara in Too Loud, Sarah in Too Loud, and Mrs. Shusher in The Replacements. Bottom row, from left to right, Marion the librarian in Hanny Manny, Millie in Madagascar: A Little Wild, unnamed librarian in Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, unnamed librarian in Martin Mystery, unnamed librarian in Martin Mystery, and unnamed librarian in Uncle Grandpa.

The stern librarian with hair tied tightly behind their head, peering at patrons from behind their glasses, still remains a go-to-stereotype for too many, even perpetrated by journalists who should know better. Some even try and make it sexy, serious, while others highlight other hairstyles or fashions instead. [5] The shushing librarian remains, despite the fact it doesn't reflect reality, with uptight librarians fading from existence except in pop culture, where they remain a negative stereotype. They appear as early as a 1921 silent film, with hair buns becoming an "occupational indicator" of librarians over time, even as there is no single image of a librarian. [6] Instead, actual librarians are different, and have varying styles. Jennifer Snoek-Brown, who runs Reel Librarians, has recognized this with posts about librarian style, like a librarian-themed clothing collection she posted about in May 2022.

Originally posted on Pop Culture Library Review on March 21, 2023.

Of course, there are actual librarians out there, like the elderly White woman with grey hair in a bun shown at the beginning of Ghostbusters, and others who embody the stereotype or wear librarian costumes for Halloween. However, there are just as many who run afoul of that stereotype, either by not shushing any patrons. The stereotype itself has its roots in gender with the profession dominated by White woman, although it is not accurate in the slightest. [7] There is supposed "greying" of the profession which only reinforces the images of frumpy stereotypical librarians, an image with unknown origins. The latter image is something which has become a signifier of the profession, for better or worse, despite efforts to counter it. The fight to counter such images continues, with some showing they are more than a librarian, like those who also bellydance, and others who thrive on change and want to dispel of the bun entirely. [8]

There are various librarians in Western animations who don't wear hair buns. Apart from Amity, who I mentioned earlier, there's Violet Stanhope in an episode of Archie's Weird Mysteries ("The Haunting of Riverdale"), Miss Dickens in Carl Squared episode ("Carl's Techno-Jinx"), Sara and Sarah in Too Loud, Mrs. Shusher in The Replacements episode ("Quiet Riot"), Millie in Madagascar: A Little Wild episode ("Melman at the Movies"), and Marion the Librarian in Hanny Manny. There are additional unnamed librarians in Martin Mystery, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Uncle Grandpa, Phineas and Ferb, and Amphibia, none of whom wear hair buns either.

But there is something more to the bun hairstyle. In some ways, it can be practical, despite being a stereotype for librarians, and is claimed to add "glam" or "chic" to any outfit, with no "right or wrong way to wear a bun" as one site declared. This can also be pushed away by people of color who want to move away from being called a "bun lady". At the same time, apart from the types of buns, some of which are said to show that a person is "sophisticated."

Ancient Chinese, Koreans, Polynesians, and Greeks, often women, all wore hair buns. The hair style was popular in Korea and Japan among men, for one reason or another. It became popular beginning in the 1800s, as styles from ancient Greeks and Romans entering into high society, and again in the 1870s, during the Victorian period. [9] (note in part 3)

Continued in part 3

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Notes

[5] Jesse Chadderdon, "Video: Librarians shake their book carts in national dance competition," The Bulletin, Jul. 13, 2009; Eric, "One of the Wonders," It's all good, Jul. 8, 2007; Roger Ebert, "Party Girl," Roger Ebert website, Jul. 7, 1995; Phyllis Korkki, "Spare a Hair Band? A Man Bun to Go," New York Times, Jan. 26, 2012; "Hair Dos: 10 Beautiful Buns & Tucks," The Frisky, Oct. 8, 2019; Lawrence Feldman, "The librarian’s bun — A ‘tail’ for the High Holy Days," Times of Israel, Sept. 24, 2017; Emma Smart and Sarah Currant, "The 10 best librarians on screen," BFI, Feb. 5, 2016; Ruth A. Kneale, "Librarians' views of public perception in the Internet age," You Don't Look Like a Librarian!, Jun. 2002; Deliala Yasin, "Sexy Librarian Stereotypes," Oct. 7, 2010; Kelly Jensen, "Queer Phobia and The Public Library," Book Riot, Oct. 13, 2016; "Marian the Librarian – Pop! Profile," Pop! Goes the Librarian, Jun. 7, 2012; "Image of Librarians," LISWiki, Feb. 1, 2016; Caroline Murray, "What Do Men Think Of Buns?," Stylecaster, Jun. 9, 2012; Heather, "Welcome to the Librarian Fashion blog!," Librarian Fashion, Mar. 22, 2011.

