Bitch Media - librarians en BiblioBitch: Cultural Crusaders: Women Librarians in the American West, 1900-1917 <p> <img src="" hspace="10" align="left" alt="The cover to the book 'Cultural Crusaders' featuring a woman in the West carrying a large stack of books. " /></p> <p>Everyone knows librarians are just timid, dowdy women who spend all their time in a room full of books perpetually "shush"-ing people, right? Rest assured, we can now say confidently that <a href="/post/from-the-library-exploring-the-librarian-stereotype"target="_blank">that stereotype</a>, while not only false and played out, is also wildly historically inaccurate! In her book <em>Cultural Crusaders; Women Librarians in the American West 1900-1917</em>, <a href="">Joanne E. Passet</a> outlines a thorough, fascinating, and charming history of Progressive Era librarians that gives context to the library systems we enjoy today while also shedding light on the great deal of hard work these women put into starting the US American West's first libraries. </p> <p>Library schools started to gain popularity in the late 19th century, around the time that Andrew Carnegie tempered his huge wealth with social services like library creation in the United States. Library education was seen as a good career move for many middle- and lower-class (primarily white) women who could either not afford to go to college or didn't have the time to dedicate to a longer education. Some women continued their education after college with library school because it offered them a more focused and usable curriculum. Among the career paths available to women at this time, librarianship had appeal because the training was relatively short (up to two years but often shorter), there was no need to command a classroom full of unruly students, and the opportunities cropping up offered new adventures.</p> <p>With funding for libraries available, the next obstacle to overcome was to supply these prospective facilities with trained, passionate and available librarians. Library jobs in the eastern populated areas of the country were highly competitive (much like the library positions of today) and in order to put their educations to work librarians were compelled to move. In addition to simply having a job, these women often assumed leadership positions in their new libraries because of their unique skill sets and knowledge. Librarians, as the title of this book implies, were responsible for maintaining American culture throughout the developing western states and they did this by providing efficient and usable state-funded centers of knowledge. Passet notes that "libraries had the power to eradicate ignorance, foster good government, and create responsible, intelligent citizens," and indeed this was the primary goal for librarians of the budding U.S. American West. In order to be successful in these positions, librarians had to be more than efficient, they had to be passionate, outgoing, well read, persistent, and accepting of change. </p> <p>Sadly, many librarians suffered from boredom, loneliness, and discouragement as western settlers were occasionally distrusting of this free service or saw it more as a meeting hall than an educational resource. Librarians could find themselves in charge of fancy new "Carnegie Libraries" that housed outdated or unappealing materials that were rarely used by the communities they were in. Despite these obstacles, successful librarians could transform their libraries into the cultural centers of their towns through the creation of traveling libraries for especially rural ares and community-building exercises for the more developed locations. According to the book, librarians were often found "working alone, and with inadequate supplies, they took short cuts in the mechanical work in order order to create time for work in the public," and "while few could be categorized as radical feminists, they did blend feminist ideals with rational values and an ethic of caring as they extended their spheres of influence throughout the region." Despite many limitations, these librarians were dedicated to the mission of fostering a rich and educated American culture.</p> <p>Librarians were often unmarried women who lived in boarding houses or with the town's schoolteachers, and it was not uncommon for these women to bring a widowed parent with them out to the west for a chance at a fresh start. Correspondence with their teachers was a librarian's own cultural lifeline and a primary source Passet used for her research in this book, so even though the idea of lone rogue librarians leaving everything to pioneer the libraries in the west may seem romantic, it was usually more reserved and monitored than that. Granted, the freedom of being a librarian in the west during this time was unparalleled: women were trained to be respected and valued members of the community, trusted with the task of educating and exposing their neighbors to the