What is the occupation common to Mao Zedong, Benjamin Franklin, Golda Meir, Mohammad Khatami, Jorge Luis Borges, and Giacomo Casanova?

It is surprising to learn that at one point in their colorful lives, these famous people held the occupation of an ordinary librarian.

Benjamin Franklin is not just known as one of the “Founding Fathers” of the United States, he is also credited with founding the first American Library (a private subscription library called the Library Company of Philadelphia) and served as librarian for a brief period of time. Mao Tse-tung (or Mao Zedong), the future revolutionary who founded the People's Republic of China, worked as assistant to the chief librarian at Peking University, who was also one of the pioneer Marxists of China.

Golda Meir was a librarian in both Milwaukee and Chicago in the early part of her life before becoming Prime Minister of Israel.

Mohammad Khatami was head of the National Library and Archives Organization of Iran before he became the fifth president of Iran. Infamous in history for his romantic adventures as a lover, Casanova spent the last thirteen years of his life as a private librarian to the Count of Waldstein in his château at Dux, Bohemia, where he had all the opportunity to write his memoirs.

The renowned Argentine literary giant, Jorge Luis Borges, served as municipal librarian before he was appointed director of the National Public Library and professor of English Literature at the University of Buenos Aires.