History of Libraries Seminar: Popular representations of public libraries since the 1880s

Tuesday 10 May, 5.30 pm – 7.00pm

Location: Online (Zoom)

Presenter: Michelle Johansen (Bishopsgate Institute)

Michelle Johansen (Bishopsgate Institute): ‘Librarians are Boring’: Popular Representations of Public Librarianship Since the 1880s’.

This paper uses evidence from light fiction and the mainstream media to sketch out an overview of popular representations of public libraries and librarians since the late nineteenth century. It maps the findings on to scholarly assessments of municipal librarianship. Finally, it introduces the professional experiences of 100+ senior public librarians working in London public libraries from the 1880s to the 1930s. These experiences usefully complicate our understanding of public librarianship at a key moment in an emergent sector. They may also spark discussion about public librarianship today, at a challenging moment of cuts and closures.