Librarians, in case you hadn’t heard, are essential members of society — likely to expand minds wherever they go — and, as such, are fully worthy of hero worship (whether they’re among the coolest librarians alive or just pretty cool). That’s at least part of the impetus behind My Daguerreotype Librarian, “[a] tumblr dedicated to literally or figuratively hunky and babely librarians from the past.” Inspired by the website, here’s a little extra literary goodness: 25 awesome vintage photos of librarians from ages past, either shown or linked below.

Children lined up at the Chatham Square Branch librarian’s desk, 1910 (above).

The young people’s librarian and students, New York’s Aguilar Branch, 1938 (above).

Paul Brockett, Librarian at the Smithsonian National Academy of Science, 1924 (above).

Brig. Gen. R.E. Noble, Librarian of Army Medical Library, 1924 (above).

The school librarian and one of her student assistants at Woodrow Wilson High School, Washington D.C., 1943 (above).

A librarian telling an Ojibwa legend to a roomful of children at the Queens Borough Public Library, 1910 (above).

The Librarian at Tuskegee, Alabama and his assistant, 1910 (above).

A librarian helps a young hooligan (above).

Librarian with young reader in Browsing Room of the Nathan Strauss Branch for Young People (above).

Miss Eleanor Ayoub, Branch Librarian, New Drop Regional Branch, 1972 (above).

A librarian tells a story at the Webster Branch of the New York Public Library, 1910 (above).

A librarian reaching for the top shelf of the card catalog.

A librarian at the British Library of Political and Economic Science collecting books for readers in the reserve stacks, 1964.

Augusta Baker, who worked in Children’s Services at The New York Public Library from 1937 to 1974.

Fanny Kuter, the librarian circa 1950 at the Ladies Free Library in South Dansville, NY.

Librarian Katherine Case at the Pack Memorial Library Bookmobile in Asheville, NC. Circa late 1940s – early 1950s.

Los Angeles Public Library clerk using photo-charging machine, 1950.

A librarian in the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs, 1950.

Fiction Department, 1960s.

Niagara Falls librarians, 1955.

Minnie Oakley and Florence Baker Hayes, two Wisconsin State Historical Society librarians, 1896.

One of the original sexy librarians.

Three men dusting books at the New York Public Library, 1913.

Clyde King, Atlantic County Library System’s bookmobile driver circa 1955.

The future is now.