After briefly working for NPR in an administrative position in the 1970s, Malesky left the network. She earned her master's degree library science from the
Catholic University of America in Washington, DC in 1986. In March 1990, Malesky moved to NPR's News Reference Library. and determining whether to refer to the Italian city as
Turin or Torino). Oftentimes, Malesky was one of only "two and a half" reference library staffers, and was the only reference librarian who worked weekends. As of 2006, she was an adjunct faculty member of the member of the School of Library and Information Science at
Catholic University.
This was followed up two years later with the book Learn Something New Every Day: 365 Facts to Fulfill Your Life'', a collection of daily facts covering history, science, and culture, in 2012. She left NPR in 2014. == Personal life ==