10 Unexpected Former Librarians

A diverse group, including writers, politicians, a former first lady, and even a comic book character, have all spent time working in libraries.

1. Mao Zedong

Before rising to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, Mao Zedong worked as a librarian's assistant at Peking University from 1918 to 1919. In need of employment, he earned just $8 per month performing tasks like delivering periodicals to readers and organizing shelves. He once remarked, "My office was so low that people avoided me."

2. J. Edgar Hoover

J. Edgar Hoover, who would later become the FBI director, began his government career at the Library of Congress while attending night classes at George Washington Law School. At GWU, government employment was a requirement to attend night school. Hoover started as a messenger, quickly advancing to cataloger, then clerk. During his time at the Library of Congress, he became proficient in the Dewey Decimal System, which eventually served as the foundation for the FBI's Central Records System.

3. Laura Bush

The former First Lady holds a master's degree in library science from the University of Texas at Austin. Alongside her work as a teacher in public schools, she served as a librarian in the Houston, Dallas, and Austin school districts. While in the White House, Bush used her love for reading to launch (with Congress) the first National Book Festival in 2001.

4. Lewis Carroll

The writer of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass served as a sub-librarian at Christ Church, Oxford University. This library was an ideal setting for the enthusiastic reader: Carroll not only managed the books and their borrowers but also tutored students and gave lectures in mathematics.

5. Jorge Luis Borges

Though he never won the Nobel Prize for his literary contributions across Latin America and beyond, Jorge Luis Borges worked as a public librarian in Buenos Aires. When Juan Perón became president of Argentina, he appointed Borges—who had 'anti-Perón political affiliates,' according to Paul S. Piper in the journal American Libraries—to a poultry inspector role, which Borges later resigned from. After Perón's fall from power, Borges was named director of the Biblioteca Nacional but resigned when Perón regained control of Argentina in 1973. During this time, Borges also taught literature at the University of Buenos Aires.

6. Giovanni Giacomo Casanova

The world’s most famous lover spent 13 years working at the castle of Count Waldstein in Dux, Bohemia. Struggling with finances, Casanova sought a favor from the occultist count, who was known for his affinity for intriguing individuals. Casanova began cataloging the count’s impressive collection of over 40,000 books and cleaning the library, but he spent much of his time writing. It was here that he penned his renowned Memoirs.

7. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe shared his love for the work of a librarian when he remarked, 'The library organization proceeds little by little, slowly enough. I hold my course, and seek to push on from section to section. I profit occasionally from an hour of poetry, or a bit of scientific knowledge.' Goethe worked at the Weimar Library, one of Germany’s most significant, where he carefully organized and cataloged its contents. His success led other libraries to request his assistance.

When organizing the chaotic Jena library, Goethe found that he needed more space for the books, but his request to use an empty room was turned down. Determined to finish his task, he broke through a brick wall to create the space he needed. Later, when the dampness in the library began to damage the books, Goethe wanted to tear down a city wall and, again, did just that.

8. Eratosthenes of Cyrene

Greek mathematician and geographer Eratosthenes, renowned for calculating the Earth's circumference, also held the prestigious position of head librarian at the Library of Alexandria. He even personally tutored the Greek-speaking King of Egypt. In the 3rd century BCE, Alexandria was the world's hub of scientific and cultural activity, and Eratosthenes' role as head librarian solidified his reputation as a scholar of many disciplines. A skilled bibliographer, he was deeply knowledgeable across various fields of study.

9. Beverly Cleary

The Newbery Medal-winning author, celebrated for creating beloved characters like Ramona Quimby, spent time as a children’s librarian in Yakima, Washington.

After completing her studies at the University of Washington's School of Librarianship in Seattle, Beverly Cleary took up a job where she thoroughly enjoyed connecting with a variety of children. Her most cherished visitors were those with homemade roller skates and scooters who would ask, 'Where are the books about us?' Cleary responded by creating numerous beloved children's classics, with her first work introducing Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy.

10. Batgirl

In an effort to attract more female readership, DC Comics introduced a more mature version of Batgirl in January 1967 in Detective Comics #359. This updated character, Barbara Gordon, was the adult daughter of a police commissioner and worked as a librarian. Her journey into crime-fighting began by sheer accident when she interrupted a robbery while donning her Halloween costume. And, of course, the victim of this crime was none other than Bruce Wayne!