We are always in favor of looking at library history, and sharing all the great things people have done in our profession!
Check out this material from Book Riot (and you can read the entire article here):
“Professional librarianship began in 1876 with the formation of the American Library Association, the founding of American Library Journal, and the publication of Melvil Dewey’s decimal-based system of classification. Concurrently, there was an increase of libraries being built across the United States partly due to the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie.
Many of the libraries Carnegie built were academic libraries at Historically Black Colleges and Universities like Tuskegee Institute, Atlanta University, Fisk University, and Howard University. At these universities, the majority of black librarians were trained, made significant contributions to library science, and left a legacy for future librarians of all races.
Here are 13 pioneering Black American librarians you’ve probably never heard of, but should definitely know. However, this is not an exhaustive list and represents only a fraction of the black librarians who have made significant contributions to librarianship. Hopefully, learning more about these library pioneers will inspire further exploration of other trailblazing Black American librarians.
- Charlemae Hill Rollins, Advocate for Diverse Children’s Literature
- Clara Stanton Jones, The First Black President of the American Library Association
- Dorothy B. Porter, Dewey Decimal Decolonizer
- Edward C. Williams, America’s First Black Librarian
- Eliza Atkins Gleason, Library Science Trailblazer
[And I got to meet this wonderful librarian in person at an ALA Annual conference! She has been so inspirational as our current Librarian Of Congress!]
“Carla Diane Hayden
Carla Hayden is the 14th Librarian of Congress. She is the first woman and the first Black American librarian to hold the position. Prior to this appointment, Hayden was the Executive Director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. Hayden also served as president of the American Library Association from 2003 to 2004 where she was a vocal public opponent of the Patriot Act, which would give the Justice Department and the FBI the power to access library user records.”