“Shh-ing” the Stereotype: DKPL’s Tattooed Staff

Samantha H, Public Relations

1. Tell me a bit about your tattoo.
   •  My sister and I used to sit in front of her Sega for like six hours to beat Sonic the Hedgehog. I miss video games where you couldn’t save your progress; beating them was much more of a commitment. I’ve had all my tattoos done by Brian Fleetwood, owner of Spider Tattooz in Sycamore. He and I grew up playing video games together, too, though he was more of a Mortal Kombat fan.
2. Why is this your favorite tattoo? 
   • I like that it’s colorful.
3. How do you think having tattoos helps break down outdated stereotypes about library workers? 
   • Well, none of my tattoos are visible at work, so I suppose patrons still assume I’m boring and hate loud noises.
4. What book, movie, or other type of media would you recommend to someone who compliments your tattoo? 
   • Go beat the original Sonic on Sega, I dare you.
5. What advice would you give someone considering their first tattoo?
   •  It doesn’t hurt. At least mine didn’t.

Emily K, Adult Services

1. Tell me a bit about your tattoo.
   • I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo on Friday the 13th, so I couldn’t pass up the chance when the DeKalb Tattoo Company had an event in October of 2024. I worked with Ping (@warmtowelette) who was so detail oriented, even after a long day of tattooing flash.
2. Why is this your favorite tattoo?
   • I like that I was able to draw up my own design and Ping brought it to life perfectly. The number 13 has always been lucky in my family, so I’m glad to have that represented on my body.
3. How do you think having tattoos helps break down outdated stereotypes about library workers?
   • Library workers come in all shapes, backgrounds, and experiences, so it’s imperative that we show the world we’re human, too! We’re goofy and creative people that don’t shy away from anything.
4. What book, movie, or other type of media would you recommend to someone who compliments your tattoo?
   • Besides the obvious choice, the Friday the 13th movie, I’ll also say Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie since I got my tattoo in October.
5. What advice would you give someone considering their first tattoo?
   • To think about what you want and really test it out to see if it will fit your body and style. You could print out your design on a tattoo transfer paper or just have a consultation with an artist. When getting the tattoo, remember to take breaks. For aftercare, listen to your artist when they say DON’T use any perfumed soaps or lotions until the skin has healed fully!!

Steven M, Teen Services

1. Tell me a bit about your tattoo.
   • After thinking about it for a while, I got this tattoo of a generic library logo when I lived in South Florida to celebrate my first year of working professionally in libraries. The 630 isn’t meant to be a Dewey Decimal number, it actually represents the area code of DuPage County, Illinois where I grew up and first worked in libraries. All of my tattoos have some reference to where I’m from. I’ve considered adding zip codes on each side in tribute to other communities I’ve worked in.
2. Why is this your favorite tattoo?
   • While I can’t really pick a favorite, this one breaks the tie for this post because it’s related to libraries. Libraries have always been really important in my life. My mom spent most of my childhood as a children’s librarian and then the head of youth services at a library. I grew up visiting my local library and volunteered there through middle school and part of high school. I took a different career path at first, but I eventually decided to go back to graduate school to earn my Master’s Degree of Information and Library Science (MLIS). The majority of MLIS students do their degrees online, but one advantage of going in person was that I met my future spouse (who’s now a library director).
3. How do you think having tattoos helps break down outdated stereotypes about library workers?
   • I might not be breaking the stereotype as much as some library workers because all my tattoos are easily (and usually) covered. That said, the stereotypes of library staff in pop culture are strong and long-lived. Some of those have been broken down by library staff with dyed hair, piercings and tattoos. Equally important is that I think libraries as institutions and staff (regardless of appearance) are adapting and doing a better job of meeting people where they are with creative new services, programming and outreach. There’s still work to be done though, since stereotypes of a shushing librarian pointing patrons towards a card catalog (which most libraries haven’t had for decades) continue to live in the minds of people who haven’t been to libraries in years.
4. What book, movie, or other type of media would you recommend to someone who compliments your tattoo?
   • I enjoyed the 2018 movie The Public about public library staff trying to help unhoused people during a cold spell. It has a few issues, but it’s a better portrayal of working in a public library than you’ll see in most movies.
5. What advice would you give someone considering their first tattoo?
   • Think about it for a while and make sure it’s something you want permanently on your body. I don’t regret any of my tattoos (all of which I’ve had for more than a decade), because I spent months considering them. On the day of, make sure you eat a reasonable amount beforehand. If your blood sugar gets too low, you may be in danger of passing out. Make sure you do research on the shop and artists and follow after-care instructions as well. Those things are important for it healing and looking nice.