literary lifestyle, and they had the option of seeking new work in a huge variety of locations. These "cultural crusaders" pioneered a profession that gave other women a chance to join in academic and educational pursuits as well as create a literary community wherever they went. </p> <p>If you're interested in learning more about women during the Progressive Era or the history of libraries in the US, this quick read comes highly recommended for its funny anecdotes, thorough research, and engaging biographies of four of the west's most prominent women librarians. </p> books librarians Library read it! Books Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:40:46 +0000 Rachel Toback 15457 at From the Library: Fighting for the Stacks <p><img src="" alt="Banner that reads community lending library in black and white with an image of a book with glasses resting on top of it to the right of the text" /></p> <p>New York library advocates have been working hard these past few weeks after news broke of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed budget cuts, which would cut library funding from $308.5 million in 2011's fiscal year to $223.5 million for 2012 (these depressing numbers are further broken down on the city's <a href="">Office of Management and Budget</a> website).</p> <p>If Bloomberg's budget is approved, New York would end up with some very unhappy bookshelves (<a href="">according to Paul LeClerc</a>, President and CEO of The New York Public Library, almost six million fewer items would be circulated), lots of layoffs (more than one in four library jobs would be eliminated), and drastically cut library hours (NYPLs would be open on average just four days a week). No wonder people have been calling the mayor <a href=";">Bloomzilla</a>.</p> <p><img src="" hspace="10" align="left" alt="Image reads 'Cutting Libraries in a recession is like cutting hospitals in a plague. -Eleanor Crumblehulme'" />New York isn't the only city whose libraries are being forced into a future with a significant lack of funding. If you're ready for a real eyesore, <a href="">Losing Libraries</a> is a project that maps out library cuts across the US, illustrating what they call "the big (awful) picture" in a way that words just can't. <a href="">Similar maps</a> have been created for library cuts in the UK.</p> <p>In addition to providing free access to books, US public libraries provide free computer access and classes, free job training and resume building, free children's programs, free tax help, free classes for people learning to speak English, and the list goes on. These services are all heavily utilized by communities of color and poor communities, and when these services are cut, they are hit the hardest. In a recent post at Colorlines, <a href="">Channing Kennedy responded to drastic library cuts in Oakland</a> by asking his mother, Barbara Jean Walsh, who was a librarians in the '70s and '80s, to speak to how librarians are an integral part of the safety net, as well as to how communities of color are impacted when library funding is cut. His mother worked at a library in a mining town in the '70s, where the library served as the only location for the town's Latino population to learn English. In the '80s, she watched as people in power decided that libraries weren't important (cause, you know, they weren't the ones using them). She writes to the power of the library and the need for people to own and fight for their libraries:</p> <blockquote><p> Libraries are already, naturally, a part of the safety net, because they empower their community with equitable access to knowledge. And libraries can't do that without librarians — someone who knows their collection, who knows their patrons, who has the right training and the right salary. Someone who has compassion, and the financial and social resources to act on that compassion without losing their mind.</p> <p>They also can't do it without communities. If a community doesn't feel ownership of its library, it's going to go away. And if the people at the city and the county aren't made to understand a library's value for the community, they're not going to fund it. It breaks my heart that libraries have to be fought for, that their role and their potential isn't known by heart by everyone. But that's where we are. If we want to keep our libraries, our libraries need champions. </p></blockquote> <p><img src="" hspace="10" align="left" alt="A group of people stand in front of a NY public library holding up signs in protest of library cuts. The signs in front of the crowd say 'Save our Library' and 'Our Children First'" />Thankfully, lots of people have been rising up to champion the library as governments have been cutting and attempting to cut them down. In New York, <a href="">Save NYC Libraries</a> has been hosting creative events to protest the proposed cuts: a bunch of library huggers got together to <a href="">give the library a big squeeze</a> and a group of library supporters spent 24 hours protesting the cuts for the <a href="">We Will Not Be Shushed 24-Hour Read-In</a>. <a href="">Save Oakland Libraries</a> is hosting <a href="!