Category Archives: Information Provider (female)

In the Bloomington stacks

I have a confession to make. I often watch films set on college campuses in hopes of spying a library and/or librarian. Academia = research = libraries, right? ;) Sometimes it works out (2002′s Abandon), and sometimes it doesn’t (see 1952′s She’s Working Her Way Through College). And the gamble did indeed pay off while watching the award-winning indie film Bloomington (2010) recently through Hulu.

*SPOILER ALERT*

The film, ostensibly set at the University of Indiana in the city of Bloomington, is a coming-of-age drama about a young woman, a former child actress on a hit TV show, who attends college in order to have a normal life. In her first semester, Jackie (Sarah Stouffer) falls in love with a female psychology professor, Catherine (Allison McAtee) – but also gets a chance to return to Hollywood. What will she choose?

BloomingtonLibraryStacks

The two central characters, Jackie (left) and Catherine (right), having a quiet (!) moment in the library

There are two scenes set in the college library, the first clocking in a little over a half-hour into the movie. There are several examples on my Master List of films that include sexy scenes set in libraries (see 1994′s Threesome, for example) — the same juxtaposition of sexy and serious underlies the Naughty Librarian character type, as well. And this is definitely a sexy scene,  albeit a short one rooted in the psychological “reversal of self-denial” theory. When Jackie comes across Catherine working on a scholarly article in a quiet space in the library, Catherine tries out her theory. The library as a place known for keeping quiet is the key to this scene.

Catherine:  So I figure if you’re so darn quiet when you don’t have to be [while making love in the privacy of Catherine's home], let’s see how quiet you can be when you absolutely have to. [leaning in to kiss Jackie]

Jackie:  Are you nuts? Stop.

Catherine:  Hold on to the desk. Trust me, you’re going to need it. Shhh, quiet.

They both stop short when they hear a sound (a pen dropping in surprise?), and Catherine flashes a mischievous grin.

Cured.

But things take a turn for the melodramatic when Hollywood beckons Jackie back, and Catherine’s and Jackie’s love affair is discovered. Turns out, professors aren’t supposed to sleep with their students, no matter their sexuality.

Side note:  Pay attention to those student and faculty manuals, y’all.

BloomingtonLibraryAttendantCloseup

At this point, I was thinking this would end up a Class V film — a library, but no sight of a librarian — but almost at the end of the film, there’s another library scene! As Jackie is preparing to leave Bloomington at the end of the spring semester, she brings in a huge stack of books into the library and up to the front counter.

The library attendant — most likely a student library worker — is quite young, with long blonde hair and a stylish white jacket. She is played by Megan Martz, seen at right.

Library Attendant:  Check out?

Jackie:  No, returning actually. I just want to make sure I’m not missing any.

And while this friendly library attendant is busy checking — and my heart sang at this small scene highlighting that yes, one must return one’s library books at the end of a semester! — Catherine enters the frame. She leans over the library counter to ask the clerk a question.

Catherine:  Hi, is the May edition of the journal in yet?

Library Attendant:  Give me one sec.

Catherine and Jackie catch up, as they are both leaving at the end of the term. The stack of books served as a framing device to separate the two ex-lovers, with the tall stack literally creating a barrier between the two. But as the clerk dismantles the stack, as seen below, the distance between them ceases.

What goes up must come down...

What goes up must come down…

Down come the walls of Jericho...

Down come the walls of Jericho…

Finally, the library attendant comes back with Catherine’s article. (By the way, don’t you love how this article links back to the earlier scene in the library, in which Catherine is writing said article?! :) )

Library Attendant:  Stark? One May edition of the Journal of Applied Psychology.

[Yes, that's a real journal. It's published by the American Psychological Association. I didn't even have to look that up! I work with psychology journals all the time.]

BloomingtonFrontCounter

And with a big, bright smile, the library attendant walks away, out of the frame and out of the picture, leaving behind a Class IV portrayal of a young, helpful Information Provider.

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Librarian at first sight

The storyline of At First Sight (1999) is pretty simple:  Blind guy meets girl. Blind guy and girl fall in love. Girl wants blind guy to have an operation to restore his sight. Blind guy has the operation. More dramatic stuff happens.

