Genres and Themes

This is a page I created to bring together in one place the various “listmaking” and “round-up” posts I’ve compiled — and updated! — over the years. A “list of lists,” or a “round-up of round-ups,” if you will. 😉 These are posts in which I have compiled different reel librarian movies/characters that relate to a genre, theme, concept, etc. I have never really planned these posts; rather, they have resulted from questions I have wondered about, or questions readers have asked me to explore. I think that’s evident in the eclectic nature of the genres and themes that you can see below! I have also returned to some of the themes over the years, resulting in updated lists/posts, which is why you may see multiple posts with similar titles below.

I’ve organized these posts below into various genres and themes, for your browsing pleasure. Within each category, the posts are organized chronologically, with the most recent posts on top. Enjoy!

“Best of” lists || Call numbers || Censorship || Comedy || Death || FAQs & firsts || Heroes & superheroes || Holidays || Killers & thrillers || Librarian misc. || Librarian style || Librarians of color || Lost & rare films || Musicals & songs || Oscars || Politics || Romance || Sci-fi & fantasy || Sports || Travel || War

“Best of” lists

Updating my Best & Worst Lists (Feb. 2020)
Reel librarian films make ‘best of’ lists for 2017 (Dec. 2017)
Any reel librarians in the AFI Top 100 list? (May 2017)
Comparing ‘best of’ reel librarians lists (Feb. 2016)

Call numbers

The good, the bad, and the misshelved | Library call numbers in the movies (Nov. 2018)

Censorship

A list of banned reel librarian movies (Nov. 2017)

Comedy

10 teen comedies with reel librarians (Aug. 2020)

Death

3 reel librarians who have died in the line of duty (Oct. 2019)

FAQs & firsts

Reel librarians by the numbers + through the decades (Sept. 2017)
Revisiting reel librarian totals (Aug. 2017)
Earliest reel librarians in different character type categories, reader question follow-up (Aug. 2017)
Earliest reel librarians I’ve come across, reader question follow-up (Aug. 2017)
Reader Q and A (June 2013)
‘Reel Librarians’ in real life (student FAQs, May 2013)
It all started with a big list (May 2012)
Reel librarian firsts (Sept. 2011)

Heroes & superheroes

Holidays

Rating 5 MORE holiday movies with librarians (Dec. 2023)
Rating 5 holiday movies with librarians (Dec. 2021)
3 favorite Christmas movies starring reel librarians (Dec. 2020)
Holiday round-up with reel librarians, 2019 update (Dec. 2019)
Holiday round-up with reel librarians (Dec. 2015)
Season’s greetings from your reel librarians (Dec. 2013)
Three cheers for librarians! (Dec. 2011)

Killers & thrillers

Real-life librarian perspectives about horror movies (Oct. 2022)
Serial killer librarians (Oct. 2018)
Librarians in horror films (Oct. 2014)
Victims or villains? Librarians in horror films and thrillers (Nov. 2013)
Killer librarians (Oct. 2012)

Librarian misc.

What we talk about when we talk about reel librarians (scholarship about librarians in movies, June 2021)
The Quotable Librarian | Poetry excerpts from 10 poet-librarians (Apr. 2021)
Reel Librarians round-up: Private eyes in reel librarian films (Feb. 2018)
Reel librarians on library ladders (Nov. 2017)
Notable additional occupations for reel librarians (Aug. 2017)
Literary librarians, reader question follow-up (Aug. 2017)
Librarians of Congress (March 2017)
Heard but not seen (Sept. 2015)
Reel school librarians (June 2014)
Breakin’ the rules (librarians rule-breaking, Jan. 2014)
Reel librarians on the loose (librarians never seen in libraries onscreen, May 2013)
Librarian is a librarian is a librarian (generic reel librarian names, Aug. 2012)
In name only? Librarians as title characters (July 2012)
Typical or stereotypical? (Jan. 2012)
What’s in a name? (notable reel librarian names, Dec. 2011)

Librarian style

More stylish reel librarians + archivists (March 2023)
Librarian-themed jewelry collection (2023 update) (March 2023)
Librarian-themed clothing collection (2022 update) (May 2022)
Stylish male reel librarians (Feb. 2016)
Stylish female reel librarians (Jan. 2016)
Librarian t-shirt collection (Sept. 2014)

Librarians of color

Perspectives about Wong’s reel librarian character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (May 2021)
Guest post: BIPOC archivists in animated series: Arizal and Grampa Park (April 2021)
Guest post: BIPOC librarians in animated series: ‘She-Ra’ to ‘Yamibou’ (March 2021)
Video lecture: ‘The African American Struggle for Library Equality: The Untold Story of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program’ (Feb. 2021)
Reel librarians of color, 2021 update (Jan. 2021)
5 movies featuring Black reel librarians in major roles (July 2020)
Revisiting reel librarian totals (Aug. 2018)
Reader Q and A (June 2013)

Lost & rare films

Librarians lost (lost films, Sept. 2012)
Have you seen this movie? (rare films, Sept. 2012)

Musicals & songs

Musical numbers for the library-minded (songs in reel librarian movies, Feb. 2012)
From a librarian’s musical perspective (songs about being a librarian, Feb 2012)
A love song for a librarian (songs about librarians, Feb. 2012)

Oscars

Current Oscar nominees who have played reel librarians (March 2022)
Best Picture nominees that feature reel librarians, 2020 update (Jan. 2020)
Updating the list of Best Picture nominees featuring librarians (Feb. 2017)
Oscars: Reel librarian retrospective (March 2014)
Best Picture nominees featuring librarians (Feb. 2013)
Oscar-nominated reel librarians (Feb. 2012)

Politics

Reel librarians in political-themed films (Jan. 2017)

Romance

Reel librarian love for Valentine’s Day: Movies for different romantic moods (Feb. 2018)
Revisiting my round-up of reel librarian love (Feb. 2017)
Valentine’s Day round-up of reel librarian love (Feb. 2015)
Romance and the reel librarian (Feb. 2014)
Reel librarians in love (Feb. 2013)

Sci-fi & fantasy

Sports

Is reading a spectator sport? Librarians in sports movies (July 2012)

Travel

Reel librarians take a trip (Aug. 2015)
Travelin’ librarians (Aug. 2012)

War

War films and reel librarians (March 2014)

Any themes or genres you would me to explore and compile in a list or round-up posts? Please leave a comment and let me know! 🙂

There are hundreds of examples of librarians in movies, from bit parts to protagonists. On this site, we explore the gamut of reel librarians — librarian portrayals in movies — particularly the purpose of librarian roles, character types, and stereotypical traits.

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The main purposes for this site are educational and informational. All rights belong to the proper owners of any multimedia and/or quotes used on this site. No copyright infringement is intended. I believe my use of multimedia and quotes falls under “fair use” guidelines and principles, as defined by the U.S. Copyright Office in Title 17 of the U.S. Code. If there are any concerns with the use of these items on this site, and if you believe in good faith that your copyrighted work has been reproduced in a manner that constitutes copyright infringement, please contact me directly at reel.librarians [at] gmail [dot] com.