Study On Implicit And Explicit Stereotype Of Chinese Librarians

Although present library industry is flourishing and job attractness increases significantly, we Chinese library professionals suffer from disconfidence very much and few LIS students choose to lead their careers as a librarian. In order to understand this paradox, a possible solution is to first depict librarians’ social images/stereotypes in publics’, LIS students’ and librarians’ eyes, and discover reasons for such stereotypes and then implications for such paradox. Thus, this study was consisted of3minor researches:explicit stereotypes of librarians and its reasons, implicit stereotype of librarians, and implications for above embarrassing situation.By comparing explicit librarians’ stereotypes of publics, LIS students and librarians themselves in ANOVA, this study found that:"book-keeper" was the deeply ingrained stereotype of librarians in China, then was the image of "information service provider" and "information professional"; there was significant difference of the stereotype among librarians, LIS students and publics; publics and LIS students considered this work as complx and comfortable, but librarians complained about their work as inferior and laborious; professionalism of this profession hadn’t been approved by all three groups; LIS student felt significant ambivalence, they favored of this profession but felt career anxious at the same time; librarians spoke highly of themselves and at the same time, complained about their job very much. Based on MLRM (Multi Linear Regression Model) analysis, the most fundamental way to improve stereotypes was to cultivate professionalism and improve the library service satisfaction.With the Sc-IAT test, this study found that:female stereotype was not proved among three groups; both inner and outer groups regarded librarians as positive, but show no preference to library work; LIS students also showed significant ambivalence in implicit stereotypes; librarians showed self-preference both in profession and work, which indicated that complaintment about their work was just a strategy to earn social identity. Above research results have strong implications for current development problems:current LIS education and academia had significantly unrealistic expectations for practices; lack of respect for "profession-based" was the first reason for stereotype problems; Self-marginization of librarians was in fact the self-labeling as Subordinate Groups, in order to earn group social identity and conceal the group inferiority; the reason for LIS students not to lead a career as a librarian was a combination of current education problem and young adults’ career preferences, the related suggestion was to cancel undergraduate education, and develop graduate and Professional Master education; the fundamental problem of whole paradox was the lack of professionalism in library practice; there is a symbiotic relationship between librarians’ stereotypes and library development, stereotype came from previous development accomplishments or problems and would influence future library development direction.