I watched this film recently because I saw that it was available for free on my OnDemand movie list, and this film has been on my Master List for awhile. I even tried to watch it a few years ago but couldn’t get past the first 20 minutes. This time, I forced myself to watch the entire film. And, of course, I also took the opportunity to Facebook my experience:

Reel Librarians

At First Sight is really bad, y’all, and badly shot. It’s like the director, Irwin Winkler, wanted to make the main actors (Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino) look as haggard and unappealing as possible. And even worse, the end credits revealed that the film is based on a true story! SIGH. Shirl and Barbara Jennings, you deserved better. Much better.

Although that pretty much sums up my feelings about this film, I do have to address the sassy librarian who makes an appearance about 15 minutes into the film. Virgil (Kilmer) and Amy (Sorvino) are on a walk through town, and Virgil is showing off his other sensory gifts while describing the town and its inhabitants to her along the way.

Virgil then hears rumbling car noises:

Virgil:  Here comes Nancy. She’s the librarian. Gets me any book I want in Braille. Hey Nancy!

Nancy:  Hey Virgil. I got that book in for you.

Virgil:  Still haven’t got that old jalopy fixed.

Nancy:  No, if I got it fixed, how would you know that it’s me?

AtFirstSightLibrarianHug

Nancy the librarian in ‘At First Sight’

Virgil then gives Nancy and Amy a quick introduction to each other, but Nancy, with a letter in her hands, is obviously on the move and running errands.

Nancy:  Gotta go. [to Amy] Be careful, honey. He’s all hands.

Virgil:  Be nice.

Nancy:  Yeah. [walks away]

Amy [to Virgil]:  Nice town you have here. Seems you’re very popular with the ladies.

AtFirstSightMeetGreet

Virgil’s friend, Nancy the librarian, greets Amy in ‘At First Sight’

The film credits reveals the librarian’s full name, Nancy Bender, played by Margo Winkler. I enjoyed this reel librarian’s spunk and breath of fresh air, a spot of realism sorely needed in this wishy-washy film. And come to find out, Margo Winkler is the real-life wife of the director, Irwin Winkler! Thank goodness he did right by his wife and the reel librarian character.

Nancy Bender, another Information Provider in a Class IV film, also joins a list of reel librarians who are never seen in their library work environment; instead, their professions are merely referred to. See also Ragtime (1981), That Touch of Mink (1962), This Happy Breed (1944), The Golden Child (1986), The Last Supper (1995), and The Asphalt Jungle (1950), among others.

Also, I couldn’t pass up another opportunity to highlight another Friends reference. This film, At First Sight (1999), is referenced in the Season 7 episode, “The One with Rachel’s Big Kiss,” when Chandler Bing is jealous of Ross and his Batman tux, until he finds:

An invitation to the At First Sight premiere? Oh my God! Val Kilmer didn’t wear this in Batman, he wore this to a premiere of some tutti-fruity love story where he played a blind guy! 

You’re welcome. ;)

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The Jedi librarian

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I watched the fan edit of the Star War prequel trilogy, entitled Star Wars:  Rise of the Empire, which was compiled back in 2007. Out of the 7+ hours of the original prequels (Episode I: The Phantom Menace, 1999; Episode II: Attack of the Clones, 2002; Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, 2005), this techie fan managed to whittle the story down to a still-healthy-yet-manageable 4 hours. It seemed like a majority of the second prequel, Attack of the Clones, stayed on the cutting-room floor (no more painful love scenes out on the lake by Naboo, thank goodness!), but guess which scene made the cut in its entirety?

That’s right, the library scene!

Reel Librarians: Star Wars Library Scene

The Jedi archives library is still quite recognizable as a library, with its rows of bookcases and library tables. The cool blue tones of the set foreshadow a certain coolness, or aloofness, that we will see reflected in the Jedi librarian’s manner, as well.

