[PW] 1970S article on study of librarians

[Bristol Library]

I have a memory of being told about a study when in library school (late
70s/1980) about a study but it had to do more with the way people were
perceived--homeless, lower socio-economic class, that sort of thing.  The
conclusion was that librarians were fair and helpful without regard to
status, but I don't remember dangerous personalities being a part of it.  I
also don't know if it was in a library journal; I had the impression that it
might have been part of a wider study on the way people were treated based
on appearances.  I realize this probably isn't helpful but it might give you
some other search terms.

Jeanne

On Feb 5, 2008 5:14 PM, Linda Woodbury <woodburyl at memphislibrary.org> wrote:

>
> Does anyone remember an article in library literature in the mid-70s about
> a professor's experiment with the hypothesis that librarians are hostile to
> people outside the "norm"?
>
> He was a psychology professor (IIRC) and sent his college students into a
> library exhibiting unusual behaviors.  The librarians were helpful and
> treated them well.
>
> He increased the oddity of the next group's behavior.  Still the
> librarians were helpful and polite.
>
> Finally he had students behaving in ways that could signal a dangerous
> personality and still the librarians went into the stacks with them to help.
>
> He ended up lecturing librarians on the dangers of being too nice and
> helpful.
>
> Thanks!
> _______________________________________________
> Project Wombat
> list at project-wombat.org
> http://www.project-wombat.org/
>



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