Throughout entertainment – literature, movies, comic books, video games, etc. – you’ll find librarians. Often we’re tucked away in supporting roles though, even in those cases, we are frequently an essential cog in the story’s development. Whether functioning as a plot device to provide backstory or crucial information or as heroes in their own right, librarians have always had a place in the collective imagination. One might even say the library itself – as a space, an institution, an idea – often acts as a character in stories.
From the enchanting world of fantasy novels to the bustling streets of television dramas, librarians play multifaceted roles that extend beyond their stereotypical image. We’re depicted as crazy, scary, magical, even sexy! So, what constitutes the archetype of the librarian? We’ll leave that to you to decide. But, to help you on your path, as good librarians do, we present to you here a woefully incomplete list of librarians in literature and pop culture.
There are plenty of pop-culture librarians to choose from. Who did we miss? Who is your favorite?
| Librarian | Where You May Know Them From | Claim to Fame |
| Rupert Giles | Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Film, 1992, TV Series 1997-2003) | Battles the Vampiric forces of evil |
| The Librarian | Terry Pratchett’s Discworld (Novel Series, 1983-2015) | Interdimensional Orangutan Librarian and rock keyboardist |
| Barbara Gordon a.k.a Batgirl and Oracle | DC Comics (Comic Book, 1967-Present) | Fights crime alongside the caped crusader, Batman. |
| Evelyn Carnahan | The Mummy (Film, 1999) | As a librarian and egyptologist, Evelyn helps defeat the mummy, Imhotep |
| Madam Pince | Harry Potter (Novels, 1997-2007) | As a librarian and Egyptologist, Evelyn helps defeat the mummy, Imhotep |
| Tammy Swanson a.k.a. Tammy Two | Parks and Recreation (TV Series, 2000-15) | Ron Swanson’s evil ex-wife, sometimes referred to as a “punk ass book jockey” |
| Mary Hatch Bailey | It’s a Wonderful Life (Film, 1946) | Making librarianship look like a fate worse than death |
| Ghost Librarian | Ghostbusters (Film,1984) | Shushing patrons and kicking off a city-wide ghost epidemic in NYC |
| Atoz | Star Trek (TV Series,1966-69) | Saving the inhabitants of the planet Sarpeidon from destruction |
| Mike Hanlon | Stephen King’s IT (Novel, 1986) | Getting “The Losers’ Club” back together to battle Pennywise the clown |
| Mira Romaine | Star Trek (TV Series,1966-69) | Librarian aboard the USS Enterprise, transferring equipment to Memory Alpha, the Federation’s Central Library |
| Romney Wordsworth | The Twilight Zone (TV Series, 1959-64) | In the episode entitled “The Obsolete Man,” Romney Wordsworth, a librarian, is deemed obsolete and ordered to be executed by an authoritarian dictator. Coincidentally, Wordsworth is played by Burgess Meredith who also depicted the book-addicted Henry Bemis in the classic Twilight Zone episode, “Time Enough at Last.” |
| Alicia Hull | Storm Center (Film, 1956) | Played by Bette Davis, Hull gets shunned by her town for refusing to remove “objectionable” books from the library. |
| Stuart Goodson | The Public (Film, 2018) | Played by Emilio Estevez, Goodson takes a stand for homeless patrons of the Cincinnati Public Library. Ironically, Estevez is well-known for his role in The Breakfast Club where he is sent to the library for punishment. I guess he saw the light. |
| Marian Paroo | The Music Man (Musical,1957; Film 1962) | Seeing through the lies of a conman before falling for him. Whoopsy. |