Images of Librarians in Science Fiction and Fantasy: Including an Annotated List.

N

44

Authors; Characterization; Fantasy; Fiction; Futures (of Society); Information Scientists; Librarians; Library Development; Library Services; Literature Reviews; Novels; Science Fiction; Sex Differences; Stereotypes

Library literature is replete with articles envisioning libraries in the year 2000 and beyond, yet the librarian is rarely discussed. There is recent evidence that the traditional stereotype image of the librarian is changing. The purpose of this study is to examine the image of librarians in science fiction and fantasy novels and video tapes. Sixty-seven authors were reviewed; 27, or 40%, of the works included a librarian character. Research questions were formed on the image of the librarian and its relationship to role category of the character (major, minor but memorable, or mentioned in passing), the gender of the character, the gender of the author, and the time of the publication/distribution. The image of librarians in science fiction was found to be positive (44%). A positive image was found in both major and minor but memorable works. Male characters predominated (44%). There was no clear pattern as to the image of the librarian as it relates to the gender of the author. There is apparently no trend toward works with more positive images as measured by the time of publication/distribution. Comparisons were made with findings on similar studies on the librarians' image in motion pictures, poetry, mysteries, and romance fiction. (Author/AEF)

1998

ED420314