Lucille Smith and the Ballard Carnegie Library (Seattle, Washington)

In 1942, Lucille Smith (later Lucille Smith Thompson) became the first African American to receive an undergraduate degree in librarianship from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Born in 1919 in Lewiston, Montana to Martin and Emma Riley Smith, Lucille Smith was the sister of Alma Smith Jacobs - the first African American to serve as state librarian for Montana.

While in library school, Ms. Smith became the first African American library science student to do a library practicum at the Ballard Carnegie Library in Seattle, Washington. The Ballard Carnegie Library was built with a grant of $15,000 from Andrew Carnegie and was in operation from 1904 until 1963 (it became a branch of the Seattle Public Library in 1907). George Hitchcock served as the first librarian. When the building ceased operation as a library, it became an antiques store, then later a restaurant (Kangaroo & Kiwi). The building is listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places.

In 1945, Lucille Smith married Morrell Thompson. She later helped organize libraries in Idaho and Montana, and was a school librarian and French teacher at Browning High School in Browning, Montana. In 1964, Lucille Smith Thompson was hired as a reference librarian at Montana State University-Bozeman. In 1970, she and her sister Alma co-wrote The Negro in Montana, 1800-1945.  In 1985, Thompson retired from Montana State University-Bozeman after 21 years of service. Lucille Smith Thompson passed away on February 7, 1996 in Bozeman, Montana.

Note: Emma Riley Smith, mother of Lucille Smith Thompson and Alma Smith Jacobs, was a well-known quilter. See:

"Churchwoman: Emma Riley Smith." African American Women Confront the West: 1600 to 2000. Ed. Quintard Taylor and Shirley Ann Wilson Moore. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 2003. 132-135.Print.

Hanshew, Annie. Border to Border: Historic Quilts and Quiltmakers of Montana. Helena: Montana Historical Society Press, 2009. 116-117. Print.

*Update 12/16/2012:

The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) has a video on YouTube giving a brief history of the Ballard Carnegie Library:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeX4YBMUAGg

*Update 01/07/2013:

Larry T. Nix recently added a post, "Andrew Carnegie and A Library Fire in Seattle", to his Library History Buff Blog. The Ballard Carnegie Library is briefly mentioned:

Library History Buff Blog: Andrew Carnegie and A Library Fire in Seattle (posted by Larry T. Nix on Jan. 6, 2013)
http://libraryhistorybuff.blogspot.com/2013/01/andrew-carnegie-and-library-fire-in.html


Sources: "Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950." FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. ; "Obituaries - Lucille W. Thompson." Great Falls Tribune 10 February 1996: 2B. Print. ; "Obituaries - Lucille W. Thompson." Bozeman Daily Chronicle 8 February 1996: 6. Print. ; "United States Census, 1930." FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. ; Jordan, Casper LeRoy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 8-9, 11. Print. ; Grant, George C. "Alma Jacobs Library Plaza, Great Falls Public Library, Great Falls Montana." In Honor of: Libraries Named for African Americans. Jonesboro: GrantHouse Publishers, 2011. 132. Print. ; Garner, Carla W. "Jacobs, Alma S. (1916-1997)." BlackPast.org. Black Past, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2010. ;  Wilma, David. "Ballard Branch, The Seattle Public Library." HistoryLink - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 5 July 2002. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. ; Henry, Mary T. "Gayton, Willetta Esther Riddle (1909-1991)."  HistoryLink - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 19 Dec. 2010. ; Bryan, Zachariah. "Finally, Ballard Carnegie Library Officially a Landmark." Ballard News-Tribune. 7 Nov. 2012: n.pag. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. ; Wilma, David. "Carnegie Free Library in Ballard Opens on June 24, 1904." HistoryLink - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 20 June 2002. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. ; "Kangaroo & Kiwi Eatery to Open in Old Carnegie Library." Eater.  13 Jan. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012;  Rook, Anne-Marije. "The Old Carnegie Building Welcomes New Tenant: Kangaroo & Kiwi Pub to Move into Ground Floor Space." Ballard News-Tribune 13 Jan. 2012: n.pag. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. ; "Churchwoman: Emma Riley Smith." African American Women Confront the West: 1600 to 2000. Ed. Quintard Taylor and Shirley Ann Wilson Moore. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 2003. 132-135. Print. ; Hanshew, Annie. Border to Border: Historic Quilts and Quiltmakers of Montana. Helena: Montana Historical Society Press, 2009. 116-117. Print. ; "To Replenish Library." The Seattle Star (Seattle,Washington) Night Ed. 21 Oct. 1904: 8. Print. ; "To Get Books." The Seattle Star (Seattle, Washington) Night Ed. 13 Dec. 1904: 3. Print.

