Yesterday we made this offer on our Facebook page: guess the number of fashion-forward people I can photograph at the world’s largest (& most dynamic) library conference this week in New Orleans and win the item of your choice from our site. Two of my librarian friends were the first to respond. One friend guessed eight, but later revised her answer to 40 when she realized this was a national effort rather than statewide. The other guessed 23. (Really, you guys? That’s all you think I’ll find?)
Truthfully, we aren’t known (even among ourselves) for dressing for success. That’s not what I say—it’s what we say about ourselves. One of the funniest, wittiest examples of this is from A Librarian’s Guide to Etiquette, a blog that calls itself the number one, most-trusted source for authoritative tongue-in-cheek librarian etiquette tips on the Internet: “A polite librarian should resist any attempts at glamour or fashion and refrain from wearing meat dresses at the reference desk. A cardigan covered with Greek yogurt and cat hair is adequately fashionable.” (I don’t care who you are. That’s hilarious.)
The meat dress is a reference to Lady Gaga, who recently professed to be a librarian of glam culture. (Here’s a funny retort about that.) Well, if she can claim some of our territory, why can’t we claim some of hers? Borrowing an idea suggested by one of our readers and friends, we plan to find America’s Most Glamorous Librarian.
We’re calling on librarians (and patrons) everywhere to nominate their most fashion-forward librarian. (Yes, you can nominate yourself!) Send us (or link to) a photo of your nominee, along with a few sentences about what makes them great. We’ll combine your nominees with all the candidates we find at ALA’s 2011 conference in New Orleans and let our Facebook followers choose the winner. The deadline for nominations is July 30, but please don’t delay. We’ll be adding your candidates (and ours) daily starting July 1.
So really, there are two ways to play:
1) Guess the number of fashion-forward librarians I can photograph in three days at the ALA conference and comment here or on our Facebook page. We’ll select a winner July 1.
2) Nominate your library’s candidate for America’s Most Glamorous Librarian. Share your nominees by commenting with a link to your photo/post, e-mailing us @ crystal@dressedherdaysvintage.com, or simply posting your photo/post on our Facebook page. This competition ends July 30.
A note to my fellow librarians: Lest you think we’re totally shallow people, let me say this: I know there are more important things than the outer man or woman. But the great Hollywood stylist Edith Head once said, “Life is competitive. Clothes gird us for the competition.” (More clever sayings from this unsurpassed raconteur in and adaptation of her 1959 classic, The Dress Doctor. The first edition is collectible!) Here’s what I think: the people we serve translate what we wear to what we’re worth and what our mission is. If kids (and grownups) are going to be fabulous critical thinkers and readers, we must not give them the idea that being smart means being dull–if that makes any sense. Librarians are the smartest, liveliest, most socially-conscious people I know. Would it hurt if we showed a little pride in our appearance? And sure, we don’t make a lot of money, but we can afford to look our best. Remember? We were thrift shoppers before it was cool.
34 comments
Bina Williams said:
June 22, 2011 at 11:36 am
552 especially if you attend the Newbery Caldecott banguet Sunday night….
cjhammon said:
June 22, 2011 at 12:39 pm
I wonder if I can wangle an invite to that. Or just stand outside and watch them come and go!
Ann said:
June 22, 2011 at 11:40 am
This is great! But what about most glamorous recent grad/wannabe librarian? (:
cjhammon said:
June 22, 2011 at 12:39 pm
But of course, Ann! I’ll be on the look out for you. If I don’t find you, you look for me. I’ll have a rust and black camera bag! (And rusty hair, with a little white mixed in.)
Manya said:
June 22, 2011 at 11:44 am
I love this! I’m a librarian and I’m going to the conference this week in New Orleans. I say, down with t-shirts that have cats/wolves on them or those that say, “so many books, so little time”.
cjhammon said:
June 22, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Hey, I’ll second that! I’ve got to meet you! Are you going to let me photograph you for the contest???
Erica said:
June 22, 2011 at 1:34 pm
If you don’t snap a pic of Martin Garnar, I will be sorely disappointed, as he is a fabulously fashion-forward librarian.
Meghan said:
June 22, 2011 at 1:52 pm
Another librarian here! 🙂 How fabulous to see that there will be some fashion forward librarians at the conference. I’m going too and looking forward to wearing all of my favorite summer dresses. See you all in the Big Easy!
cjhammon said:
June 22, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Can’t wait to meet you!
