Hip Librarians

Librarians are now hip, so says the New York Times. Throw out that old stereotype of the old nerdy librarian with a bun and glasses and enter the young hip librarian with pink hair and tattoos. According to the Times article by Kara Jesella, as libraries have become more reliant on electronic information, young urban hipsters are entering the field. Librarians now write blogs, create wikis, and use myspace on a daily basis, which is attracting younger people to the field. It’s not just the technological shift that appeals to this new crop of librarians; they also cite intellectual stimulation, job stability, and reasonable hours as benefits to the profession. The fear of massive empty positions due to retirement is so far unfounded; in fact enrollment in library schools has steadily increased in the past ten years.

Be sure to check on the Healey Library’s online presence on Facebook and Wikispaces.