The "librarian stereotype" has long been the focus of articles, letters, workshops, conversations, and possibly even dreams and nightmares, but analyses have usually been based on limited personal experience with a small number of examples, whether books, television programs, or in this case, commercial motion pictures.

Is the meek spinster with her hair in a bun (such as Donna Reed in It's a Wonderful Life or Hilda Plowright in Philadelphia Story) more or less common than the young, innocent blonde (such as Carole Lombard in No Man of Her Own or Goldie Hawn in Foul Play)?  Are male librarians more often like the surly John Rothman in Sophie's Choice, the reclusive Jason Robards in Something Wicked This Way Comes, or the lecherous Peter Sellers in Only Two Can Play?

Questions such as these cannot be answered with confidence until we have a better grasp of the overall picture (so to speak...).  This filmography is an ongoing attempt to expand our collective memory, to find a more comprehensive and defensible basis for our acceptance or rejection of the "typical movie librarian" – whatever we think he or she is.  It lists about 550 Hollywood (and a few foreign) productions that in some significant or memorable way include a library or librarian.

The films fall into four groups.

GROUP A

Someone says or does something that clearly identifies himself or herself (or some other character) as a librarian.  This person may be a professional, a clerk, a student assistant, a director or some other type of "librarian."  Some have major roles, others have barely a dozen words to speak.  (About 175 films.)

GROUP B

A library is used for research, for study, to meet someone or for some other purpose, but any librarian that might be visible is essentially no more important than a piece of furniture that helps to identify the setting.  (About 150 films.)

GROUP C

No librarian or library is shown, only mentioned or referred to in passing.  (About 50 films.)

GROUP D

Films I have not seen, nor found adequate descriptive comments about, so am unable to put them into one of the other groups.  In most cases someone is listed in the credits as "librarian" so I assume he/she has a speaking part, but I don't know how significant or memorable it is.  (About 175 films.)

I welcome additions, corrections and comments for all the films listed here, especially for those whose descriptions are incomplete. Many of the films in the A Group need to be reviewed again to see exactly what the librarian says or does.  Several of those in the B Group need fuller reviews.  Some films may need to be shifted from one group to another as more information is uncovered.  And I really want to eliminate Group D.

This is a task impossible for one person to complete.  But working together, like the four capable (non-stereotypical?) research librarians in Desk Set we can do it.

Send your contributions to Martin Raish

Title index of the films.

List of actors and actresses who have portrayed librarians.

Short bibliography of articles about librarians in the movies.

This site has been translated into Belorussian. Here is the link. http://onlinecasinospotlight.com/web/introduction-be