/event.php?eid=229874543693383">a bike ride in support of Oakland Public Libraries</a> this Saturday, the 18th. </p> <p>Libraries are important and we need to fight for the ones in our communities! If you're in New York, take action by writing a letter, making a phone call, or showing up at a protest. <a href="">The NYPL</a> and <a href="">Save NYC Libraries</a> will show you how to get involved. For people who lives in other areas of the US, <a href="">the ALA is working to hook you up with other library advocates in your region</a>.</p> librarians libraries From the Library Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:32:17 +0000 Ashley McAllister 10830 at Revenge of the Feminerd: Libraries, Lesbrarians, Censorship, and Equality <p>Libraries are a haven for nerdy types, both as patrons and as staff. They also play an important role for social justice by standing against censorship. </p><p>I spent seven years working at libraries, starting to shelve books when I was 15 and eventually graduating to the check-in/check-out desks for a part-time job during university. Looking into libraries for this post I decided to talk to my former colleague <a href="">Tara Robertson</a>. </p><p><img src="/sites/default/files/u36600/lesbrarians.jpg" alt="Lesbrarians Four women hold a lesbrarians banner at a march, holding their fingers in front of their lips in a shushing gesture" width="380" height="329" /><br /> In 2009 Tara put together a group called the Lesbrarians to take part in the Vancouver Dyke March (photo above, with Tara second from left). Last year they had about 35 lesbian, bisexual, and queer women who worked in libraries, archives or other information organizations, as well as writers and library lovers participate. We met when we both worked at the Vancouver Public Library and she's done quite a bit of work on LGBTQ and feminist issues, so I knew she'd be a great resource. </p> <p>You can also find her on Twitter <a href="!/tararobertson">@tararobertson</a>. </p><p><b>Me: First, can you tell me a bit about yourself?</b> </p><p>Tara: I'm a librarian at an art and design university where I try to provide better access to information through better information systems. I'm a reluctant cataloger and an organizer in many senses of the word. I am allergic to shushing. </p><p><b>Me: What role do you think libraries/librarians can play in creating a safe space for queer patrons?</b> </p><p>Tara: Public libraries play a critical role for many marginalized populations. Public libraries are some of the few public, non-commercial spaces that remain in our society. Also in an information economy, libraries are one of the few places that people can freely access information, whether it's using free wireless, the library's computers and databases, or traditional materials like books and DVDs. Public libraries also provide access to leisure materials like wonderfully trashy TV series, paperbacks and magazines. This is also important. </p><p>Librarians need to work harder at unpacking "nice lady" values and collaborate with our communities (including the folks who don't feel welcome in libraries) to refine our library collections and services so that we are a safe and welcoming place for all folks. Doing this will make libraries safer for many people, including queers. </p><p>We can do this by providing free, unfiltered Internet access, and non-judgmental staff who can respectfully guide people to the perfect book or piece of information that they never knew existed. </p><p>Seeing your queer self reflected in a book that is on the shelves of a library is a powerful experience. <a href="">I love the piece written by MJ Jordenson</a>, a Vancouver Public Library patron, that describes how he came to the library to research a cure for his homosexuality and found self acceptance in the stacks. </p><p>I think libraries (at least in Canada) are pretty safe spaces for queers. We definitely have work to do to make libraries more welcoming and accessible for people who are not like us. Librarians need to work harder to challenge our attitudes around class, especially around people who are homeless. </p><p><b>Me: Do you know of any particularly notable initiatives by libraries to support LGBTQ communities?</b> </p><p>Tara: The staff at San Francisco Public Library do an amazing job of putting together booklists for teens: <a href="">fiction</a>, <a href="">nonfiction</a> and <a href="">kids</a>. I especially love how the teen booklists include resources for transgender teens. </p><p><b>Me: Can you think of ways in the past that things like the categorization of books, subject headings, etc., have reinforced gender norms and heteronormativity?