[LM_NET] Vent: TV show "Strong Medicine" insults Librarians

[Rebecca Reitz <Rebreitz@AOL.COM>]

Dear friends,
 
Haven't we gone into this line of work because we are givers?  Warm,  
generous and nurturing, librarians are generally helpful and open.  Last  night I 
viewed the opposite.  Here was the cliche of the librarian  as uptight, harsh, 
controlling, mean, with a bun (of course) and always  shushing everyone.  
 
Lifetime's women Doctor series, "Strong Medicine" presented the scenario  
that a nursing mom was kicked out of the public library because she was  
distracting the other patrons.  The nursing mom was championed by a cool  character 
who works at the women's clinic, Lola. The Librarian was confronted by  Lola.  
 
The portrayal of the Librarian as a witholding meanie bugged me. But even  
more - the show made it seem like she set the policy individually for her own  
library. There was no mention of the administration, or the boss she had to  
answer to, or the other nuts in the library that she has to answer to.
 
A protest ensued with a bunch of nursing moms and babies in the library.  
"The babies cry or nurse: your choice," the librarian was told.  Not only  was 
the right to nurse in the library demanded (reasonable) but the  purchase of big 
comfy chairs was asked for too - out of the librarian's  budget.
 
Hey, I was a nursing mom (many years ago). I support free nursing  
everywhere!  But why use the librarian as the authority figure to rebel  against? 
Can't 
those writers come up with another meanie to fight?
 
Thanks for letting me vent.  
 

REBECCA  REITZ
Librarian
PS 87
160 West 78th Street
New York, NY  10024
212) 280-6204
Rebreitz@aol.com  
http://www.ps87library.org


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