George Washington Carver Library (Jackson, Mississippi) and Its Role in the Tougaloo Nine Sit-in

The George Washington Carver Library was established in 1950 to provide library service to African Americans in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1951, it became a branch of the Jackson Library System (now the Jackson-Hinds Library System) and moved into a new building in 1956. The Carver Library played a pivotal role in the sit-in organized by the "Tougaloo Nine", a group of nine students from Tougaloo College:

Joseph Jackson, Jr.
Geraldine Edwards *
James Bradford
Evelyn Pierce
Albert Lassiter
Ethel Sawyer
Meredith Anding
Janice Jackson
Alfred Cook


On March 27, 1961, the "Tougaloo Nine" visited the Carver Library to ask for books that weren't in the library's collection and then went to the main branch of the Jackson Public Library which had the books they were looking for. After finding the books, the students decided to stay in the main branch of the Jackson Public Library and read them. At that time African Americans were not permitted to use the Jackson Public Library's main branch. When asked to leave, the students refused and were arrested. The following year, four other African American students attempted to integrate the library by organizing a sit-in. They unlike their predecessors were not arrested. Eventually the library system was integrated. The Carver Library ceased operation in 1976.

See related post: The Tougaloo Nine and the Sit-in at the Jackson Mississippi Municipal Library

Update 12/09/2012:
* Click on the link below for a video on YouTube of Geraldine Hollis (maiden name - Geraldine Edwards) speaking on her experience as one of the Tougaloo Nine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X43BU-I9qP4

Ms. Hollis also wrote a book about her life and experiences in Mississipi, called Back in Mississippi. It was published in 2011 by Xlibris Corporation.

Update 12/11/2012:
Twenty-two years earlier, five African American men were arrested for their attempt to receive service at the Barrett Branch of the Alexandria Public Library in Alexandria, Virginia:

The Robert Robinson Branch of the Alexandria Public Library (Alexandria, VA) and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike
http://www.littleknownblacklibrarianfacts.blogspot.com/2011/08/robert-robinson-branch-of-alexandria.html

Update 2/28/2013:

The George Washington Carver Library is briefly mentioned in the following article:

McAllister, Dorothy. "Library Service to the Colored Race." Mississippi Library News 17.2 (1953):112-113.Print.

The library sit-in by the "Tougaloo Nine" is briefly mentioned in the following article:

Cook, Karen. "Struggles Within: Lura G. Currier, the Mississippi Library Commission, and Library Services to African Americans." Information & Culture 48.1 (2013):136-137. Print.


Sources: Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 105. Print. ; Grant, George, comp. "George Washington Carver Municipal Library (1956-1976)." In Honor of: Libraries Named for African Americans. Jonesboro: Grant House Publishers, 2011. 119. Print. ; Lasseter, Cheryl. "Members of Tougaloo Nine Look Back at Historic Day." WLBT.com (Channel 3 - Jackson, Mississippi). WorldNow, 14 Oct. 2006. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. ; McBride, Earnest. "Hamer Forum Pays Tribute to Tougaloo 9." Jackson Advocateonline.com. Jackson Advocate (Jackson, Miss.), 13 Oct. 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. ; "Remembering the Jackson Movement." Mississippi History Newsletter (Aug. 2006): 1-2. Print. ; "4 Young Negroes Integrate Mississippi Library." Jet 22.15 (1962): 24. Print.

Constance Hill Marteena: Hampton Institute Library School Graduate and President of the North Carolina Negro Library Association

Constance Hill Marteena, a 1933 graduate of the Hampton Institute Library School, was president of the North Carolina Negro Library Association from 1952 until 1954 (note: Hampton Institute is now Hampton University). She received her master's degree in library science from the University  of Chicago in 1946.

Born August 24, 1897 in Richmond, Virginia, Ms. Marteena was the daughter of Reubin and Irene Hill, and the wife of Jerald Milton Marteena (Mr. Marteena once served as Dean of Engineering at North Carolina A & T State University; Marteena Hall, located on the university's campus, is named for him).

