Nancy Pearl (born January 12, 1945) is an American librarian, best-selling author, literary critic and the former executive director of the Washington Center for the Book at Seattle Public Library.

As a hobby, Pearl wrote poetry as a young woman and in 1980 published a story in Redbook magazine called "The Ride to School.

[11] "Amazon just blew me, my agent – both of us – away with their enthusiasm for doing something so wonderful as resurrecting books that never should have gone out of print in the first place," Pearl said on National Public Radio's Morning Edition.

[12] Although 20 traditional publishers had turned down Pearl's proposal for the rediscoveries, Amazon's agreement to re-issue the titles set off an intense negative response.

"I knew the minute I signed the contract that there would be people who would not be happy, but the vehemence surprised me," Pearl told The New York Times in February 2012.

While some viewed the figure as a lighthearted tribute, others criticized it for perpetuating stereotypes of librarians, particularly with its "shushing" action, which some felt reinforced outdated perceptions of the profession.

Critics questioned why Pearl, a prominent figure in the literary community, would align with a company perceived as undermining independent bookstores.

Her remarks were met with criticism, with some interpreting them as a defense of including materials like Holocaust denial literature in library collections.

[3] In 2003 she received an unusual honor when the Seattle-based company Accoutrements created a librarian action figure in her likeness to be sold in their Seattle store, Archie McPhee.

"[6] A tribute band called 'The Nancy Pearls' gave their debut bluegrass performance on the Mitchell Library rooftop (Sydney, Australia) on December 17, 2004.