</b> </p><p>Tara: I got interested in becoming a librarian by working in activist and feminist libraries. Library classification systems are informed by the dominant values of society and reflect the values of a certain time. Even today, "male nurses" and "women engineers" exist as subject headings. This is obviously problematic and an example of how classification systems sometimes lag way behind the times. The words we use are powerful, and the words that are used to define and locate people are often problematic and offensive. </p><p><a href="">Sandy Berman</a> is a radical cataloger who was responsible for introducing subject headings like: two-spirit people (to replace berdache), intersexuality (to replace hermaphrodite), and transgender people. He also advocated for subject headings were less archaic: toilet (instead of water closet) and light bulb (electric light, incandescent). Until last year if you were looking for a book on how to make an Indian curry, the correct subject heading was Cookery--Indic. </p><p>Subject headings that Berman suggested that haven't been adopted include: anal fisting, drag queens, feminist zines, erotic graphic novels, butch femme (lesbianism) and genderqueers. </p><p>Gender and sexuality often get mixed up by catalogers. I reckon this is partly because for many people these concepts are not different and partly because good subject headings don't exist. The subject heading of "lesbian--identity" isn't really appropriate for the new book <i>Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme</i>, but currently there isn't a better option. Catalogers need to create one. </p><p><b>Me: Is there controversy within the library profession about providing information resources and literature geared toward or featuring LGBTQ individuals (particularly in children's literature or YA)?</b> </p><p>Tara: When many people think about censorship and libraries they think of <a href="">books being banned</a>. This doesn't happen very frequently, however there are many insidious ways that censorship happens. </p><p>Internet filtering is the most insidious form of censorship. Many <a href="">commercial filters</a> flag sexual health information by and about LGBTQ folks. For queer youth living in rural areas, the Internet might be the only way to access information. </p><p>Intellectual freedom is a core value of libraries. Most libraries will have a collection development policy that references the importance of intellectual freedom. There's a slogan that says, "There's something in my library to offend everyone." For me, the things that offend me the most are materials that reflect racist, colonial attitudes, especially in children's books like <em>Little Black Sambo</em>, <em>Tikki Tikki Tembo</em>, and some of the <em>Tintin</em> books. </p><p>In children and teen collections, a sneaky way that books about queers are censored is by hiding them in an area intended for an older audience. For example, sometimes children's picture books that feature gay or lesbian families are moved out of the children's picture book section to the parent resource collection. Or paperbacks for elementary school students that have a queer character are put in the young adult or teen section. This is an unacceptable form of censorship.<br /> </p> alternative libraries lesbrarians LGBTQ librarians radical libraries revenge of the feminerd Books Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:16:19 +0000 Jarrah Hodge 10539 at From the Library: She Was A Booklegger: Remembering Celeste West <p><img src="" /></p> <p><a href="" rel="nofollow"><i>She Was A Booklegger: Remembering Celeste West</i></a> is a collection of essays, excerpts, and photos that attempt to capture the spirit of Celeste West, a woman whose influence on feminist librarianship, publishing, journalism, and activism was monumental. After West passed away in 2008, a few friends and admirers (Toni Samek, Moyra Lang, and K.R. Roberto) decided to embark on a project that would honor West's work and life. This book, which acts as a comprehensive and compassionate obituary, was the result.</p> <p><img src="" align="left" hspace="10" />Celeste West was working as a librarian in the 1960s when she began to advocate for alternative press on library shelves. While alternative press was flourishing during the '60s, the voices of this counterculture were not often reflected in library collections. So in addition to lack of access to these materials, there was an excess of mainstream press in most libraries, and alternative and radical print was not being adequately preserved. While West was working at the Bay Area Reference Center in the late 1960s, she became the editor of <i>Synergy</i>, a monthly newsletter produced by BARC that informed its readers of noncommercial book publishers while also bringing attention to the fact that libraries were not as all-encompassing as they claimed. In an essay by Toni Samek that is featured in this book, she writes about the motivations behind the staff