The polling company surveyed more than a thousand people in the UK about the professions which inspire confidence when it comes to telling the truth.

It turns out that 93% of them think librarians are trustworthy. Only nurses surpass them in the ranking with 94% of the votes.

This score is all the more impressive for library personnel as it is the first time they have appeared in the Ipsos survey.

Britons also report that doctors and teachers are among the professions most likely to tell the truth to the general public, with 91% and 86% of respondents in agreement respectively.

Another culture-related profession has made it high into the Ipsos ranking: exhibition curators. Interestingly, 86% of respondents find them trustworthy, up from 82% last year.

An essential role during the pandemic

Librarians garner strong support from the British, regardless of their education level, gender or even political affiliation.

Indeed libraries have played a decisive role during the pandemic, while access to books was limited by the prolonged closure of schools and bookstores.

In September 2020, the London Library signed a partnership with digital lending service OverDrive to allow its members to borrow digital books as part of their membership.

“The Coronavirus situation has reinforced the importance of online content at a time when accessing physical collections can be more difficult. Our online journals and resources are already very heavily used by members,” the institution said in a statement.

Many libraries have also worked to maintain a connection with the most vulnerable communities.

According to a report by Libraries Connected, 130 librarians made more than 130,000 phone calls to their members to combat social isolation and loneliness during the pandemic.

A great way to promote the profession of librarian to the general public.