Back Talk — On Being A Fashionable Librarian

The papers were crisp, effective, and interesting. The two that absorbed the most interest came from librarians in Malaysia and Indonesia: first, "Wear the past in the present for the future," prepared by Puspa Diana Jawi, Japri Bujang Masli, and Muhammad Annwar Adenan, of the Sarawak State Library, Malaysia; and then "Traditional Costumes as librarians' uniforms for work at Public Libraries of Yogyakarta, Indonesia," prepared by Atin Istiarni and Ida Fajar Priyanto, of the University of Muhammadiyah and Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia. Malaysia and Indonesia are predominantly Muslim countries, where modesty in dress is expected and women face particular expectations. For the most part in this region, they do not wear the heavy black robes familiar from strict Middle Eastern countries, but instead colorful long robes and equally colorful headscarves are common. (Pro tip, as we say nowadays: if you want to wear colorful clothing on a regular basis, it's a good idea to move to Malaysia, where inexpensive batiks and silks in dazzling colors and styles are' widely available!) So, the theme of these talks was to explore the ways traditional dress can work for library professionals.