Buzz
1. Sleeve Featuring a Card Catalog Design
Elizabeth Skene showcases an extraordinary tattoo sleeve dedicated to her love for libraries. The design includes a skull perched on a book, a graduation cap beside a vintage card catalog, and a banner inscribed with “Peace and Knowledge.” Additionally, an open book with pages transforming into birds adds a poetic touch. This intricate artwork, created by Frank William of the Chicago Tattoo Company, leaves no doubt about her passion for libraries.
2. Quiet Please
The creators of 8 Bit Library, a blog dedicated to librarians, launched Project Brand Yourself A Librarian to inspire librarians to express pride in their profession. Many participated, including Lauren Comito, who chose a beautiful tattoo of a woman in a shushing pose.
While the design might appear to reflect a stereotypical librarian, it holds deeper significance for Ms. Comito. Facing layoffs due to severe budget cuts in her library system, she created the image as a symbol of resistance, showing that library advocates would not be silenced in their efforts to save local branches. She produced hundreds of T-shirts and led a protest that successfully restored most of the branch’s funding. To commemorate this victory, she decided to permanently ink the icon on her body. You can purchase one of the shirts featuring the design, with proceeds supporting the ongoing fight to keep NYC public libraries open.
3. The Librarian Superhero
Michelle, a reader of Tattooed Librarians and Archivists and a high school librarian, wanted a tattoo that symbolized her career. She opted for a superhero librarian design, inspired by the classic DC character Mary Marvel, and had it inked by Chris Cockrill of Avalon II Tattoo. The world could certainly benefit from more superhero librarians, don’t you think?
4. Symbol of the Library
Flickr user infowidget joined Project Brand Yourself a Librarian by tattooing the iconic library symbol on her inner wrist.
5. Tree of Knowledge
Another participant in the “Brand Yourself” initiative, Flickr user bookishJulia, chose a design featuring the library icon beneath a tree whose roots emerge from an open book. The tattoo was inked by Anne Marsh of Nemesis Tattoo.
6. Dewey Decimal Code
Flickr user Cardamom proudly displays her dedication to children’s librarianship with a tattoo of the Dewey Decimal number for books on managing children’s libraries. Only those familiar with the Dewey Decimal system will recognize the significance without needing to research it.
7. Dewey Decimal Code for Harry Potter
Great White Snark reader Becca, a dedicated librarian and Harry Potter enthusiast, showcased her love for the series by tattooing its Dewey Decimal number across her back in the iconic font, highlighted in Slytherin green.
8. Goddess of Knowledge
At first glance, this tattoo clearly represents a librarian’s passion, but LiveJournal user Oh Chris’ design by Kristen at Artisanal Tattoo stands out for its intricate details. The hieroglyphics phonetically spell out his family members’ names, while the open books feature imagery from his beloved childhood stories – The BFG and Jabberwock.
9. Skull of a Librarian
If you prefer tattoos with a more edgy vibe compared to typical librarian designs, you’ll appreciate Jason Puckett’s ink by Ron Hendon of Midnight Iguana Tattooing. It features a skull wearing glasses, crossed books, and a banner labeled “librarian.”
10. Voodoo Librarian
Jim McClusky, a librarian from Washington, believes reading is incredibly important, even for a voodoo doll. The artwork, created by Mary J. Hoffman, was tattooed by Curtis James of Anchor Tattoo.
11. Librarian Tarot
Flickr user whatnot’s friend Diane chose a unique librarian-themed tarot card tattoo featuring a skeleton beekeeper. While it’s unclear what makes the skeleton a librarian, the artwork is undeniably captivating.
12. Adventures in Children’s Literature
Heather Warren from the Philadelphia Free Library boasts an incredible sleeve tattoo celebrating beloved children’s books, including characters from Where the Wild Things Are, The Little Prince, Matilda, The Giving Tree, and others. Cory Doctorow of BoingBoing discovered her tattoo, created by Bird of the Black Vulture Gallery, and generously shared it online.
13 and 14. Literary Art Masterpieces
Reader Melissa Deemer showcased her tattoos with fans of our At the Libraries feature.
Her library shield and open book designs are breathtakingly beautiful. Additionally, she has a charming “Dewey Ale” tattoo featuring a beer stein with the Dewey Decimal number for “beverage technology.”
15. Books Are Life’s Greatest Treasure
Avid readers often hear the phrase “there’s more to life than books,” but as fans of The Smiths know, “not much more.” This Smiths-inspired tattoo was shared with Tattooed Librarians and Archivists by a library technician and MLIS student working at a Bay Area high school. She received the tattoo as a 31st birthday gift, created by Dan Gilsdorf at Tattoo 13 in Oakland.
16. Quiet, Please
The iconic “shhh” is a phrase everyone associates with librarians from their childhood. While some librarians distance themselves from this stereotype, others, like this New Jersey public library youth services supervisor, embrace it. This charming tattoo was submitted to Tattooed Librarians and Archivists and inked at Tattooville in Neptune, New Jersey.
17. The Dewey System Enthusiast
Reader Kati Donaghy shared her unique Dewey tattoo in the comments of our first librarian tattoos article, referring to it as her “spine label.” She highlighted that the numbers include a Cutter number, a system used to alphabetize books by the author’s surname. This clever detail allowed her to incorporate the Dewey number for “Biography in the library's role in culture” and her personalized Cutter number, “DonK.”
18. The Playful Librarian
A Tattooed Librarians and Archivists reader shared this pinup-style tattoo, which she got to commemorate earning her Masters of Library and Information Science. The tattooed pinup librarian adds a playful and fitting touch to her celebration.
19. Celebrating Public Libraries
Tattooed Librarians and Archivists reader Amy, a librarian at a small library in the Florida Panhandle, proudly displays her love for public libraries, particularly the one where she works.
20. The Start of a Reading Journey
A librarian shared this fantastic Shel Silverstein-inspired tattoo on the Tattoo Lit Tumblr, a platform dedicated to literary-themed tattoos (though most contributors aren’t librarians). The site is run by the creators of the book The Word Made Flesh, a must-see for anyone fascinated by literary ink.
21. Knowledge or Death
Another contributor to the Tattoo Lit Tumblr showcased this vintage-style tattoo of a skull resting on a stack of books. The design celebrates their academic pursuit as a library science student focusing on rare books and manuscripts.
22. A World of Books
A Master of Library Science specializing in Archives Management shared this tattoo featuring a quote from Much Ado About Nothing with Tattooed Librarians and Archivists. The tattoo, created by Moose Tattoo and Piercings in Vermont, was inspired by her undergraduate thesis on the play.
23. Alphabetical Brilliance
Reader Elizabeth Wisker shared, “With a degree in library and information science, I got this alphabet tattoo... I’m confident I’ll cherish it even at 95, and I hope to live that long.”
24. Farewell to a Chapter
How do you bid farewell to a job you’ve loved? While most wouldn’t consider tattooing their former workplace’s logo, librarian Dan Lee chose to immortalize the Broome Public Library’s emblem as a lasting tribute to that phase of his life.
A heartfelt shoutout to Tattooed Librarians and Archivists, a platform showcasing incredible tattoos from librarians, archivists, curators, and other professionals in the field. While we highlight librarian tattoos tied to their careers, the site offers a fascinating glimpse into the diverse ink choices of those in the industry.
