The Hollywood Librarian
As part of our open day for Heritage Week on Tuesday 20th August (full details available here) we will be showing the film The Hollywood Librarian.
This film focuses on the work and lives of librarians, and promises to hold some surprises for people who may think they know what librarians do. American films contain hundreds of examples of librarians and libraries on screen – from the positive to the negative, the laughable to the dead wrong. Films such as Sophie's Choice, Philadelphia and It's a Wonderful Life show librarians as negative stereotypes. The librarians in Lorenzo's Oil, Desk Set and The Shawshank Redemption, on the other hand, are competent and professional.
Dozens of interviews of real librarians will be interwoven with movie clips of cinematic librarians and serve as transitions between the themes of censorship, intellectual freedom, children and librarians, pay equity and funding issues, and the value of reading. The film introduces the children's librarian, the witty library director, the high-tech corporate librarian, the smart medical librarian, and the dedicated cataloguer. The Hollywood Librarian is a unique and charming blend of film clips, humour and critical analysis of the popular image of librarians.
So, if you think you know your librarian, pop along on Tuesday and see just how correct you are!
The Hollywood Librarian will be screened at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm, and last approximately 96 minutes. No booking required.