In addition, Ms. Marteena was a librarian at North Carolina A & T State University (1929-1937) and at Bennett College (1937-1967), both in Greensboro, North Carolina.  She also served on the editorial board of Library Service Review, the bulletin of the North Carolina Negro Library Association. Ms. Marteena was an author as well:

Marteena, Constance Hill. The Lengthening Shadow of a Woman: A Biography of Charlotte Hawkins Brown. Hicksville: Exposition, 1977. Print.

Marteena, Constance H. "Teaching the Student to Help Himself." Library Service Review 1.1 (1948): 8-10. Print.

Marteena, Constance H. A Bibliographic Technique Illustrated in the Compilation of a Selective Guide to the Literature of Afro-American Women of Achievement. Chicago: University of Chicago, Graduate School, 1946. Print.


In 1934, Ms. Marteena became one of six charter members of the Beta Iota Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority. She passed away on December 29, 1978.

The Thomas F. Holgate Library of Bennett College has a digital collection relating to Ms. Marteena: http://holgatedigitallibrary.bennett.edu/collections/

Update 12/09/2012:

See related post: North Carolina Negro Library Association.

Sources: Lee, Mollie Huston. "North Carolina Negro Library Association, 1935-54." Library Review 2 (1955): 10-32. Print. ; "Constance Marteena." U.S. Social Security Death Index. FamilySearch.org, n.d.Web. 14 Feb. 2012. ; "Constance Marteena." North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994. FamilySearch.org., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2012. ; Speller, Benjamin F. and James R. Jarrell. "Profiles of Pioneers: Selected North Carolina Black Librarians." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 81-82. Print. ; Speller, Benjamin F. "Constance Hill Marteena." Notable Black American Women. Ed. Jessie Carney Smith. Book II. Detroit: Gale Research, 1996. 433-434. Print. ; A Directory of Negro Graduates of Accredited Library Schools, 1900-1936. Washington, D.C.: Columbia Civic Library Association, 1937. 17. Print. ; "Our Contributors." Library Service Review  1.2 (1948): 5. Print. ; "Editorial Board." Library Service Review 1.1 (1948): [3]. Print. ; "Beta Iota Omega Chapter History." Beta Iota Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Charted in 1934 - Greensboro, North Carolina. betaiotaomega.org, 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. ; "Jerald Marteena." U.S. Social Security Death Index. FamilySearch.org, n.d.Web. 09 Dec. 2012. ; "Jerald Milton Marteena." North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994. FamilySearch.org., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2012. ; Marteena, Constance H. "Teaching the Student to Help Himself." Library Service Review 1.1 (1948): 8-10. Print. ; Moore, Richard. "Mrs. Marteena Leaves $120, 371 to A&T Unit." The Afro-American (Baltimore, Md.) 23 Aug. 1980: 1. Print.

                                                      

Herbert Isaac Ernest Dhlomo: Zulu, Writer, Educator, and Pioneer South African Librarian

Herbert Isaac Ernest Dhlomo (also known as H.I.E. Dhlomo) was appointed the first librarian-organizer for the Carnegie Non-European Library Service (Transvaal) in 1937. A Zulu, Mr. Dhlomo was born in 1903 in Siyama Village in Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa. In his role as librarian-organizer, Mr. Dhlomo helped promote library services to the black populations of South Africa. He left the Carnegie Non-European Library Service (Transvaal) in 1940. Mr. Dhlomo later served as librarian for the Ndongeni Bantu Library of the Durban Bantu Social Centre.

In addition to being a librarian, Mr. Dhlomo was a teacher, journalist, playwright, author, musician, and newspaper editor. He was part of the New African Movement, and wrote for the newspapers Umteteli wa Bantu and Ilanga Lase Natal. He was a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and co-founded the National Union of African Youth (NUAY). Mr. Dhlomo passed away in 1956 in Durban, South Africa.

According to the WorldCat database, Tim Couzens published a biography in 1986 on Herbert Dhlomo called The New African: A Study of the Life and Work of H.I.E. Dhlomo. Another biography on Herbert Dhlomo, The Cultural Modernity of H.I.E. Dhlomo, was written by Ntongela Masilela in 2007. In 1985, a collection of Herbert Dhlomo's literary works were published in H.I.E. Dhlomo: Collected Works (edited by Tim Couzens and Nick Visser).

In 1999, Pitzer College in Claremont, California established the H.I.E. Dhlomo Center for African Intellectual History.

