“Do not get married.
Do not leave town without Library Board permission.
Do not keep company with men.
Be home between the hours of
Do not smoke or imbibe.
Do not loiter around ice cream shops.
Do not dress in bright colors.
Do not dye you hair.
Do not wear any dress more than 2” above the ankle.
Do not get into any carriage with any man except your father or brother.”[1]
While this seems absurd to us now, it was the rules of the times.
[1] Card from Long Beach Public Library’s clippings file Public Library-1900’s
One hundred years later, I think it's fair to say that these rules are in need of a serious update. For those librarians who are reading this, please comment here about what you think are the top ten rules that all librarians (male or female) should follow.
