The Librarian Character Archetype
Strongest Characteristic: Keeping Everything Organized
Oct 13, 2008
The librarian character archetype uses her keen sense of organization to maintain control. Unlike the seductress who is fully in tune with her sexuality, the librarian has closed off her emotions. She watches life unfold for others, but is too afraid of getting hurt to jump into the fray.
The Rule Follower
A place for everything, and everything in its place, is an adage the librarian holds close to her heart. She doesn’t understand how others can live in what she views as chaos. If the spices on the rack aren’t arranged alphabetically, or if her clothes closet isn’t organized by season and color, she will fall apart.
She wants her life and surroundings to be neatly arranged so there are no surprises. She only feels comfortable when all things are planned and proceeding according to those plans. This is why she finds it hard to give in to love, because love can be unpredictable.
Relationships for the Librarian
Her sense of organization is a way of dealing with her fear of emotion. Since she’s afraid to invest herself in relationships that might hurt her, she uses her fussiness as an outlet for her emotions.
When the librarian does have a relationship, she keeps it at arm’s length. She never allows herself to truly open up and enjoy the deepness of intimacy with anyone. Perhaps she was hurt as a child, and her fear of being hurt again prevents her from falling in love.
People often view the librarian as repressed, standoffish, and staid. This makes it hard for her to form friendships. Once she does develop a friendship however, she is true and loyal and will maintain that friendship for years. She often gives more than she gets from relationships. She doesn’t take friendships lightly, like the free-spirit character archetype.
Librarian as the Protagonist
The librarian as protagonist makes a savvy sleuth. She takes note of all the fine details and can use these details to solve crimes. Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple is an example of the librarian. She also makes an excellent forensic expert.
She may be the glue that holds friends together, as in the character Courtney Cox played on the television series Friends. In spite of her fussiness, hers was the apartment where everyone gathered and felt at home.
Other professions the librarian excels in are research fields, accountancy, teaching, and of course, being a librarian. She is highly intelligent and cerebral, and her skills are an asset in these fields.
The Librarian’s Roles in Stories
Although a character can never truly change deep down, it’s a popular plot line to have the repressed librarian loosen up and give herself to the love of her life. When she meets the right man, in these stories, usually the bad boy, she shakes off her bonds and rides into the sunset with him to live happily ever after.
Just make sure that you end the story on that note. The librarian’s proclivity for neatness and orderliness will surface again and she will revert to her true self. She won’t be able to maintain the free-spirited adventure, no matter how much she loves the man.
The librarian is like a strong tree in a forest, an anchor for a ship, a sturdy foundation for a tall building. She doesn’t create drama in a story, but she helps the other characters weather the bad times and gives them a safe haven. Paired with an opposite archetype, she can create conflict that drives a story forward.
Other character archetypes to learn about:
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