See related post: Carnegie Non-European Library Service (Transvaal) of South Africa

Update 12/09/2012:

Rolfes Robert Reginald Dhlomo (also known as R.R.R. Dhlomo) was the brother of Herbert Isaac Ernest Dhlomo. Born in 1901, Rolfes Robert Reginald Dhlomo was the author of An African Tragedy: A Novel in English by A Zulu Writer, UShaka (Chaka): A Zulu Historical Novel of the Life of King Chaka, and Ucetshwayo: A Zulu Novel.  He also published stories in the newpapers Bantu World and Sjambok, and worked with his brother for the newspaper Ilanga Lase Natal. Both brothers were members of the Bantu Social Centre in Durban, South Africa. Rolfes Robert Reginald Dhlomo passed away in 1971.

See: Gaylard, Rob. "R.R.R. Dhlomo and the Early Black South African Short Story in English." Current Writing: Text and Reception in Southern African 17.1 (2005): 52-69. Print. ; Cele, Mwelela. "Consolidation of  Common Purpose: A Brief History of the Durban Bantu Social Centre." The Thinker: For the Thought Leaders 33 (2011): 35, 37. PDF file. ; Manus, Vicki, Briault. Emerging Traditions: Toward a Postcolonial Stylistics of Black South African Fiction in English. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2011. 6, 42-44, 47. Print.

*Update 01/13/2013:

Both Herbert Dhlomo and his brother Rolfes Dhlomo attended Adams College, a school created for the education of black South Africans. Adams College was founded by Dr. Newton Adams of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in 1853, and is located in Amanzimtoti, South Africa. The school is still in operation today.

Note: The town of Amanzimtoti is said to have received its named from King Shaka, who ruled the Zulu nation from about 1816 until his assasination in 1828. During one of his military journeys, King Shaka stopped to drink water from a nearby river and said "Kanti amanz'amtoti" (means "So, the water is sweet" in Zulu). Today, Amanzimtoti is a popular tourist attraction and is home of the Umdoni Bird Sanctuary.

See: "Deaths." The Missionary Herald 67 (1871): 28-29. Print. ; Dube, Ernest F. "The Relationship between Racism and Education in South Africa." Harvard Educational Review 55.1 (1985): 95-96. Print. ; "American Board of Missions." Missionary Register  Feb. 1848: 67. Print. ; "King Shaka Zulu." South African History Online: Towards a People's History. South African History Online, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. ; "Durban, South Africa (Amanzimtoti, UmKomaas)." South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal. Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. ; "Historical Background." Adams College.  Adams College, 2013. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. ; Virji, Sumaiya. "Herbert Ernest Dhlomo." South African History Online: Towards a People's History. South African History Online, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. ; Manus, Vicki, Briault. Emerging Traditions: Toward a Postcolonial Stylistics of Black South African Fiction in English. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2011. 6, 42-44, 47. Print.

