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Some of you may remember that a few years back, a professional body (The Engineering Council) took out a series of full-page adds in the national papers, promoting the profession. It bemoaned the fact that engineers didn't have their own special corner in Westminster Abbey in the same way that poets do. Wendy Cope wrote a rather amusing poem in response: http://www.pmms.cam.ac.uk/~gjm11/poems/engineer.html It makes me think that CILIP could do so much more to promote libraries and librarians to the general public NOT by working within the profession but by looking outside the box, as the Engineering Council did, and forcing the message across! I envisage a two-week billboard campaign showing rampantly attractive and well dressed librarians (of all ages, naturally) outside of their work environment, with some kind of 'teaser' strapline, i.e: "Guess what I do for a day job?" There would be no branding or clues on the ad. After two weeks the posters would show the librarians at work, to the shock of all and sundry, and the CILIP logo would appear somewhere on the poster (which might help people realise that its not a popular brand of multi-purpose cleaner (http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&productId=51737&langId=-1)). Well, that's my 2 cents Claire (wearing a cardigan, but a lovely one from Monsoon, the kind fashion editors are wearing as we speak,I bet). -- Claire Beecroft Information Officer- Research Support Trent RDSU Information Service @ ScHARR Library ScHARR Regent Court 30 Regent St Sheffield S1 4DA Tel: 0114 2220701 http://www.trentinstitute.org.uk http://www.trentfocus.org.uk Quoting Rimmington Pip - Clinical Librarian <[log in to unmask]>: > I would say a resounding NO to any Calendar Girls' style stunts, that's > a quick fix or publicity stunt that's been done to death. If we really > want to change the library stereotype it will take more than that. Like > human cannonballs & librarian acrobats? A librarian revolt? > > I'm quite frankly raging about this this morning! I even hauled myself > out of bed to fire off an email to the usually lovely Bill Turnbull. (I > suppose having a crush on him doesn't help the cause!). > > Pip > > Pip Rimmington BA MA MCLIP > Clinical Librarian > (Gastroenterology, Stroke, Surgical Services & > Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain Management) > UHL NHS Trust > Education Centre Library > Leicester General Hospital > Gwendolen Rd > Leicester LE5 4PW > Tel/Fax: 0116 2588078 > <<http://www.le.ac.uk/li/lgh/library/clinlib.htm>> > > > > > > The BBC Breakfast programme featured an item on the image of librarians > this morning. Oh dear, the usual. > > They interviewed teenagers in the street, and got comments on whether > they would want to be a librarian in the future. > > Comments included the normal stereotyped image: > > - They all wear cardigans > - They are always quiet and boring > - Reading books is not for people who are interested in life > > Interestingly, the younger kids, sitting in a library in Liverpool, said > they loved the library, and one thought she would like the job. > > Seems to me Liverpool have done a great job in thinking of things to > attract youngsters, but we are still up against the trad stereotypical > image. > > What do we have to do?! Perhaps some of us could do a Womens' Institute > style calendar? > > John Noakes style antics up the sides of huge chimneys or cage/shark > experiences, which are then filmed and shown in the library as an > exciting entertainment for the teenagers - see it here! Shark loses > fight against intrepid librarian! > > Hmmm.... > > Well it IS Friday.... > > Diane > Diane Pritchatt > Senior Information Professional > Scientific and Technical Training > National Blood Service > Research Park, Vincent Drive > Edgbaston > BIRMINGHAM B15 2SG > > Tel: 0121 254 0517 > Fax: 0121 254 0517 > > > > Information contained in emails may be subject to disclosure under the > > provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and confidentiality > > cannot therefore be guaranteed. 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