at <i>Synergy</i>:</p> <blockquote><p> Synergy's staff believed that because librarians were not sufficiently trained to create access to and/or learn about where to find many forms of information, they were unable to fulfill their professional mandate to present balanced/multiple points of view. The passive nature of library practice, grounded in the myth of "neutral" service, understated this information access problem. Synergy consistently included information about noteworthy topics that were largely ignored by the mainstream media, and by conventional librarians...Under West's direction, it called on librarians to become "pivotal agents to enforce" the Library Bill of Rights, to support a free press, and to develop a new professional attitude by shifting from "conserving and organizing" information to "generating or promoting it". Synergy defined an alternative library culture that worried less about the library as a keeper of the cultural record, and more about the library as an active agent for change. </p></blockquote> <p>West very much embodied this definition of <i>Synergy</i>; she was an active agent for change in libraries. West demanded that libraries and librarians step up to the plate and advocate not only for intellectual freedom, but also for social change. Federal funding for <i>Synergy</i> was eventually cut (<a href=";pg=PA134&amp;lpg=PA134&amp;dq=synergy+funding+cut+bay+area+reference+center&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=fE0TYroR99&amp;sig=9E-yW3kdo_G1oyK9pbdN7R3_Zl4&amp;hl=en&amp;ei=nNv2TMnTGonQsAPal_GaDw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=book_result&amp;ct=result&amp;resnum=1&amp;ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&amp;q=synergy%20funding%20cut%20bay%20area%20reference%20center&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow">another story in itself</a>), but that didn't stop West from writing and publishing. She was prolific. In '72 (shortly before the funding for <i>Synergy</i> was cut), she formed a publishing house with Elizabeth Katz called Booklegger Press. Booklegger Press was the first woman-owned American library publisher. They published <i><a href="" rel="nofollow">Revolting Librarians</a></i>, a collection of essays that explored radical and alternative librarianship. In '73, West helped to publish <i>Booklegger Magazine</i>, which picked up where <I>Synergy</i> and <i>Revolting Librarians</i> left off. While promoting intellectual freedom, <i>Booklegger Magazine</i> also acted as a proponent of feminist efforts. The magazine featured information about the women's movement of the '70s, discussed gender imbalances within libraries, and filled the reader in on updates in feminist publishing. </p> <p><img src="" align="right" hspace="10" />In addition to writing about socially responsible librarianship, West wrote three books that explored lesbian relationships: <i>Book of Lesbian Etiquette</i> (1985); <i>A Lesbian Love Advisor: The Sweet and Savory Arts of Lesbian Courtship</i> (1989); and <i>Lesbian Polyfidelity: A Pleasure Guide for the Woman Whose Heart is Open to Multiple Concurrent Sexual Loves, or How to Keep Non-Monogamy Safe, Sane, Honest, and Laughing, You Rogue!</i> (1996). </p> <p>Excerpts from many of West's books and publications are featured in <i>She Was a Booklegger</i>. Her writings covered a vast array of subjects and were always passionate. In addition to West's own writings, the book features academic essays about her work, obituaries from loved ones, and photographs of West throughout her life. <i>She Was A Booklegger</i>'s editors write that "while [Celeste] is probably best represented in three dimensions instead of two, this anthology is an attempt to capture what she's left behind." This collection sure does convey the enthusiasm and compassion that Celeste West had for feminist librarianship, publishing, and activism. <i>She Was a Booklegger</i> pays tribute to a phenomenal woman whose life story should be shelved in every library, along with the alternative press that she promoted and created.</p> <p><i>She Was A Booklegger</i> is available through <a href="" rel="nofollow">Library Juice Press</a>, and if you're in Portland you can check it out from <a href="/library" rel="nofollow">our library</a>. If you own copies of any of Celeste West's books and would like to donate them to our library, you can contact me at <a a rel="nofollow">library(at)</a></p> book review Celeste West From the Library librarians From the Library Sat, 04 Dec 2010 23:08:37 +0000 Ashley McAllister 7047 at From the Library: An Interview with Librarian Lia Friedman <p>Lia Friedman is what some might call a super-librarian. She's the head of public services at the <a href="" rel="nofollow">UCSD Arts Library</a>, the staff librarian for <a href="" rel="nofollow">make/shift magazine</a>, and an active member of <a href="" rel="nofollow">Radical Reference</a> (an organization whose Portland chapter helped set up the <a href="/library" rel="nofollow">Bitch Community Lending Library</a>). Bitch recently caught up with Friedman, who told us a bit about where librarianship and social justice intersect.