Sources: Evers, R. Alain. "The Pioneers: Herbert Isaac Ernest Dhlomo and the Development of Library Service to the African in South Africa." Third World Libraries 3.2 (1993):n.pag. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. ; Kalley, Jacqueline. Apartheid in South African Libraries: The Transvaal Experience. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 39. Print. ; Rochester, Maxine K. "The Carnegie Corporation and South Africa: Non-European Library Services." Libraries & Culture 34.1 (1999): 36-37, 39, 41-43, 45. Print. ; Jones, Reinette. "Kentucky Carnegie Colored Libraries International Influence." Notable Kentucky African Americans Database: Librarians. University of Kentucky Libraries, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2012. ; Bell, Fiona. "The Carnegie Corporation Decides on Racially-Segregated Libraries in South Africa in 1928: Negrophilist or Segregationist?" Library & Information History 25.3 (2009): 184-185. Print. ; Cele, Mwelela. "Edendale's Literary Pioneer." The Witness 25 Jan. 2012:n.pag. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. ; Language, Literature, and Intellectual History in South Africa: A Conversation about the New African Movement between Ntongela Masilela and Sandile Ngidi. Claremont: Pitzer College, 2005. PDF file. ; "A Brief History of the African National Congress." African National Congress: South Africa's National Liberation Movement. ANC, 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. ; Masilela, Ntongela. The New African Movement: The Early Years. Claremont: Pitzer College, n.d. PDF file. ; Cele, Mwelela. "Consolidation of A Common Purpose: A Brief History of the Durban Bantu Social Centre." The Thinker: For the Thought Leaders 33 (2011): 34-38. PDF file. ; Cele, Mwelela. "Turning Oppression into Power." The Witness 17 Jan. 2012:n.pag. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. ; "Africa." The Crisis 40.6 (1933):137. Print. ; Cobley, Alan G. "Literacy, Libraries, and Consciousness: The Provision of Library Services for Blacks in South Africa in the Pre-Apartheid Era." Libraries & Culture 32.1 (1997): 57-80. Print. ; Kalley, Jacqueline A. "Libraries and Apartheid, with Particular Reference in the Transvaal, 1948-1992." Third World Libraries 6.2 (1996): n.pag. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. ; Visser, N.W. "H.I.E. Dhlomo (1903-1956): The Re-emergence of an African Writer." English in Africa 1.2 (1974): 1-10. Print. ; Lopez, Steven. The Life and Times of HIE Dhlomo. Claremont: Pitzer College, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. ; Virji, Sumaiya. "Herbert Ernest Dhlomo." South African History Online: Towards a People's History. South African History Online, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. ; Terblanche, Erika. "Dhlomo, Herbert Isaac Ernest." Literatur im Kontext. Universität Wien, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. ; Manus, Vicki, Briault. Emerging Traditions: Toward a Postcolonial Stylistics of Black South African Fiction in English. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2011. 10, 41-42, 46, 161. Print. ; Olden, Anthony. Libraries in Africa: Pioneers, Policies, Problems. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1995. 23-25. Print.

Helen Price Sawyer Braxton: Hampton Institute Library School Graduate and Librarian at Lincoln University (Jefferson City, Missouri)

Helen Price Sawyer Braxton, a 1936 graduate of the library science program at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), was once a librarian at Alabama State Teachers College (now Alabama State University) and at the War-Time Civil Service Library at Fort McClellan, Alabama during World War II. In addition, Ms. Braxton was a founding member of the Beta Nu Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Later, Ms. Braxton was a librarian at the Manual Training High School in Bordentown, New Jersey. In 1951, she was hired as a librarian at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. That same year, Ms. Braxton and three other librarians at Lincoln University (Albert P. Marshall, Gertrude Franklin, and Mary McAfee Turner) attended the American Library Association Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois (July 8-14, 1951).

Update 10/11/2012:

Ms. Braxton remained at Lincoln University until 1955. After leaving, Ms. Braxton served as a librarian at the Tompkins Square Park Branch of the New York Public Library.

The Helen Sawyer Braxton Student Library Award was later created at Lincoln University in her honor.

Dudley Randall, librarian, poet, and founder of Broadside Press, was a co-worker of Ms. Braxton. She and Mr. Randall were both hired in 1951 by Lincoln University.

Update 12/26/2012:

Charles Wilbur Florence was president of Lincoln University from 1931-1937. His wife, Virginia Proctor Powell Florence was the first African American female to receive a degree in library science.

Update 04/12/2013:

See related posts: Annette Hoage Phinazee: Dean, Professor, Author, and Librarian and Bernice Appleton Wilder: First African American Director of the Gary Public Library (Gary, Indiana).

Sources: "Mrs. Helen Braxton Named Head of Journalism Library." Lincoln Clarion (Jefferson City, Mo.) 7 Feb. 1951: 6. Print. ; "Ill. [i.e., Illinois] Woman Takes Library Post at Lincoln U. (Mo.)." Indianapolis Recorder 17 Feb. 1951: 7. Print. ; A Directory of Negro Graduates of Accredited Library Schools, 1900-1936. Washington : Columbia Civic Library Association, 1937. 20. Print. ; "Librarians Attend Chicago Meeting." The Jefferson City Post-Tribune 5 July 1951: 10. Print. ; "Past Annual Conferences, 1876-Present." American Library Association. ALA, 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2o12. ; "History of Beta Nu Omega." Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Beta Nu Omega Chapter, Montgomery, AL.  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Beta Nu Omega Chapter, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. ; "Read Your Hometown Newspaper in J-Library." Lincoln Clarion (Jefferson City, Mo.) 23 May 1951: 4. Print. ; "Page Announces New Pamphlets." Lincoln Clarion (Jefferson City, Mo.) 7 Dec. 1951: 1. Print. ; "Page Has New Service System." Lincoln Clarion (Jefferson City, Mo.) 7 June 1952: 1, 3. Print. ; "Faculty Spends Holidays Both Near and Far Away." Lincoln Clarion (Jefferson City, Mo.) 7 Jan. 1955: 2. Print. ; "City News." Lincoln Clarion (Jefferson City, Mo.) 20 Jan. 1956: 4. Print.  ; "Haynes Wins Library Award." Lincoln Clarion (Jefferson City, Mo.) 29 Apr. 1966: 1. Print.

