by Angie Solis, Senior Assistant, INALJ Missouri 

Vampires and Treasure and Librarians! OH MY!

This month I wanted to do something a little different and a little fun. In honor of the new TV show coming out in December on TNT called “The Librarians“, I thought I’d countdown my favorite librarians in pop culture. This list is in no way exhaustive but it highlights my besties in the fictional library realm.

#13. Tammy Swanson from Parks and Rec – I have to admit that I don’t actually watch this show but I love Megan Mullally, and the idea of her as a sassy librarian just puts a smile on my face and crazy laugh in my heart.

#12. Lara (Superman’s bio-mom) – According to Pop Goes the Librarian she was the librarian and archivist in Krypton’s capital city. First of all, if they needed librarians on Krypton, I think librarian’s jobs are safe. Second of all, she’s the mother of Superman. Enough said.

#11. Marian Paroo from the Music Man – there’s music, there’s dancing, there’s a love story, oh and don’t forget the librarian. What’s not to love?

#10. Karma from the X-men – I think it goes without saying that librarians definitely have super-secret super powers. And who doesn’t love a good X-[Wo]Man? Especially one who can control other’s minds. As an inexperienced comic reader, Karma is a character that isn’t given much attention but I’d say that she’s got a lot to offer the World and has been seen in the Marvel Universe since the early 80’s making her a great edition to my favorites.

#9. Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show – As Buffy’s mentor I like to think that Giles deserves all the credit for saving the human race from all those blood sucking vampires. Plus he was a librarian which makes him a great source to find books about vampires.

#8. Karen Nash from the book Killer Librarian written by Mary Lou Kirwin – I received this book as a gift after my graduation and I have to say that I was pretty entertained by it. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who wants to read this book but I will say that with a title like Killer Librarian, don’t you want to know what happens?

#7. Mary from Party Girl – Mary wasn’t a natural born librarian and she definitely didn’t fit the typical mold of one. But she did learn to appreciate the job and understand the importance of being a librarian. I loved her angst and unexpected growth in this movie and I love that she’ll always be a party girl at heart.

#6. The librarian in Monsters University – So this one WAS the typical shushing, bun wearing, glasses chain having librarian that we all have come to dread. But, you can help but appreciate that she was big, bad and in control of her library. I think that’s enough to get her on the list.

#5. Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl – Lady Librarians who fight bad guys really does put a smile on my face. Heroic librarians is another theme that seems to be appearing more frequently in pop culture and frankly it’s one that I enjoy seeing. Batgirl can fight alongside the best of them right after she answers a few pesky Reference questions.

#4. Flynn Carsen from The Librarian TV movies – Flynn Carsen is like a nerdy version of Indiana Jones, and for that I adore him. Yes, these movies were made for TV and are a little cheesy, but you can’t help but love Flynn’s adventurous nature and love for all things library. Plus, he’s slated to appear in some of the episodes of the new Librarians TV show which really shows the enduring nature of this character.

#3. Evelyn in The Mummy – My favorite quote from this movie is: “I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O’Connell, but I am proud of what I am… I… am a librarian.” This lady is really proud of who she is and what she does which is really commendable. In these movies she learns to break out of her shell and combine the best of both worlds while still maintaining her love of books. Adventuring makes me swoon.

#2. Lindsey from Jenn McKinlay’s Librarian Lover’s Mystery series – I love Lindsey. She and I could definitely be besties in real life. She’s not written as a stereotypical librarian either. She’s gorgeous and sexy but not a stylized sex symbol. She’s smart but not obnoxious. She has a knack for remembering people and information and can perform a Reference Interview with her eyes closed. She doesn’t wear a bun and definitely doesn’t shush anyone. And she can solve a murder to boot. I’m obsessed with this series right now and honestly it’s not because I want to see Lindsey solve a crime, it’s because I want to know about what happens to her and her life. It’s because Lindsey and I are friends.

#1. Wonder woman – It’s plain and simple, she’s my idol. W2 may have only been a librarian in an alternate universe but the fact that she assumed that identity at one point is good enough for me. She’s the most well-known superlady, she’s beautiful, smart and can pack a mean punch. Someone so influential, not just in the comic world, but in the lives of real women is undeniably on the top of my list of favorite pop culture librarians.

I hope you enjoyed reading all about my pop culture besties. Comment with your own favorites so we can continue to learn about all those fictional librarians we have learned to love throughout the years.