A library post! From the librarian blogs I’ve started following, there seems to be a very important issue: busting stereotypes of librarians. Apparently I am a Very Bad Librarian (to be) by having looked for “sexy librarian” glasses last time I went looking for frames. Not that I have any hope of a pair of glasses magically making me sexy.

[Side note: very important issue? Perhaps a subject to delve into further in my Libraries and Information in Society class this semester? Academic writing on the stern matronly librarian? Yes please.]

I was reminded of this Very Important Issue when I came across a blog post about cell phone use in libraries. Now, although I’m making light of the seriousness of the issue of stereotypes of librarians in the same sentence as linking to that blog post, I’m not intending to make light of the issue of cell phone use in libraries. I could write my own treatise on the overuse of cell phones. I’m guilty myself of overuse of cell phones.

My point, which I realize I’ve taken a roundabout way to get to, is that the title of that blog post reminded me of a twitter conversation I was part of on Friday. My friend Brian, who is the 37th most popular bike blogger in DC, posted this picture of a sign at his university library.

And now we get to the crux of the matter. I feel duty bound as a librarian-to-be to YELL at the top of a whisper “no food! no noise! shush!”

Phew, got that out of my system.

And now we can talk about HOW THE HECK ARE ORANGES AND POTATO CHIPS ACCEPTABLE LIBRARY FOODS WHEN SUSHI ISN’T?!? As I pointed out in the twitter conversation, I have been known to throw soy sauce across the room when eating sushi. No one ever said I was graceful. But there is no world in which sushi is noisy and DEFINITELY no world in which it is messier than oranges or potato chips. (I can be fair. The sign says “fruit,” not “oranges.” But a picture is worth 1000 words, right? Make the picture an apple and I’ll stop criticizing. At least on this point.)

So while I appreciate the broadening of library policies to allow food and drink, at least in designated areas, can we at least make sure that the policies make sense? I’ll be eating my not-at-all-messy poppy seed bagel while you think about it.