I really do want to be a librarian some day. I like the idea of connecting people to information they need and books they love. I like the orderliness of shelves. As a kid I could entertain myself for hours at the card catalog following cross references just to see how far I'd end up from where I started. I know the cutter number for my name. I helped inventory a brand new library and it was FUN! I know this is all very geeky behavior by most standards.
Librarians aren't complete nerds though. They can be very creative and cool. Unshelved.com runs an annual Pimp My Bookcart contest. Here is this year's winner from Columbia's Butler Library. 
View from the back.
Here are the rest of the winners of the "2008 Pimp My Bookcart".
Ok, fine. I know comic strips are considered nerdy by some. So watch the Book cart drill teams! The first one features a routine set to Queen's We Will Rock You. The second goes classical with choreography to Flight of the Bumblebee.
Still not convinced because you're thinking it's just a bunch of band geeks who grew up to be librarians? Here you'll find a whole gallery of belly dancing librarians. I've always wanted to learn how to belly dance too. Apparently that and an intimate familiarity of the Dewey Decimal system are not incongruous.
If you are still unswayed how about librarians as guardians of intellectual freedom who stand up to the Man by finding legal ways to warn patrons of governmental intrusions?
23 comments:
You'd make a great librarian! Who knew they had so much fun...book cart drills and belly dancing. Blows my stereotype out of the water. I understand your desire to be a libarian. I get the urge to apply every time our little library has a part-time opening. Only thing holding me back is it includes working weekends. I like my weekends.
Chalk me up as another person who'd love a job at the library - calm, peaceful, smells good (ours has coffee), and shelves of books, full of fun and fantasy. But, there's never an job openings at ours :(
I have been seriously thinking of applying for a job as a librarian at the new high or middle school going up a couple of miles down the road from the farm. I love the smell of books... I love books... I would also get into all the ball games for free! :)
As for belly dancing, count me in. I've always wanted to do that too~ It just looks like fun :)
Oh we have a lovely new library they just built in the past year not that far away from here. You could start as cart pusher and work your way up. It would be perfect. LOL
The cart drill was fun but I like the first one best. You had me at Marian the Librarian which is from my favorite play/movie, Music Man. Of course I had a thing for Marian, sho wouldn't. And then the Queen section was outstanding. The only odd thing was to be doing this in the middle of a street at an intersection. I guess this town takes their librarians seriously.
I think you could make an outstanding librarian. I think a small pair of reading glasses proped up on your nose that you pull down when talking to someone ... it gives me shivers.
Boog luck on fulfilling your dream someday.
Yeah, my favorite thing about librarians is when they remove those horn-rimmed glasses and let their hair down revealing how totally gorgeous they are... because that's totally real, right?
SShhhhhhhhhhhhh....
People are trying to read!
OMG I LOVE that small town parade library feelin', dont you?
You would make a perfect Marian.
Thanks for the Monday Morning laughs!
Belly Dancing Librarians! That explains a lot!
Terrific post about a really great subject. Love libraries, always have as I could not live very long without books, the feel, the smell off the paper, the excitement of the unkown pleasures each book is going to give me...where will it take me, who shall I meet.
Sadly our libraries are going too technical now, not like the places I remember; the reverent hush, the stern but incredibly, to me, superior intellect of the librarian.
Wow. I'm speechless at the bookcart choreography. Wow.
The signs are a riot!
I like the idea of being a librarian too. I too dig the idea of order, everything having it's place. And the quiet! It must be heavenly. :)
I can imagine you belly dancing on heaps of books :D
But You would make a perfect librarian for sure. You are organized with attention to detail precision!
I about busted a gut watching the street book cart drill team.
So??? What's the first step you have to take to become a librarian?
Once that's done take the next step....
go for it...
You know how much I want you to be a children's librarian--so there'll be at least one in the world who doesn't hate children.
But now I see your deeper motives: you want to be a librarian because there's dancing involved, if you do it right. And you have a tie-dyed cart in mind, don't you?
You dont know what youve done.
I've taken my daughters laptop to the local library to show them the vids.
Guess who the new entry is in the next Apple BLossom Parade?
The Librarians!
Oh i cant wait.
Well, lime it is never too late to become a librarian...you could see if they need any volunteers first and do that for a few hours a day a week...then you can get a feel for it! Hell, I would be up & down those aisles just exploring.
When I was a kid I had some lovely, old fashioned libraries to visit. ahh the smells...Now these new ones lack a little something...
Card Catalogs now that is talking old school! :D
belly dancing librarians?
Oh hell, now that is a fantasy. Especially after seeing the pictures of some of those ladies.
Ha ha! Love the Queen one especially.
oh how very clever Lime, I think youve made a wonderful point here.
Girl, you are a diamond! With so many facets, I await a new side every week and you do not disappoint!!
Oh, I think you'd be a lovely librarian, Lime. :D Of course, I'm a bit partial to them... my mom is one. :D
Aw. You would make a great librarian. My friend Liisa and her husband Chris are librarians. She is always encouraging me to go to Library school. I am not so big on the dewey decimel system. I am not organized enough for such detail.
Post a Comment