[6] Pam Hayes Bohanan, "Librarians in Pop Culture," Bridgewater State University, Sept. 12, 2013; "Librarian Stereotypes," Life is Just a Bowl Full of Queries, Sept. 28, 2008; Jed Lipinski, "'This Book Is Overdue!': Hot for librarian," Salon, Feb. 21, 2010; Joe Hardenbrook, "28 Lego Librarians (PHOTOS)," HuffPost, Oct. 5, 2013; Marcia J. Myers, "Images of Librarians in Science Fiction and Fantasy: Including An Annotated List," Jun 1998, p. 3, 6, 8-9; "When it rains it pours… and other cliches," lclibraries, May 28, 2013; Antoinette G. Graham, "Sign of the Librarian in the Cinema of Horror: An Exploration of Filmic Function," Florida State University Libraries, 2010, pp. v, 12, 21, 23, 28, 47, 54; Carly Bedford and Chelsea Misquith, "Old Maid, Old Maid, How Librarians are Portrayed," University of Toronto, 2015. Also see Kathleen Low's book, Casanova Was a Librarian: A Light-Hearted Look at the Profession and another book by Ray Tevis and Brenda Tevis entitled The Image of Librarians in Cinema, 1917–1999.

[7] Julie Manser, "Shushing the Librarian Stereotype," Zócalo Magazine, Mar. 5, 2015; Monique L. Threatt, "Bad to the Bone, Librarians in Motion Pictures: Is It An Accurate Portrayal," Indiana Libraries, The Image of Librarians, p. 7; Eric Sherman, "Librarians Confess Their Naughtiest On-the-Job Moments," AOL, Oct. 8, 2013; Aaron Gouveia, "Librarians show off their moves," Cape Cod Times, May 9, 2008; Arianna Rebolini, "Here’s What It’s Actually Like To Be A Librarian," BuzzFeed News, Nov. 17, 2018; "“When they take of their glasses and put down their hair”: Defogging the Glasses Girl Stereotypes," Things He Says, Feb. 17, 2016; Jenni Bean, "Teens rebel.... Library closes. WHAT?!?!," My Life as a Married Super Librarian!, Jan. 2, 2007; Gabrielle Barone, "'I don't shush': Local Librarians share their thoughts stereotypes rooted in their profession," Daily Collegian, Penn State University, Nov. 15, 2017; Jeff Voyt, "Librarian Stereotypes," A Year in the Life, Apr. 24, 2014; Macy Haford, "The New Sexy Librarian," The New Yorker, Oct. 2, 2011;

[8] "On the Great Myth of the Librarian Grays," Guardienne of the Tomes, Sept. 3, 2010; Jessamyn West, December 2002 entries, librarian.net, Dec. 2002; "Katharine L. Kan, MLS," Librarian to Librarian, accessed May 27, 2022; Bari L. Helms, "Reel Librarians: The Stereotype and Technology," Masters Thesis, Apr. 2006, pp. 3, 5, 9-10, 256; David James Brier and Vickery Kaye Lebbin, "Learning Information Literacy through Drawing," Hawaii University, accessed May 27, 2022; Katy Shaw, "Buns on the Run: Changing the Stereotype of the Female Librarian," University of Washington, October 2003; Chelsea Fregis, "Quick & Easy Curly Hair Styles for Finals Week," NaturallyCurly, Nov. 7, 2011; Scholastica A.J. Chukwu, Nkeiru Emezie, Ngozi Maria Nwaohiri, and Ngozi Chima-James, "The Librarian in the Digital Age: A Preferred Nomenclature, Perceptions of Academic Librarians in Imo State Nigeria," Library Philosophy and Practice, Dec. 2018, p. 5; Aja Carmichael, "The Changing Role of Librarians," Wall Street Journal, Jan. 5, 2007; Ana Tintocalis, "Young, Hip Librarians Take Over," KPBS, Jan. 10, 2011; "Hairstyle with Pins for Parties : Pinned to Perfection," fashioncentrel, 2011; "Black History Month: Plainfield librarian challenged segregation, created literacy programs," nj.com, Feb. 12, 2010; Eris, "The Bellydancing Librarian," Nov. 21, 2013;Kay Oddone, "Change in the Library," National Education Summit, Jan. 26, 2022; Genevieve Zook, "Technology and the Generation Gap," LLRX, Aug. 27, 2007; Amanda Thomas, "Some minority librarians seeking to update image of white 'bun lady'," The Decatur Daily, Associated Press, Dec. 17, 2006. Also see the article entitled "The Graying of Academic Librarians: Crisis or Revolution?", and many others, like: "Why I suck at blogging," You have to go to college for that?!, Sept. 12, 2006; "Easy does it.," You have to go to college for that?!, Jun. 24, 2006;

