Notable Librarians
by johnataylor · 29 things on NewTwos
- While being a librarian may not be what they are famous for, here is a list of notable individuals who at one time were employed as librarians or librarian assistants:
- Thomas Jefferson - Third President of the United States and a prominent bibliophile who served as the first librarian of the Library of Congress.
- Carl Sagan - Renowned astronomer and science communicator who worked as a librarian in his early career.
- Nancy Pearl - American librarian and author known for her work in promoting reading and literacy.
- Maya Angelou - Acclaimed poet and author who worked as a librarian in San Francisco.
- Jorge Luis Borges - Argentine writer and librarian, who served as the director of the National Library of Argentina.
- Miriam Makeba - South African singer and civil rights activist who worked as a librarian before her fame.
- Ernest Hemingway - Influential American author who worked as a librarian's assistant in his youth.
- Mao Zedong - Founder of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. Worked as an assistant librarian at Peking University Library.
- Benjamin Franklin - One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, inventor, and polymath. Founded the Library Company of Philadelphia, one of the first public libraries in America.
- Giacomo Casanova - His name is infamous for his often complicated and elaborate affairs with women.
However, he spent his final years in Dux Chateau (Bohemia) as a librarian in Count Waldstein's household, where he also wrote his autobiography.
- Philip Larkin - English poet, novelist, and jazz critic. Worked as a university librarian at the University of Hull.
- David Hume - Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist.
Worked as the Keeper of the Advocates Library in Edinburgh.
- Beverly Cleary - American author of children’s and young adult fiction. Worked as a librarian before becoming a full-time writer.
- Erica Jong - American author and poet. Worked as a librarian early in her career.
- Ann Shulgin - American author known for her work on psychedelic therapy and research. Worked as a librarian before her writing career.
- Carla Hayden - Current Librarian of Congress, the first woman and first African American to hold this position. Former CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.
- Pope Pius XI - Born Achille Ratti, he was a librarian before becoming Pope in 1922. Worked at the Ambrosian Library in Milan and later at the Vatican Library.
- Jacob Grimm - One of the Brothers Grimm, famous for their collection of folklore and fairy tales. Worked as a librarian in Kassel, Germany.
- Caspar David Friedrich - German Romantic landscape painter. Worked as a librarian in the city of Greifswald.
- Archibald MacLeish - American poet and writer. Served as the Librarian of Congress from 1939 to 1944.
- Doris Lessing - British-Zimbabwean novelist, poet, playwright, and Nobel Prize in Literature winner. Worked as a librarian in Salisbury (now Harare), Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
- Madeleine L'Engle - American writer best known for her young adult fiction, particularly "A Wrinkle in Time." Worked as a librarian at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.
- Laura Bush - First Lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009 during the presidency of her husband, George W. Bush. Laura Bush earned a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and worked as a librarian and teacher. She was employed at the Houston Public Library and later at the Austin Independent School District as an elementary school librarian.
- Margaret Atwood - Renowned Canadian author and poet, known for works such as "The Handmaid's Tale." Worked in a library during her university years.
- Toni Morrison - Nobel Prize-winning American novelist, essayist, editor, and professor.
Worked as a librarian at the Syracuse University Library and the Library of Congress early in her career.
- Honorable Mention: Andrew Carnegie - For his impact on the public library system.
Philanthropist and industrialist who funded the establishment of numerous public libraries and served as a library board member.
- This AI-enhanced list is part of my "Fun with AI" series of Twos lists.
AI-enhanced simply means that AI-tools, including Twos, were used when compiling this list.
AI-generated lists in this series were created by AI-tools, then slightly modified.
Both types of lists are shared for your education & enjoyment. Let's all harness the power of AI in our research and note-taking.
However don't forget to also harness the power of the human mind to organize, verify, synthesize, and create.
Your brain is the most important tool in your information arsenal. Don't forget to use it.