</p> <p><img src="" /></p> <p><b>Bitch: What led you to become a librarian, and why is being a librarian important to you?</b></p> <p>Lia Friedman: I'm an accidental librarian; after I got my undergraduate degree I decided a year or so later that I wanted to go back to school. I picked something that I thought could apply to different fields, and library science seemed like a logical choice. I actually was aiming for going into public radio, and hoped to be a producer or researcher but then, as always, something unexpected happened. Being a librarian is important to me because there is an enormous, ever-expanding amount of information in the world and I think that the more we know about how to find it, where it comes from, who makes it, and how best to use it is a fundamental and basic need. Plus it's exciting to always be learning for a living.</p> <p><b>Bitch: Are you a radical librarian? Do you consider librarianship to be radical in its nature?</b></p> <p>LF: I don't personally consider myself a radical librarian, in fact I don't really consider myself to be really radical at all. But the idea of what is radical and what is progressive or liberal or maybe even just plain hippie is so very subjective. What I consider to be radical (living completely off the grid, not paying taxes or never buying new clothing for example) others might consider extreme or pointless. I will fight tooth and nail for access to information to all, and will use my voice to push back against things I don't believe in, and in that way, I'm afraid, I'm a bit of a heart-on-my-sleeve soapboxer. I don't know that librarianship is inherently radical but I do see colleagues of mine doing exciting, insightful, daring, sometimes unpopular things to further our cause. Since I'm from Southern California, can I just call us all rad?</p> <p><b>Bitch: What's your least favorite stereotype associated with librarians? Where have you noticed this stereotype being perpetuated in popular culture?</b></p> <p>LF: The stereotype of librarians as withered, cranky, bun-topped shushers is a little annoying, but there are indeed some of those out there (and I'm currently growing my hair out in order to sport a daily bun myself, just like my librarian fashion idol, Jean Hines). The stereotypes are everywhere, popular culture, comics etc... But that includes that also slightly annoying idea of the 'hip' librarian. This isn't a stereotype, but it is one thing I find most often when I tell people I'm a librarian—it's that you actually have to go to school to be one, and that many of us have a second Masters or perhaps a PhD in our subject specialty. That always gets a "really?!" from the guy from Indiana next to me on the plane.</p> <p><b>Bitch: You're the co-author (with Melissa Morrone) of <a href="" rel="nofollow"><i>The Sidewalk Is Our Reference Desk: When Librarians Take to the Streets</i></a>, in which you write about Radical Reference, an online tool that has become extremely valuable to activist communities. How do you describe Radical Reference to someone who isn't familiar with it? How does Radical Reference operate, both online as well as on the streets?</b></p> <p>LF: We are an organization that answers questions for independent journalists and activists online through our website, with the added specificity of local chapters that do work in their communities. For instance, the Radical Reference collective in NYC does a lot of work with other activist organizations like <a href="" rel="nofollow">ABC no rio</a> and <a href="" rel="nofollow">the anarchist bookfair</a> and the world social forum. Local collectives also organize workshops and skill shares on subjects ranging from fact checking to zine making to discussing different aspects of librarianship. We operate using a small group of people that moderate the website and try to make sure that questions get answered by the larger group, a listserv, a fb group and twitter <a href="" rel="nofollow">@RadReference</a>. I'd encourage readers to <a href="" rel="nofollow">have a look at the website</a> to see some examples of questions and answers, our dream projects, blog posts and information on local collectives all over the country.</p> <p><b>Bitch: In addition to your work with Radical Reference, you've been involved in a great deal of socially responsible projects within librarianship. Tell us about some of the projects that you've worked on as a librarian.</b></p> <p>LF: I'm so lucky. In addition to my work with Radical Reference I've also been able to be involved with a great magazine, <a href="" rel="nofollow"><i>make/shift</i></a> as a fact checker/librarian/editor. We've been nominated for the 2010 Utne Independent Press Award for Best Social/Cultural Coverage and I'm proud as hell to be a part of that team.