Pen N, Tech Desk and Creative Studio

1. Tell me a bit about your tattoo.
   • This one is an idea that started half as a joke at work. Being in the makerspace (309 Creative) it’s very common for me to need a quick measurement reference for something. Obviously, we have rulers and tape measures, but I often found myself referencing my pen tattoo (blurred in the image) because it’s approximately 2 inches. Eventually I had the thought that it would be convenient to just have a ruler tattooed. I got it at DeKalb Tattoo Company from Morgan (@morgantattoos222), who’s done some other tattoo work for me. They’re absolutely fantastic.
2. Why is this your favorite tattoo?
   • It’s hard for me to pick an absolute favorite tattoo, but this one is definitely my favorite while I’m on the job. I love having a tattoo that’s functional, and it also puts a smile on other people’s faces or makes them laugh. I get questions about what it means or what it’s for, and I like getting to say that it’s genuinely just a ruler, with no deeper meaning. 
3. How do you think having tattoos helps break down outdated stereotypes about library workers?
   • In my department, there’s less of an expectation for us to be very proper and stereotypical, since we aren’t working directly with books. That said, I know my tattoos cause some people to find me more approachable. Having visible body modifications can give the idea that I’m less likely to judge someone based on their appearance. In general, a more traditional “librarian” having tattoos really throws a wrench in the stereotypical vision of A Proper Librarian. We aren’t stuck in the past. We aren’t one-note people in a place that’s just books. Libraries have so much to offer in the modern age, and we’re absolutely changing with the times! Casually having tattoos isn’t something people could just do a few decades ago, so it does give a sense of us being contemporary. It offers a contradiction to outdated perceptions. I think mine in particular also helps break down the idea that every tattoo has to be inherently deeply meaningful. That’s not specific to working at a library, but it is a very real thing! Tattoos are art, and the meaning behind getting them is sometimes just that you like it or think it’s neat. A lot of folks find meaning just in the process of getting the tattoo and having art on our bodies. That’s enough. It’s okay not to overthink. 
4. What book, movie, or other type of media would you recommend to someone who compliments your tattoo?
   • The book What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe. He also does a webcomic called xkcd for those who might not want to jump into a whole book. It’s a great read with a lot of fun mixed in with sincere science. If you’re someone who thinks it’s neat to get a tattoo of a ruler just for the sake of mild convenience, you’ll probably have a lot of fun with Randall Munroe.
5. What advice would you give someone considering their first tattoo?
   • Don’t overthink it. If something has meaning to you in the moment, that’s enough. I have some tattoos that I probably wouldn’t get now, but they were meaningful to me before, which is still great. Also, you can always work with an artist to cover up a tattoo that you might not love a few years down the line. 
   • Bring a friend along in case you need a distraction or someone’s hand to hold.
   • TALK TO YOUR ARTIST! They should be willing to work with you and take your thoughts into consideration! They also know what they’re talking about. Sometimes you have an idea that’s cool in theory, but less functional in practice. Trust the experts.
   • If you know someone with tattoos, ask them for a shop recommendation. Word of mouth is always great advertising, and that goes extra when it comes to permanent body modifications. There are lots of very good and reputable tattoo artists out there! There are also some folks who aren’t so great. Getting a good recommendation, especially for your first time when you don’t have a strong sense of the process and what to look out for, is a good way to make sure you’ll have a smooth and positive experience. 
   • Have fun with it! You’re getting a cool piece of art put on your body. That’s an awesome experience with a really cool end result, and I hope you have a great time with it!

Amanda H, Youth Services

1. Tell me a bit about your tattoo.
   • Outline of a baboon mother carrying a juvenile. Summer 2019. Atmosphere Tattoo Schaumburg.
   • A nod to my past life. I used to study primates, and yellow baboons were the first primates I observed in the wild.
2. Why is this your favorite tattoo?
   • It is currently my only tattoo, but I would love to get more.
3. What book, movie, or other type of media would you recommend to someone who compliments your tattoo?
   • Maybe a book by Jane Goodall or Biruté Galdikas, or a juvenile biography about them if they’re young. Moth: An Evolution Story by Isabel Thomas and Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story by Lisa Westberg Peters are two of my favorite picture books (picture-ish books, at least) on evolution. My fascination with evolution and a documentary I saw on the discovery of Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) in middle school is what eventually led me to primatology.
4. What advice would you give someone considering their first tattoo?
   • I’m not sure I have any – I only have one tattoo. I don’t think it is a big deal, and I don’t think people should make you feel it is. Just do what you want. Don’t worry about it too much.

Hayley B, Circulation

1. Tell me a bit about your tattoo.
   • One of my favorite board games is called Ascension, and I love the expressionist art style on all the cards. This is art from one of the most useful cards in the game. I got it done by Jaime (Kittens of Industry) at DeKalb Tattoo who elevated the art and applied the ink like a painting which was fun to watch grow.
2. Why is this your favorite tattoo?
   • This is my favorite tattoo because it’s so whimsical, personal, and beautiful, even if you don’t have any context.
3. How do you think having tattoos helps break down outdated stereotypes about library workers?
   • I think it’s silly to view tattoos as unprofessional because they have no bearing on a person’s ability or personality. Tattoos are becoming normalized via people from all walks of life having them, which I think is great for the art form.
4. What book, movie, or other type of media would you recommend to someone who compliments your tattoo?
   • Ascension, the board game this art is from. There are a million different pieces of art I love from that game; the swirling lines and color palates make even disgusting monsters or quiet liminal spaces beautiful.
5. What advice would you give someone considering their first tattoo?
   • If you’re not happy with your placement, please please please speak up! It’s going on your body forever, and it’s worth it to ask for the stencil to be reapplied a few times if it’s not laying right.

Leah H, Adult Services

1. Tell me a bit about your tattoo.
   • This is my second tattoo. I got it at a local shop in Carbondale, IL during my junior year (undergrad) at SIU (2002?). I wanted something with color that would pop out. So, I chose a simple butterfly design. It cost $60.
2. Why is this your favorite tattoo?
   • It’s cute, simple, and I love butterflies.
3. How do you think having tattoos helps break down outdated stereotypes about library workers?
   • It shows that librarians can be free thinkers and relatable. It breaks down the stereotype that librarians are “stuffy” or “exacting.”
4. What book, movie, or other type of media would you recommend to someone who compliments your tattoo?
   • I would recommend piano-centered music such as Beethoven, Roberta Flack or Tori Amos. 
5. What advice would you give someone considering their first tattoo?
   • Check out  the tattoo parlor first. Ask questions about pricing, their process, and ask if you can take a look at the work station. Make sure that they have a clean, sanitized environment. Also, go with your gut. If the artist doesn’t vibe with you, walk away. Another tidbit:  tattoos don’t always hurt. Depending on your pain tolerance, it may not hurt at all. For this one, it did hurt because of my ankle bone. Don’t regret it, though.