The paper discusses several hypotheses on why women librarians are particularly resistant to and critical of new forms of culture and learning that young visitors to libraries find attractive. Based on several enquiries, the author concludes that libraries remain a feminine world which tends to be closed to intermixing across sexual, ethnic and social barriers. She describes women's reaction to young people - qualified as 'non-readers'?, 'visitors'?, or 'tourists'? - who prefer libraries with coffee shops, DVD rentals and internet services. Male teenagers legitimately find traditional libraries gloomy, and female librarians are particularly critical about their behaviours and preferences.