I went to a roller derby match this weekend, my first, and this morning this article crosses my desk. Coincidence? I think not.
By day, she’s Beth Hollis, a 53-year-old reference librarian in Akron, Ohio. By night, she’s MegaBeth, an ageless dynamo on the roller derby rink. “All my life, when I tell people I’m a librarian, they say, ‘You don’t look like a librarian,’ ” Hollis said. “And now that I’m a roller derby girl, they say, ‘You don’t look like a roller derby girl, either.’ So I don’t know where I fit in.”
update: please head on over to FM Daisy’s blog to see more Derbrarians.
If you like derby, you should read this girl’s blog: http://pamie.com/.
I think she’s a comedy writer in real life, so the blog is funny as well. But I love that Derby name — MegaBeth! I shared this with my office, and we’re trying to come up with funny librarian-themed ones!
i know of more than a few librarians who roller derby…myself not included. it’s always seemed a little odd to me, but it’s definitely a trend of the moment. not sure how long it’s been happening or how long it will last…
I went to library school with SheerTara from the Queen City Roller Girls (Buffalo, NY). Then at ALA I sat next to The Lipstick Librarian from I think San Diego at the CBLDF panel (small world). Sadly, QCRG’s Dewey Decimator isn’t actually a librarian as far as I know.
I just went to see my first roller derby match a few weeks ago, actually–Steel City Derby Demons (Pittsburgh’s Steel Hurtin’ and B Unit, specifically) vs. Cincinnati’s Black Sheep and Silent Lambs. One of the Silent Lambs has the derby name of The Librarian. It was awesome. This is a sport I can get behind.
At the time my boyfriend asked me what number I would choose to skate under, and I was coming up with Dewey numbers for things like natural disasters. So when he saw this piece on CNN today, he called me over to watch it and then turned to me and asked, “So what’s 796.21?”
Actually, I think Pittsburgh skates against Akron in their next match. (Match? Derby? Not sure what they’re called yet.) Maybe I’ll see MegaBeth.
I don’t play, but I got into roller derby in library school, through a friend who was doing the YA/children’s program. She skated as Roxy Redlight for Boston Derby Dames. I have another friend who’s an archivist who skates for Providence as Foxy Renard. And I know plenty of librarians who are fans! From what I have seen (of skaters and fans) it is one of those things that pulls people from all walks of life.
@Meg, they are usually called bouts, but I am hearing matches more often lately and that seems to fit well. :)
Ok…I’m a “paraprofessional” Library Information Technician…and am on the Mountain Derby Girls…not the same but still.. :)
We had two other library support staff on team and if this other woman doesn’t get the archive librarian job she is going for down in LA, she’ll be joining the team too…
Maybe the Librarian derby girls should split off for exhibition bouts like the some Lesbian derby girls do?
*hi5* i’m a rollerderbying librarian and have a dream to one day have a NA librarian all-star bout! nice to hear ya made it to a bout, Jessamyn! did you experience “the calling”??
I skate for the Boston Derby Dames, and the name my team floated when forming in 2005 was the Dewey Decimators.
Sadly, we ended up as the Nutcrackers instead.
I’m a Fresh Meat Derby Girl and librarian and posted about it on my blog.
Please visit and leave a note for me if you are a derby librarian.
I’m thinking scrimmage/book cart drill at both ALA and Rollercon…
Librarian vs Patron Scrimmage would rock my world!!!
http://fmwannabe.blogspot.com/