Early on in Star Wars, Episode II:  Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan (Ewan MacGregor) visits the Jedi Archives to research a mysterious planet called Kamino. During his talk with the archivist librarian (Alethea McGrath as Madame Jocasta Nu, seen below), Obi-Wan discovers that the planet has been removed from the navigation maps of the Jedi archives.

Reel Librarians: Star Wars Library Scene

Madame Jocasta Nu, Jedi librarian

Here’s how their interaction plays out:

Jocasta Nu:  Did you call for assistance?

Obi-Wan:  Yes, yes, I did.

Jocasta Nu:  Are you having a problem, Master Kenobi?

Obi-Wan:  Yes, I’m looking for a planetary system called Kamino.

Jocasta Nu:  Kamino.

Obi-Wan:  It doesn’t show up on the archive charts.

Jocasta Nu:  Kamino. It’s not a system I’m familiar with. Are you sure you have the right coordinates?

Obi-Wan:  According to my information, it should appear in this quadrant here, just south of the Rishi Maze.

Reel Librarians: Star Wars Library Scene

This futuristic version of a library still retains a traditional air, including a backdrop of sculptures and columns. Also, that computer library desk/table wouldn’t look out of place in a modern library.

So far, so good. But when the computer screen pulls up a blank on that quadrant, the Jedi librarian fails to look further:

Jocasta Nu [shaking her head]:  I hate to say it, but it looks like the system you’re searching for doesn’t exist.

Obi-Wan:  Impossible. Perhaps the archives are incomplete.

Jocasta Nu:  If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist.

This is not at all a flattering scene for real librarians or archivists; that look on Jocasta Nu’s face during her last line is a real groaner, as seen below.

Reel Librarians: Star Wars Library Scene

The chilly look on the Jedi librarian’s face when Obi-Wan suggests that the archives are incomplete.

And Obi-Wan is not convinced of Jocasta Nu’s declaration. He takes his discovery to Yoda, and they reason that this erasing of archival data could have only been done by a Jedi, suggesting a dangerous conspiracy.

This library scene is a classic cinematic example of a failed reference interview, to be sure. (I’ve even used it as training example of what NOT to do on the reference desk!) Where are the follow-up questions? A keyword search for “Kamino” in other archival collections? A search to see when/if the planetary archives log has been tampered with? A helpful referral for another archivist or department to look into the matter? Nope, none of those things that would (hopefully) happen in the real world. (SIGH.)

Reel Librarians: Star Wars library scene

Obi-Wan contemplates his options after talking with the Jedi librarian.

Nevertheless, this library archives scene is still quite an important one, and Jocasta Nu still remains a key Information Provider (even if she is a provider of misinformation in this case). It’s a pivotal scene that propels the plot forward, revealing the depth of the conspiracy. Even Jocasta Nu’s prim refusal to believe in the infallibility of the archives adds proof to the difficult task ahead of Obi-Wan and the Jedi, who are fighting generations of tradition and complacency — the very things that the Emperor is manipulating to ensure his plan’s success.

All of this helps explains why this Class III library scene – all one minute of it! — survived the fan edit.

Also, in my research, it turns out that Jocasta Nu makes a reappearance in the 2005 video game version of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. And she has earned her own action figure!

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Within the law

‘Within the Law’ movie poster

In the drama Within the Law (1939), store clerk Mary Turner (Ruth Hussey) gets framed for theft, wrongly accused by her employer Edward Gilder (Samuel Hinds), and sentenced to three years in prison. All within the first 10 minutes of the film! After serving her sentence (which is 5 years in the play by Bayard Veiller), Mary gets revenge on her former employer by orchestrating schemes that “tak[e] advantage of every loophole in the law” — hence the title “Within the Law,” a phrase often repeated throughout the film.

Where did she get this idea? From the prison librarian! In an uncredited role, Claire Du Brey plays the Prison Librarian, in a short scene almost 15 minutes into the film. Although the scene lasts little more than a minute, it is a pivotal one. (By the way, there seems to be no prison librarian in the play. Kudos to screenwriters Charles Lederer and Edith Fitzgerald for adding one in!)