</p> <p><b>Bitch: Can you recommend a really great book to us?</b></p> <p>LF: <a href="" rel="nofollow"><i>You Are Here. Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination</i></a> by Katherine Harmon</p> From the Bitch Library From the Library interview Lia Friedman librarian stereotypes librarians make/shift radical reference From the Library Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:09:38 +0000 Ashley McAllister 5455 at From the Library: And Then There Was Oracle <p><i>The Killing Joke</i>, published in 1988, was anything but a joke. In this graphic novel, The Joker is set out to drive Commissioner Gordon insane, so he decides to go for the Commissioner's daughter (Barbara Gordon, also known as Batgirl). It's a classic story: one man wants to intimidate or attack another man, so he finds a woman that is important to the other man's life and he hurts her. In this story, Barbara Gordon is used as a mere plot device. The Joker shows up at Gordon's house and he shoots her. The bullet damages her spine, paralyzing one of the world's most important female superheroes from the waist down.</p> <p>Writer Alan Moore's decision to paralyze Barbara Gordon upset Batgirl fans (rightly so!). <a href="/article/comics-cold-shoulder" rel="nofollow">Bitch addressed Moore's decision</a> to "cripple that bitch" (yes, that's what he said), and pointed out that <i>The Killing Joke</i> further perpetuated the <a href="" rel="nofollow">"women in refrigerators" trope</a> so often used in comics. </p> <p><img src="" alt=" Barbara Gordon as Oracle" /></p> <p>While the decision to paralyze Barbara Gordon was certainly a misogynistic one, the way that her character develops after the shooting speaks to the transformative power of information and technology... and librarians! <a href="/post/from-the-library-batgirl" rel="nofollow">Last week we looked at Barbara Gordon's character prior to <i>The Killing Joke.</i></a> Her role as a librarian disguised her alter ego as Batgirl; reasserting the stereotype of librarians as meek and the opposite of badass. But this all changes after <i>The Killing Joke</i>. Thanks to a few writers who decided to make the best of what had happened to Gordon, Gordon's character decides to embrace her identity as a skilled librarian. She becomes Oracle, a computer hacker who discovers that access to information is a pretty phenomenal superpower.</p> <p><img src="" /></p> <p>In this page from <a href="" rel="nofollow"><i>Oracle -- Year One: Born of Hope</i></a>, Gordon climbs out of the depression that followed her paralysis: "I was tired of being a victim. I had skills and abilities long before I became Batgirl. It was time to make them work for me again. It was time to stop being afraid." She then goes on to say, "One thing I knew how to do was research and, thanks to my modem, I could tap into databases worldwide. I discovered I had an affinity for computer hacking, and I started to make some money," and "I got into the internet before the general public really knew what it was. And I discovered a world there."</p> <p><img src="" /></p> <p>Given Gordon's history as a savvy librarian, it makes sense that she would be tapped into the wonders of the Internet before the general public. This comic poses Gordon at the forefront of the information age—and her ability to access information is seen as liberating and powerful. Gordon becomes a utilized librarian. She turns into the go-to person for the "good guys", providing information to Batman as well as law enforcement agents looking for villains. She finds that she doesn't need to be able bodied in order to fight the good fight; her skills as a librarian manifest themselves into crime fighting tools. I'm also a big fan of the way her laptop becomes her weapon of choice, appearing with her throughout the comics as a way of illustrating her intelligence and access to information.</p> <p><img src="" /></p> <p>Barbara Gordon later stars in <i>Birds of Prey</i>, a comic that casts an all-female superhero team led by Oracle, who continued to harness her power as a computer hacker. Gail Simone, who happens to be responsible for coining the term "women in refrigerators," played an instrumental role in developing the characters in <i>Birds of Prey</i>. Simone, who scripted the comic for several years, once said, "The characters don't apologize for being asskickers, nor for being smart, nor for being sexy, nor for being sexual, for that matter."</p> <p>In the 60s, Barbara Gordon masked her Batgirl identity behind her traditionally feminine career as a librarian. But with the birth of Oracle, she reinvents what it means to be a librarian. She will not be pigeonholed as the stereotypical harmless librarian behind the reference desk, but will instead carry her laptop onto the streets, where she will prove that those who are capable of accessing information are important to the fight.