The E. Azalia Hackley Collection of Negro Music, Dance, and Drama (Detroit Public Library)

The E. Azalia Hackley Collection of Negro Music, Dance, and Drama was established at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library in 1943. The collection consists of sheet music, books, recordings, photos, and other materials relating to the history of African Americans in the performing arts. The collection is named for Emma Azalia Hackley (1867-1922), an African American singer, political activist, teacher, and lecturer. Ms. Hackley was active during the late 1800s and the early 1900s. She founded organizations such as the Hackley Choral Society, the Colored Women's League, and the Vocal Normal Institute of Chicago. Ms. Hackley passed away in 1922.

*Update 05/04/2015:

 The E. Azalia Hackley Collection was recently featured in the May/June 2015 issue of Michigan History:

Minor, Romie. "Preserving the Black Performance for Posterity." Michigan History 99.3 (2015): 50-55. Print.

See related posts: Clara Stanton Jones: ALA's First African American President ; The Mayme A. Clayton Library Museum and Cultural Center (MCL) ; and Arthur Alfonso Schomburg, 1874-1938: Noted Bibliophile, Collector, Curator,and Scholar.

Sources: Campbell, Dorothy Wilson. "Curators of African American Collections." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library of Science, 1980. 193. Print. ; Kinney, Sylvia. "The E. Azalia Hackley Collection." Ethnomusicology 5.3 (1961): 202-203. Print. ; LaBrew, A.R., and E.A. Hackley. Fifty Years of Programs Given in Memory of the E. Azalia Hackley Collection, 1943-1944. Detroit: Arthur LaBrew, 1999. Print. ; Peterson, Heather. "Hackley, Emma Azalia (1867-1922)." BlackPast.org. BlackPast.org, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2012.

 

,

The Educator and the Librarian: Dr. Charles E. Rochelle and Thelma N. Rochelle

Dr. Charles E. Rochelle, a 1917 graduate of the Indiana State Teachers College (now Indiana State University), was born on July 3, 1895 in Terre Haute, Indiana. He worked as a teacher and principal in the public schools of Evansville, Indiana for 41 years. Most notably, Dr. Rochelle served as the principal of Lincoln High School, a school built for African American students in Evansville. He retired in 1962.

In 1933, Dr. Rochelle received his M.A. from the Indiana State Teachers College. In 1942,  he became the first African American to earned a PhD in education from the University of California at Berkley. Dr. Rochelle later served as a visiting professor at A & I University (now Tennessee State University) in Nashville, Tennessee ; was secretary-treasurer of the Indiana State Board of Vocational Education (1945-1958) ; and a member of the Advisory Committee on Education for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.. He also attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana where he received his M.S. degree.

 

In addition, Dr. Rochelle was a veteran of World War I, a member of the American Legion, the Evansville Teachers Association, the Indiana State Teachers Association, and the National Education Association (NEA); and once served as a regional director for the American Teachers Association. In 1944, Dr. Rochelle and other African Americans rallied in support of Japanese American war veterans after officials from the American Legion Chapter of Hood River, Oregon removed their names from a memorial post.

 

In 1965,  Dr. Rochelle was appointed to the Indiana State Board of Vocational and Technical Education by then-Governor Roger D. Branigin. Four years later, on Saturday, May 3, 1969, the University of Evansville gave a dinner and tribute to Dr. Rochelle in honor of his life's work. He passed away on April 30, 1993 at the age of 98 in Evansville, Indiana.

 

His wife, Thelma N. Rochelle was appointed librarian for the Cherry Street Branch of the Evansville Public Library in 1942 (the Evansville Public Library is now the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Public Library).  Mrs. Rochelle was a 1945 graduate of the Indiana State Library's Summer School for Librarians (formerly the Indiana Public Library Commission Summer School for Librarians). The Cherry Street Branch was a Carnegie library that provided services to the African American residents of Evansville, Indiana from 1914 until its closure in 1954.

