This Halloween — consider celebrating your creativity AND highlighting librarianship with one of these costumes! You may have to explain the character you represent – but what better way to sell the librarian profession to the public.
Here’s the list –from film, Broadway, T.V., comics.. and of course, from real life…
20. Ben Franklin — go colonial with the Founding Father who also started the country’s first library. Old school bifocals, skull wig and carry a kite for good measure.
19. Laura Bush – First Lady & librarian; helped start the Texas Book Fair. Inaugural gown might be good.
18. Andrew Carnegie – Librarian Philanthropist. Suit, white beard and stack of phony bills to donate…
17. Marian Paroo from “The Music Man”… thank you Meredith Wilson for bringing a librarian character to the Broadway stage… Turn of the 20th century dress might be best.
16. Melvil Dewey – not sure if anyone knows what he looked like, so maybe just hand out Dewey Decimal guides!
15. Mao Zedong – Former librarian better known as Communist dictator. Scary when librarians go bad…
14. J. Edgar Hoover – Former librarian better known as privacy stomping FBI Director. Scary when librarians go bad…
13. Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson, Litchfield Penitentiary librarian from “Orange is the New Black”… ‘cuz prisoners are readers too!
12. Jorge Luis Borges – Argentinian author with day job as librarian. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, librarianship & Halloween all in one costume!
11. Marianne Moore – Poet, Brooklyn resident, & NYPL librarian. Cape, white hair & a quizzical expression is all you’ll need !
10. Regina Anderson Andrews — 1st African-American to head a NYPL branch, hosted legendary Harlem Renaissance salon. Style it up with1920s couture! For more on this remarkable woman, see our eBook:
9. Katharine Hepburn, as corporate librarian “Bunny Watson”, in film classic “Desk Set” (1957) . Bring along your own Spencer.
8. Beverly Cleary, beloved children’s author & children’s librarian. I suggest Early 1960s dress and carry a few “Ramona” books with you.
7. Mohammed Khatmi – former Iranian President, previously head of the National Library of Iran. How cool… Librarian as President.
6. St. Jerome – Patron St. of Librarians, desert hermit, translator of the Bible to Latin, known for his crankiness & lion companion.
5. Rupert Giles — “Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s” Bespectacled Dad figure & H.S. Librarian character
4. Giacomo Casanova – name synonymous with lover… & also a great librarian. After all, the two aren’t mutually exclusive…
Drumroll !… And now… the top three…..
3. Parker Posey’s character Mary from “Party Girl”… unforgettable 1990s downtown NYC partier finds her vocation .. as a librarian !
2. Conan the Librarian… Ahnold enforces overdue fines… ’nuff said… see the YouTube clip here…
1. Barbara Gordon… Librarian & Batgirl ! So grateful to D.C. Comics for an early female character that combatted crime… & librarian stereotypes!
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