Librarians often turn up in mystery fiction, since they are just so useful at information processing. Jo Dereske, an ex-librarian, has created a great send-up of the stereotypical librarian in the Miss Zukas Mysteries series. Wilhelmina Zukas is moral, precise, and lacking humour.

Over the course of eight installments, the series also documents an interesting technological transition in the history of libraries: Helma initially argues that the card catalogue is just fine for their purposes, why change? It also takes several months to locate a resource on the mating habits of slugs in response to a patron's question—before the internet makes its way to the reference desk. Late in the series, Helma of course excels at internet searching and despairs at being sent to a special library that has yet to be automated.

I spy… a librarian!

The image I have used for this site was created to illustrate my work-in-progress mystery novel, hence the sinister figure lurking in the background. The heroine, Nettie Day, is a modern librarian. I directed the illustrator to create an image loosely based on myself, since why not. The pony-tail is the contemporary updo of the bun, and the dark-rimmed glasses are reminiscent of a 50s bookish look—always fashionable. The illustrator took liberties with the tight low-cut sweater, but sexy sells. And it is a recognizable stereotype derivation of the librarian.

But the use of technology is in evidence: despite the rows of books behind her, she is grasping a printout (the printer just visible in the foreground) of the necessary clue… LexisNexis comes through!