Dump the frump Librarians throw the book at a new shushing libr

SEATTLE -- A new action figure of a frumpy-looking librarian who moves her index finger to her lips with "amazing push-button shushing action!" is prompting librarians around the world to raise their voices in protest.

"The shushing thing just put me right over the edge," said Diane DuBois, library director of Caribou Public Library in Caribou, Maine. "We're so not like that anymore. It's so stereotypical I could scream."

The 5-inch Librarian Action Figure, which shows a bespectacled woman in a cardigan, long plain skirt and sensible shoes, goes on sale in October for $8.95.

It is produced by Seattle kitsch retailer Archie McPhee and Co., whose lineup of action figures includes Sigmund Freud, Nico the espresso stand barista and the McPhee action figure that started it all, Jesus Christ.

On Web sites and discussion groups, in phone calls and e-mails, librarians from as far as Australia have made it clear how annoyed they are with the doll and Nancy Pearl, the 58-year-old real-life librarian who posed for the action figure.

One unsigned e-mail accused Pearl of setting the profession back 30 years.

The criticism moved Pearl to stop reading about the figure online.

"It's a little bit disconcerting to read about how dowdy you are on somebody's blog," said Pearl, executive director of the Seattle Public Library's Washington Center for the Book.

Pearl, who knew she wanted to be a librarian from age 10, started "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book," a book-reading project that has caught on in communities across the country. She loves books so much, she offers reading recommendations on her voice mail.

She also wrote the new book "Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Reason."

Archie McPhee owner Mark Pahlow said that his company admires librarians, and critics of the action figure are missing the point.

He said librarians are heroes for everything from encouraging literacy to raising concerns about a federal anti-terrorism law that lets authorities see what books people are checking out from libraries.

"They are on the front lines," Pahlow said. "They are speaking up for us."

As for the "shushing thing," it is a "playful aspect to get attention," Pahlow said.

Despite the backlash, Pearl said she does not regret posing for the doll: "It's a lovely idea and a lovely tribute to my chosen profession."