librarian
Americannoun
-
a person trained in library science and engaged in library service.
-
a person in charge of a library, especially the chief administrative officer of a library.
-
a person who is in charge of any specialized body of literature, as a collection of musical scores.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of librarian
Explanation
A librarian is someone who works in a library maintaining books and information and lending them to patrons. If you have a research project ahead of you, make friends with the librarian. There are many different types of librarians, from archivists who care for, organize, and lend very old or valuable documents; to school librarians who organize book-related projects and buy books and electronic resources that are appropriate for the students they serve. To become a librarian, you might want to get an advanced degree in library science. The Latin root of librarian is liber, "book." In the 17th century, a librarian was known as a "library-keeper."
Vocabulary lists containing librarian
ESL Library Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -an
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Cinematographer Meteor Cheung doesn’t need to do much more than park his camera on a tripod and pan it side to side, occasionally looking down in alarm like a librarian peering over her glasses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Born Marcia Griffin in Modesto, California, in 1945, she began her career as a film librarian before becoming one of Hollywood's most respected editors.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
She attended Princeton on 90% financial aid and worked part-time jobs on campus such as librarian, tutor and bartender.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026
During her 35 years as a school librarian, Bernadette Cooke Kearney has seen major changes — from the rise of the internet in the 1990s to the growing popularity of artificial intelligence today.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026
“The make-believe librarian is correct, Charles,” said Mrs. Chiltington as she came out of the Book Nook Cafe, sipping a cup of tea with her pinky finger extended.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
And what about support staff like teaching assistants, canteen staff and librarians?
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
And while parents appreciated the show’s help in getting children excited about reading, Duffield believes it was teachers and librarians who were the most enthusiastic about “Wishbone.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Her worries became reality around 2013, when the School District of Philadelphia cut nearly all of its librarians, including her.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026
Until the 1990s, Apple had a team of corporate librarians who guarded the company’s archival treasures like they were trade secrets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
Jule walked past men in sports jerseys, pensioners, party girls, and a large group of librarians wearing conference badges.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
