Librarian Paula James got her inspiration from the movie “Calendar Girls” in which some elderly women posed nude to raise money for a woman whose husband had died. Although the movie was hilarious, James knew her fellow librarians wouldn’t go the nude route. But they were determined to give the public a vision of librarians without their trademark glasses hanging off their noses or their “stuffy looks”.
Now the librarians of Iowa’s Dallas County have put it all together and plan to sell the calendar to make money…for their libraries. Their first printing was a scant 300 copies; Paula James figured “we could (always)sell them to family members.” Here’s the story, but sorry, no pics were available.
Calendar niftiness…
This seems to be a trend in libraries recently, and we’re no different. While we didn’t do the “Dig our librarians” thing, we do sell a calendar based on our digital photo archive, Yakima Memory. I think it’s a really good idea for several reasons, other than the whole raising money thing.
First off, even if you don’t feature scantily clad MLISes and MLISers, you can portray librarians as actual people. Even after years of trying to destroy the “hair in a bun with glasses on a chain” stereotype, people still see librarians in such a light. The goes for the men, which is weird because men really don’t wear their hair in a bun. I liked the idea where the librarian’s were pictured doing things that they’re not normally recognized for, like the Tae Kwon Do picture.
Secondly, it shows we have the interests above and beyond “dusty books and impersonal computers.” I’m a martial artist, so’s one of my coworkers. I’ve trained extensively in Japanese styles, and he in Chinese. How cool would it be to have a calendar featuring two library folks, one in Wushu garb with the Mandarin broadsword and the other in a shinobi shozoku with a ninja-to? Other people around here are talented musicians, why not a picture of them with their music and instruments? A couple of our very nice ladies are firearms buffs. Have ’em pose in a sort of “library police” outfit. Someone else is a master carpenter and cabinet maker. Why not a picture of him and his creations? Stuff like that really puts a human face on the library and, let’s be honest, they’d sell.
And sure, if someone wants to pose in a string bikini with a thong, who are we to stop them?
Re:Calendar niftiness…
A couple of our very nice ladies are firearms buffs. Have ’em pose in a sort of “library police” outfit.
Kind of like one of these.
That would be very cool in my opinion.