</p> barbara gordon batgirl Batman birds of prey From the Bitch Library From the Library gail simone history of librarianship librarians oracle women as librarians Women in Comics women in refrigerators From the Library Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:29:10 +0000 Ashley McAllister 5042 at From the Library: Batgirl! <p><img src="/sites/default/files/library_1.jpg" width="500" height="80" alt="library_1.jpg" /></p> <p><img src="" /></p> <p>Meet Barbara Gordon, librarian at the Gotham City Public Library by day, and crime-fightin' wonder Batgirl by night. Gordon was first introduced to the Batman comics and TV show in 1966, as an attempt to bring in female readers and viewers. While previous female characters (Batwoman and Bat-girl) were introduced in an attempt to dodge accusations of <a href="">homosexuality between Batman and Robin</a>, Batgirl wasn't there for romance as much as she was for ass-kicking. And did I mention that she was a librarian?</p> <p>Barbara Gordon's character was so successful that she <i>almost</i> got her own TV show. Check out what's available of the pilot episode (that never aired) below:</p> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value=";hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src=";hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><p> Before being introduced to Barbara Gordon (played by Yvonne Craig), this clip opens with, "Gotham City, like any other large metropolis, abounds with girls of all shapes and sizes. Debutantes, nurses, stenographers, and librarians." Oh, the plethora of career choices for women in the 60s! As Wendi Arant and Candace Benefiel point out in <a href=""><i>The Image and Role of the Librarian</i></a>, the fact that Batgirl's alter ego was a librarian is likely explained by the fact that "librarianship was at the time an established and acceptable occupation for a(n) (unmarried) young woman". And being young and unmarried were not the only stereotypical librarian traits that Gordon possessed.</p> <p>You'll notice that the two librarians in this clip (Barbara Gordon and her co-worker) definitely fit the bill for <a href="/post/from-the-library-exploring-the-librarian-stereotype">the librarian stereotype that is so often portrayed in film</a>. They've both got thick glasses, quiet voices, and conservative dress with high necklines. And there is something to be said for Gordon's job as a librarian acting as the ultimate alter ego to her Batgirl persona. As Arant and Benefiel also point out in <i>The Image and Role of the Librarian</i>, "Barbara Gordon's job as a seemingly meek and passive librarian had to be considered an ideal contrast to her truly significant (and exciting) work as Batgirl."</p> <p>Since Batgirl's a superhero and librarians are perceived as being innocuous, there's no way that any of the other characters are going to be able to make the connection, right? And if the opposite of Batgirl is a librarian, what does that say about librarians? That in order to be a bad ass, they must literally transform themselves?</p> <p>Regardless of whether or not Batgirl was reinforcing popular stereotypes about librarians, she was definitely empowering a whole lot of young girls. In 1998, Yvonne Craig <a href="">talked about the role that her character played in young girl's lives</a>: </p> <blockquote><p> I meet young women who say Batgirl was their role model. They say it's because it was the first time they ever felt girls could do the same things guys could do, and sometimes better. I think that's lovely. </p></blockquote> <p>In the 60s and onward, Batgirl became a symbol of women's empowerment. In 1972, she appeared in a public service announcement for the United States Department of Labor, in which she advocated for equal pay for women. This PSA will greatly improve your life:</p> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value=";hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src=";hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><p> <a href="/post/from-the-library-exploring-the-librarian-stereotype#comments">A commenter on a previous post</a> said that she wanted to be either a librarian or Batgirl when she grew up...What about you? Did you have a relationship with Batgirl while growing up? Did she make you want to be a superhero, or a librarian...or both?</p> <p><i>Next week, we'll take a look at what happens to Batgirl's character after she's shot in the back by The Joker and then adopts the secret identity of Oracle, a computer hacker who just might represent a changing perception about librarians in popular culture. Stay tuned!</i></p> barbara gordon batgirl Bitch Community Lending Library equal pay From the Bitch Library From the Library history of librarianship librarian stereotypes librarians librarians in comics oracle women as librarians From the Library Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:48:00 +0000 Ashley McAllister 5009 at