[f. L. librāri-us concerned with books (hence as sb. a bookseller or scribe) + -AN.]
† 1. A scribe, copyist. Obs.
1670. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, II. IV. i. 370. The Booksellers got these books transcribed … by unmeet Librarians.
1725. W. Broome, Notes on Pope’s Odyss., XII. 131. This is the error of the Librarians, who put τρὶς for δὶς.
2. The keeper or custodian of a library. (This word has supplanted the older library-keeper.)
1713. Steele, Englishman, No. 1. 8. Why mayn’t I be witty, as a Man that keeps a Librarian is Learned?
1791. Boswell, Johnson, an. 1754. Mr. Wise, Radclivian librarian, with whom Johnson was much pleased.
1829. University Instr., in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), III. 104. A projecting Room … for the use of the Librarian.
† 3. A dealer in books. Obs. rare–1.
a. 1734. North, Lives (1826), III. 200. This Mr. Scot was in his time the greatest librarian in Europe: for, besides his Stock in England he had warehouses at Frankfort [etc.].
Hence Librarianess, a female librarian; Librarianship, the office or work of a librarian.
1818. Todd, Librarianship.
1862. Trollope, N. Amer., I. 360. The librarianesses looked very pretty and learned…; the head librarian was enthusiastic.
1871. Daily News, 12 April, 5/3. The Government of the CZAR has not exceeded the limits of moderation in depriving the learned book-fancier of his librarianship.
1886. Academy, 19 June, 432/3. An essay on some subject in librarianship or bibliography.