WithinTheLawLibrary1

The prison library set in ‘Within the Law’

WithinTheLawRefInterview

Ruth Hussy as Mary (left) and Claire Du Brey as the Prison Librarian (seated)

Here’s how the prison library scene plays out:

Mary:  Good afternoon.

Prison librarian:  Good afternoon. Well, what’s it going to be?

Mary:  I want a book.

Prison librarian:  Couldn’t you be a little more precise? Do you want a green book? A yellow book? A thin one? A thick one?

Mary:  I think I’d like a thick one.

Prison librarian:  How long you in for?

Mary: 3 years.

Prison librarian:  All right. I’ll get you Gone With the Wind.

Mary:  No. I’d like something to study.

Prison librarian:  What is it you want to know, child?

Mary:  I’d like to know how it could happen…

Prison librarian:  How what could happen?

Mary:  My being in jail for nothing!

Prison librarian:  You don’t keep out of jail by being innocent, kid. You keep off by being smart. You can’t do anything against the law. You can do everything within the law. Yes, kid, you’re talking to somebody who found that out… a little too late. I’m in from now on. And if I’d read a 100 pages out of any of those law books, right now I’d be free as a bird. Happy, rich, and guilty.

Mary: I’ll take one.

WithinTheLawStack2

“And if I’d read a 100 pages out of any of those law books, right now I’d be free as a bird.”

WithinTheLawHandoff

“I’ll take one.”

One minute long, and uncredited, but this librarian’s role is quite important. She sets up the premise of the film — getting revenge WITHIN the law — as well as the title! Most definitely an Information Provider, this prison librarian delivers her lines in a matter-of-fact manner, showcasing her character as smart, incisive, and thoughtful. The prison librarian also exhibits a cool, detached persona that Mary adopts after her prison release.

A montage follows, including shots of Mary studying and shelving law books.

WithinTheLawMontage

This film was really interesting to me as it’s the first female prison librarian I’ve seen — all the others I’ve seen are male. Often, prison librarians work in the prison library because of good behavior. This prison librarian is obviously in for life, readily admitting her own guilt, but is willing to help others out when provided the opportunity.

Other prison librarians, all male, include:

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Criminal law librarian

In the 1988 legal thriller Criminal Law, Gary Oldman is almost unrecognizably bland as lawyer Ben Chase. After successfully defending a wealthy client, Martin (Kevin Bacon), against a murder charge, Ben finds out that Martin is, indeed, guilty. Oops. What’s a hotshot lawyer to do? Get drunk and pass out in your living room? Check! Reveal top-secret details of the crime by shouting on the street at a victim’s roommate? Check! Violate ethical codes by working with a police officer against his client? Check!

No doubt troubled by all his ethical violations, Ben goes his alma mater’s law library to talk to an old professor. Occurring a little over a half hour into the film, the camera pans around the double-decker library, lingering over statues and rows and rows of volumes. The light streaming in all the windows is quite atmospheric, doing its best to add some drama to this drama.

CriminalLawLibrary

Rounding a corner, Ben finds his old professor, Clemens (Michael Sinelnikoff), sitting on a library ladder and decked out in a long, grey cardigan. An older lady (Irene Kessler) is handing him thick volumes and helping him shelve books. At first glance, it’s hard to tell which is the librarian! :)

Note: That’s when credits really help out, as Irene Kessler’s role is listed as “Librarian Peggy” (ding ding ding, we have a winner!).

CriminalLawLibrarian2

Professor Clemens calls out from atop the ladder:

Ben, here, give me a hand? And we’ll let Peggy get back to work.

Peggy:  He’s a hard master.

Ben: You’re telling me.

Peggy, also decked out in a long cardigan, then disappears down a back staircase. Onscreen for only a few seconds, she joins the Class IV category of librarians. Although we hardly see Librarian Peggy, it’s obvious she has a warm rapport with both the professor and former student.

CriminalLawLibrary2

And based on the subsequent conversation (Ben to the professor, “You’re giving these away? Your collection of quotations?”), the professor has donated his collection to the law library. Later, we find out why, when Ben visits Professor Clemens in the hospital, who is quote-worthy and optimistic even on his deathbed.

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