Message | I attended the viewing of the Hollywood Librarian at ALA and, although I appreciate the concept of making a documentary about librarians, I was disappointed to see that the film (from what was shown) seemed to generate the same stereotypical images of librarians as with most other films and media. Is the book cart drill team competition really more important than, say, video clips of the librarians who worked long hours helping Katrina victims fill out FEMA applications or find community resources? Does Katherine Hepburn’s sister help change people’s views of what librarianship really is?
Now, maybe I just walked in with too many expectations. I enjoy self-deprecating humor as much as the next, but what I saw and what the website says the film is about are two completely different animals. What about interviewing the people, including celebrities, who have been changed by libraries? (Wyclef Jean, in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, informs a group of high school students that if it weren’t for public libraries he wouldn’t be where he is today).
As a librarian, I thought the film was really funny, but in terms of trying to alleviate the media’s stereotypical views, I felt it provided more fuel for the fire, so to speak. |