Erin, "Gallery of Bellydancing Librarians," The Bellydancing Librarian, Jul. 27, 2002; Dan Evon, "Tattooed Librarians Of The Ocean State Calendar Goes On Sale," Inquisitr, Oct. 28, 2016; Kristy Gross, "Testing, Testing...," Not Your Typical Librarian, Dec. 26, 2011; Jess Carter-Morley, "The updo is back," The Guardian, Aug. 10, 2010; Regina Sierra Carter, "Librarians: Do Any Look Like Me?," Inside Higher Ed, Mar. 29, 2017; Jack Broom, "Toymaker finds librarian who's a real doll," Seattle Times, Jul. 10, 2003; Leslie A. Pultroak, "The Image of Librarians in Poetry, 1958-1993," MLS Research Paper, Kent State University, Aug. 1993; "Wend of the Webolution," Anne of Green Labels, Mar. 12, 2009; Cynthia L. Shamel, "Building a Brand: Got Librarian?," Searcher, Vol. 10, No. 7, Jul./Aug. 2002; Steven M. Bergson, "Librarians in Comics: Sources," Aug. 17, 2002; Aimee Graham, "Debunking 10 Librarian Misconceptions," INALJ, Jan. 12, 2015; Eliza, "7 Beautiful and Stylish Hair Dos to Give You a Whole New Look ...," All Women's Talk, accessed May 27, 2022; Marcus, "Google Book Search and the Psychology of Librarians," Marcus' World, Apr. 28, 2007; Gabriel Spitzer, "Librarians Go Wild For Gold Book Cart," All Things Considered, NPR, Jul. 13, 2009; Emelie Svensson and Evelina Magnusson, "Books, libraries and beige" [Abstract], Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för kulturvetenskaper, Dec. 31, 2012;

Julie, "[Untitled]," A day in the library..., Jan. 24, 2010; Ruth Kneale, "Librarian Image Study," Marketing Library Service Vol. 16, No. 8, Nov/Dec. 2002; Rachel Sawaya, "Ideas for a Librarian Costume," eHow, accessed May 28, 2022; Sarika Sawant, "Women librarians in traditional and modern attires in India: Nationwide scenario," IFLA WLIC 2018, pp. 1-17; Angeline Evans, "The librarian 'do [outfit]," The New Professional, Jun. 2, 2011; Ted Menten, "The Naughty Librarian," Sasha Street, Feb. 27, 2010; Manda Sexton, Samantha Reardon, Jennifer Carter, and Matthew Foley, "The Inked Experience: Professionalism and Body Modifications in Libraries," Georgia Library Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 4, Fall 2021, p. 1-2; Melissa Wooton, "Warrior Librarian: How Our Image is Changing (A Personal Look)," Indiana Libraries, c. 2003, p. 24; Catherine Butler, "[Review of] Margaret Mahy: Librarian of Babel,"Online Research @ Cardiff, Cardiff University, 2015, p. 3, reprinted from article of same name in Lion and the Unicorn, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 129-145; Miss Cellania, "Tattooed Librarians," Neatorama, Aug. 3, 2009; Ellie D., "Bunning Without Breakage — The 5 Rules of Bunning Natural Hair," BGLH Marketplace, Feb. 3, 2015; Adriane Alan, "Librarians in Children's and Teen Literature," Image of Libraries in Popular Culture, c. 2000, authorship shown here.

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