Dressing for Success? Librarian Approachability, Attire, and Affect in Popular Culture

One of the more interesting (and variable) parts of librarian approachability is the librarian’s attire and presentation. In fact, the media has been nearly obsessed recently with the “hipster librarian,” a new generation of tattooed, pierced, fashion-conscious, but well-trained and highly capable, librarians and information professionals. Even librarians themselves have perpetuated this new mythology about librarians; a few even started a blog called Librarian Wardrobe. Fashion designers pay homage to the librarian, devoting collections to the librarian “look,” whatever that happens to be at the moment. Younger librarians have become their own clothing collectors and curate websites devoted to such collections.

The backlash against the hipster librarian stereotype has definitely begun. In a Counter Punch article published in 2010, Linda Ueki Absher suggests that not all librarians live in such a fashionable, high-end world. She reminds the reader that not all perceptions of librarians are favorable; many people still believe that librarians are “losers” or “crazy cat” people. Her tongue-in-cheek article also points to the vast amount of student debt that library students incur to obtain the new, hottest degree, but that librarianship as a profession has failed to keep up with the cost of living.

Other librarians have tried to urge future librarians to consider their attire when interviewing and provide them with real-life skills – for both getting the job and keeping the job. Library Journal has also taken on the issue of librarian attire. The ALA’s publication features an op-ed column called Annoyed Librarian. In 2013, the Annoyed Librarian took on the subject of dressing for success. In response to an ALA survey, the AL wrote,

But the key part of the research, and I suspect the motivation behind it, is the question of whether “business attire will lead to increased salaries and increased professional status of librarians.”

See, it’s not just a “professional dress code.” They’re really talking about “business attire,” so every librarian everywhere would have to look like the army of indistinguishable drones in the corporate world.

The AL makes a good point about the librarian’s right to individuality and that it doesn’t necessarily translate into increased salaries. This statement also stands out:

In most libraries, no matter how you dress you’re not going to get paid more, and if the whole profession started dressing up for work, the only thing it would result in is more librarian salary going for professional clothes.

Bonnet and McAlexander’s 2013 article, “First Impressions and the Reference Encounter: The Influence of Affect and Clothing on Librarian Approachability,” is a study on non-verbal communication between librarian and patron, as well as an examination of librarian attire and how the patron’s perception of the reference interaction shifts depending on how the librarian presents her/himself. Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, female librarians tend to be considered more approachable, since they smile more “sincerely” and are able to more effectively multi-task and divide their attention between patron and task.

Unfortunately, the study did not take into account the wide array of librarian attire, so it is difficult to match up the literature on approachability with actual perceptions out there in popular culture. The one takeaway from the study is that a smile is probably the most effective way to break any barrier to librarian-patron communication. Otherwise, the article’s emphasis on following ALA protocol, or at the very least, promoting formal and/or uniform attire for information professionals, leaves very little room for the librarian to self-express through her/his clothing selection, which often demonstrates casualness, thoughtfulness, and a desire to fit into the community while also individuating the librarian from other professionals.

I believe that librarian attire can affect approachability, but probably in a more positive way for the individual librarian, the library itself, and the profession. Librarians should be seen as open-minded and creative problem-solvers. Flipping the script on librarian attire allows the profession to be seen as interesting and engaging, creating an environment that is welcome to patrons.

 

A more global perspective on best practices – (International – IFLA)

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is considered the “global voice of the library and information profession.” IFLA has about 1500 members in 150 countries. The organization is deeply committed to freedom of information, an especially salient concern given the precarious political position many librarians and library systems are in when located in places where censorship is a true legal and social concern. The IFLA Code of Ethics also stresses the power of information as a part of democratic societies; in this way, it lines up with the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights articles 19, 26, 27, which, while difficult to enforce, promise world citizens the rights to information, assembly, association, and the free expression and creation of artistic and cultural endeavors. (What a nice way for me to sneak in information from my History MA thesis. Heh.)

IFLA’s code of ethics and best practices is far more politically direct than RUSA’s, which seems far more focused on the behavioral end of librarianship. (That’s fine, except for the things that RUSA leaves out, as mentioned in my previous post.) I think this is a great strength; the code can be applied across cultures, whereas RUSA does not address cultural differences, language barriers, and community.

From section 2, “Responsibilities towards individuals and society:”

In order to promote inclusion and eradicate discrimination, librarians and other information workers ensure that the right of accessing information is not denied and that equitable services are provided for everyone whatever their age, citizenship, political belief, physical or mental ability, gender identity, heritage, education, income, immigration and asylum-seeking status, marital status, origin, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Librarians and other information workers respect language minorities of a country and their right to access information in their own language.

Section 5 stresses the need for neutrality in the workplace as well as inclusive collection development. I find this to be an incredibly powerful passage that empowers librarians to bring as many voices as possible into librarianship, as well as the voices of patrons, no matter the location or culture.

Although IFLA’s code of ethics does not really address the issue of librarian approachability directly, it does stress that librarianship is a political and social profession, and that librarians have an imperative to serve all patrons with respect and on equal terms. These political and social concerns definitely affect the ways that librarians are perceived; without an emphasis on equality across culture, librarians might not be as sensitive to the needs of users and users may be too intimidated to approach. Staying socially open creates a friendly environment where librarians are perceived to be compassionate, curious, and helpful.

IFLA’s other publications are particularly useful for more information on current practices and trends. (The box on the left will guide you and there is a search for current and past publications as well.)