SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Pearl's & Ruby's
  • Politics in Practice
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

February 28, 2013 by Travis Jonker

Mick Jagger, Rock Star Librarian

February 28, 2013 by Travis Jonker   13 comments

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

2013 is young, but in library circles, “rock star librarian” is quickly becoming the loaded term of the year.

It all started with a post at Hi Miss Julie that sparked debate about gender and librarianship. Since then Stacked, The Magpie Librarian, and other blogs have continued the discussion. Heck, a friend even sent me the description of a proposed ALA Annual Conversation Starter focused on the rock star librarian concept.

You can count me among those who dislike the term. It does always seem to be used in reference to men, and it really just means a person who can engage a crowd. In fact, you could swap out the “librarian” part for any other profession and I would still be unhappy.

So while I’m busy submitting “Rock Star (anything)” to be on the 2014 LSSU List of Banished Words, I hope the gender debate continues and the library world is the wiser for it.

Filed under: Articles

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

A Fuse #8 Production

Myrick Marketing Publishing Preview of nubeOcho and Pajama Press (Summer/Fall 2025 & Winter 2026)(Part Three)

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Papercutz to Publish Steampunk Adventure Story | News

by Brigid Alverson

Heavy Medal

Heavy Medal Suggestions: 73 Titles and Counting

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Politics in Practice

When Book Bans are a Form of Discrimination, What is the Path to Justice?

by John Chrastka

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Worlds on Fire: Can Hope Spark Healing? Books about wildfire, the changing climate, and the courage to make a difference, a guest post by Chris Baron

by Amanda MacGregor

The Yarn

How Colby Sharp Celebrates Reading with Students

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

SLJ’s 2024 Best Books Cover Unveiled. Download a PDF of the Full List.

Best Picture Books 2024 | SLJ Best Books

Best Nonfiction Elementary 2024 | SLJ Best Books

Best Young Adult Books 2024 | SLJ Best Books

Best Nonfiction Middle to High School 2024 | SLJ Best Books

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ed Spicer says

    February 28, 2013 at 7:47 am

    ADHD sort that I am, I am now obsessed with getting Mick to read at our school in March. Do you have his cell number? Was there another point to your post?

    • Travis Jonker says

      February 28, 2013 at 11:16 pm

      I hear Mick is hard to get

  2. Melanie Hope Greenberg says

    February 28, 2013 at 8:22 am

    Thank you! The only rock stars are our books. And with everyone trying to be stars (teachers, librarians, marketing depts, editors, agents, art directors and bloggers) they push the creators of the books and the books themselves to the back of the line. Been watching this on my FB and it’s absurd. The creators are now dumped with so much responsibility to sell our books. Who knows the even books exist with so many in the business trying to be the star. Get thee behind the stage and help us sell our book or very soon the creators (claimed as being sooo loved) will be gone.

    • Ingrid says

      March 3, 2013 at 7:45 pm

      I don’t think the main purpose of libraries is to advocate for authors. Yeah, that’s part of it and I think I’m good to authors. But the star isn’t the books. It’s the patrons and the community.

  3. Julie says

    February 28, 2013 at 11:11 am

    I’m totally rooster walking at my next storytime.

    • Travis Jonker says

      February 28, 2013 at 11:15 pm

      I support that!

  4. Marge Loch-Wouters says

    February 28, 2013 at 11:04 pm

    This conversation has been roiling for awhile..not just on rock stars but also the role of gender. Check out a couple of additional posts:
    Stacked: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/12/to-be-woman-and-speak-your-mind.html
    My blog Tiny Tips for Library Fun http://tinytipsforlibraryfun.blogspot.com/2012/12/women-and-girls-power-or-not.html
    Nicholas Schiller: http://www.informationgames.info/blog/2013/01/gender-silenc/
    And finally Hi Miss Julie’s most recent knock-you-down-powerful post: http://himissjulie.com/2013/02/28/your-silence-is-protection-that-they-do-not-deserve/

    It’s all part of the conversation that is far deeper than rock stars and gets at the gendered root of much of what you are seeing in these posts you cited.

    • Travis Jonker says

      February 28, 2013 at 11:15 pm

      Thanks for the additional links Marge

  5. Melanie Hope Greenberg says

    March 1, 2013 at 9:34 am

    I am going to read these links. The male-female off balance ratio is rampant in picture books. Not only that, I’ve been insulted to my face, called old, had my breasts called out, asked to sleep over at my place for no reason not even a lousy drink in the deal, but the dudes still get treated like rock stars. ps I don’t mind when other call authors rock stars. It’s when the author’s call themselves rock stars that keep me running to the john.

  6. Sam Eddington says

    March 1, 2013 at 10:19 am

    What about rock star rock star? Would that still be acceptable? 😉

    • Travis Jonker says

      March 1, 2013 at 2:48 pm

      Ha – acceptable!

  7. Ingrid says

    March 3, 2013 at 6:53 pm

    I can bow my arms like Mick!
    It’s funny what can be a compliment one second can become near derogatory the next. If I end up being called a rockstar librarian, I’ll know I’ve gone too far.
    Also, the comment, “Get thee behind the stage and help us sell our book “. Yikes. Ouch.

  8. :paula says

    March 7, 2013 at 11:05 am

    Why shouldn’t we be rock stars? I mean, when I think of that term and apply it to other professions – like “rock star teacher,” I think of the teacher that we admired, listened to, had a little crush on – and did I learn a little more trigonometry than I would have otherwise because Mr Whateverhisnamewas was a charismatic, engaged person? Oh my god yes. Trigonometry? What even IS that?

    Of course anybody who equates “rock star” with “male,” well that doesn’t make any sense at all. But I don’t have any problem with a librarian striving to be a person that kids think is cool. Travis, I’d rather see your face on a locker-door poster than those bozos in New Direction any day!

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books 2024
    • 2024 Stars So Far
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Pearls & Rubys
    • Politics in Practice
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • Reasons to Love Libraries
    • 2025 Youth Media Awards
    • Defending the Canon:SLJ & NCTE Review 15 Banned Classics
    • Refreshing the Canon Booklist
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Read Free Poster
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2025


    COPYRIGHT © 2025