The Laughing Librarian

The Laughing Librarian
Author: Jeanette C. Smith
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2014-01-10
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 078649056X

Despite the stodgy stereotypes, libraries and librarians themselves can be quite funny. The spectrum of library humor from sources inside and outside the profession ranges from the subtle wit of the New Yorker to the satire of Mad. This examination of American library humor over the past 200 years covers a wide range of topics and spans the continuum between light and dark, from parodies to portrayals of libraries and their staffs as objects of fear. It illuminates different types of librarians--the collector, the organization person, the keeper, the change agent--and explores stereotypes like the shushing little old lady with a bun, the male scholar-librarian, the library superhero, and the anti-stereotype of the sexy librarian. Profiles of the most prominent library humorists round out this lively study.

Books and Libraries in American Society during World War II

Books and Libraries in American Society during World War II
Author: Patti Clayton Becker
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2013-09-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 113546779X

World War II presented America's public libraries with the daunting challenge of meeting new demands for war-related library services and materials with Depression-weakened collections, inadequate budgets and demoralized staff, in addition to continuing to serve the library's traditional clientele of women and children seeking recreational reading. This work examines how libraries could respond to their communities need through the use of numerous primary and secondary sources.