From Cosmo and Alec to the Tallest Man in the World

Abstract

SUMMARY The author discusses a number of librarians and their relationships with readers in various works of fiction, from George Mac-Donald's 1865 Alec Forbes of Howglen to Elizabeth McCracken's 1996 The Giant's House. Although fictional librarians can prove vehicles for professional stereotyping, their best characteristics, including a nurturing attitude toward their patrons and a desire to help them explore new worlds, serve as a good standard for librarians even in the digital age. Even fictional librarians who fall short of meeting professional ideals nevertheless perform good and useful services for their clientele.