Arlene Yu said:
June 22, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Most glamorous or most fashionable? The two are not necessarily the same.
cjhammon said:
June 22, 2011 at 2:07 pm
True enough! Point well-taken! We’re letting the audience determine what glamour means to them…and that could be someone who shows a propensity dressing well/uniquely/creatively, if not, fashionably. I don’t think there are many of us out there that follow fashion dictates anymore. How about you?
Arlene Yu said:
June 22, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Oh I can be a fashion victim at times. To the point that while at SAA two years ago I was told I “didn’t look like one of us.”
cjhammon said:
June 23, 2011 at 5:56 am
Very funny! I can sort of relate to that. AT my very first library conference here in Indiana (before I had really even decided I was going to become a librarian) someone came right up to me and said, “You’re not a librarian, are you?”
Meghan said:
June 22, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Yes, that’s true. Maybe a different definition of “fashionable” is needed. I don’t always agree with what Vogue is selling as fashion. But I love when I see a person who makes me want to take a moment and tell them how fabulous they look.
cjhammon said:
June 23, 2011 at 5:58 am
I’ll second that, Meghan!
Emily said:
June 22, 2011 at 1:58 pm
117
Jennifer C. said:
June 22, 2011 at 2:21 pm
I love this idea. If I known before I packed I would have put more thought into looking glam.
cjhammon said:
June 23, 2011 at 5:54 am
It’s not too late! Come find me! Or more than likely, I’ll find you, Jennifer!
candice said:
June 22, 2011 at 2:43 pm
what about most glamorous library technician? i wish i was going! i know myself & my former classmates would love this competition! can’t wait to see the pictures!
cjhammon said:
June 23, 2011 at 6:01 am
As long as you work in the profession, everyone is welcome! We don’t distinguish between people based on credentials! This will be all about glamour. Send ’em in, Candice!
Amber said:
June 22, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Here’s hoping for some glamour at the International Librarians Reception Monday night… it should be a nice mix of American and international librarians (and the Emerging Leaders group that was working to give away free tickets to new librarians!), so if anyone wants to see the results with me, I think tickets are still available for now (?). And heck, if you want to help promote it all over the internet, our EL group would really like you a lot.
I’m banking on well over 1000… despite the fact that it would be difficult to keep track of counting them each individually… and the really scary (though I’m sure insanely comfortable) sandals I expect to see this week.
cjhammon said:
June 23, 2011 at 6:05 am
I’m looking forward to seeing you, Amber! Consider yourself promoted. By the way, I’ve packed a pair of those insanely comfortable but scary sandals myself. And, defying all my principles, a pair of strappy sandals that matched one of my outfits PERFECTLY went back to the closet in favor of something a little more sensible. I knew I’d regret them! Can’t wait to meet you!
TMCGriffin said:
June 22, 2011 at 3:17 pm
42 glamorous librarians. 84 fashion trending librarians. 12 avant guard librarians. 168 hipster librarians.
And a library book in a pear tree.
cjhammon said:
June 23, 2011 at 6:06 am
I love your list!
@KaraCynth said:
June 30, 2011 at 12:11 am
Tres, tres belle!!!
cjhammon said:
June 30, 2011 at 11:37 am
Glad you like! Stay tuned!
anon for now said:
June 22, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Best dressed or most fashion-forward? Those are also not necessarily the same. Fashion-forward shouldn’t mean “on trend,” right?
cjhammon said:
June 23, 2011 at 6:11 am
Ahhhh! The abundant distinctions between glamour and best-dressed and fashion-forward. You’re the second person to point that out! I think I’ll blog that answer today. I don’t think of fashion forward as on trend, but other people may. My thought is that a fashion forward person is someone who obviously puts some care and thought into how they dress.
Elise said:
June 23, 2011 at 9:28 am
I’m really sorry that I won’t be at ALA now. What a fun reason to dress up! Can I be a Glamorous librarian from afar?
cjhammon said:
June 23, 2011 at 9:44 am
Of course you can! We wouldn’t dare leave any librarian out of the running. Please submit your photo by email or on our facebook page, with a few lines about why you’d be a great pick for America’s Most Glamourous Librarian!
Shannon Burchard said:
July 7, 2011 at 1:38 pm
I have been to many an ALA as well as AALL and have found that it is not the best dressed type of event overall…just saying.
cjhammon said:
July 8, 2011 at 6:14 am
I know what you mean, my friend. This year was quite refreshing. The fashionable far outnumbered the dowdy!
Mandi said:
July 12, 2011 at 11:10 am
I just saw that you linked to me in this article – thanks!!
cjhammon said:
June 23, 2011 at 6:12 am
Miss Bobbi, we sure do thank you for the post @ librarystuff.net !