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Photo calendar features tattooed Texas librarians

Kristy Smrcka, of Dallas, right, is one of the Texas women librarians who bared her tattoo for a calendar. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
Kristy Smrcka, of Dallas, right, is one of the Texas women librarians who bared her tattoo for a calendar. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

AUSTIN, Texas – So much for the stereotype. Texas librarians are baring their skin and revealing their tattoos – all to raise disaster relief money to help damaged libraries.

Photos of the librarians and their body art appear in a new calendar sold by the Texas Library Association. Librarian Shawne Miksa says it’s a way to get people to notice library issues. As the model for November 2010, she shows off Chinese characters on her lower back that mean “wisdom” and “desire.”

The “Tattooed Ladies of TLA” 18-month calendar is a follow-up to the successful “Men of Texas Libraries” calendar, which raised $9,000 to help libraries damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The TLA says libraries thrive on promoting diversity and free expression, and the calendar exhibits that spirit.