See related posts: Article on Evansville, Indiana's Former African American Library Branch ; The Educator and the Librarian II: Horace Mann Bond and Julia Agnes Washington Bond

Update 12/10/2012:

To view a picture of Dr. and Mrs. Rochelle from the University of Southern Indiana's digital history collection on Evansville, Indiana, click on the link below:

http://cdm1819-01.cdmhost.com/cdm/ref/collection/p181901coll18/id/2167

 

 

Sources: Library Occurrent 15.2 (1945): 1, 393. Print. ; "Indianapolis Visitor Honored with Party." Chicago Defender 3 Sept. 1938, natl. ed.: 13. Print. ; "Principal Charles Rochelle with Students in All-Black Lincoln High School in Evansville (Photo)." Hoosier History: This Far By Faith: Black Hoosier Heritage. Indianapolis: Indiana Humanities Council, n.d. 18. Print. ; "Evansville, Ind. History African American Minorities Photographs." Indiana Memory, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. ; Moorman, Mary Lynn J. "Just Gabbin'." The Evansville Argus 10 Oct. 1942: 3. Print. ; Holder, Marilyn J. "For Your Reading Pleasure We Recommend the Following Books at Cherry St. Library." The Evansville Argus 17 Sept. 1943: 4. Print. ; "Find Books Useful in Securing Promotions in War Plants." The Evansville Argus 19 Dec. 1942: 3. Print. ; "Yuletide Parties." The Evansville Argus 7 Jan. 1939: 3. Print. ; Chambers, William A. "Dr. C. Rochelle to Be Honored in Evansville." Indianapolis Recorder 3 May 1969: 1, 2. Print. ; "Governor Names Five to New State Vocational Board." Indianapolis Recorder 24 July 1965: 1. Print. ; Robinson, Greg. After Camp: Portraits in Midcentury Japanese American Life and Politics. Berkley : University of California Press, 2012. 163-164. Print. ; "Rochelle Again Heads Legion." The Evansville Argus 23 July 1938: 1. Print. ; "Evansville Teacher Chosen As Leader in Youth Council 2-Day Oakland Conference." The Evansville Argus 11 July 1942: 1. Print. ; "Lincoln Students Take Part in Mock Trial." The Evansville Argus 27 May 1939: 1. Print. ; "School News." The Evansville Argus 1 Nov. 1940: 1. Print. ; "Off to California." The Evansville Argus 10 May 1940: 1. Print. ; "Attention All Legion Members." The Evansville Argus 27 May 1939: 1. Print. ; "Evansville to Hold First Chautauqua." Indianapolis Recorder 28 July 1934: 1. Print. ; "Honor War Mothers' Program Highlighted by Rochelle's Review of Our Colored Soldiers." The Evansville Argus 16 May 1942: 1. Print.

Milton S. Byam: Librarian, Author, and Educator

Milton S. Byam was the first African American director of the District of Columbia Public Library (1972). He later became the first African American director of the Queens Borough Public Library System (1974). Mr. Byam also authored several articles:

 

Byam, Milton S. "A Librarian Grows in Brooklyn." The Black Librarian in America. Ed.   E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970. 50-68. Print.

 

Byam, Milton S. "Brooklyn Public Library's District Library Scheme." Wilson Library Bulletin 35 (1961): 365-367. Print.

 

Byam, Milton S. "Consulting in Staff Development." Library Trends 28.3 (1980): 399-409. Print.

 

Byam, Milton S. "History of Branch Libraries." Library Trends 14.4 (1966): 368-373. Print.

 

Byam, Milton S. "Implications for Public Libraries." Collective Bargaining in Libraries. Ed. Frederick A. Schlipf. Urbana-Champaign: University of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science, 1975. 117-121. Print.

 

 

In addition, Mr. Byam also served as chairman of the Department of Library Science at St. John's University (appointed July 1, 1968); deputy director of the Brooklyn Public Library; and was a graduate of the Columbia University School of Library Science (the school closed in 1992).

 

Sources: "Top Negro Librarians Air Views on Library Segregation." Jet 20.5 (1961): 24-25. Print. ; "Speaking of People." Ebony 23.12 (1968): 7. Print. ; "Washington, D.C., Public Library." Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Ed. Allen, Kent, Harold Lancour, and Jay Daily. Vol. 32. New York: Dekker, 1981. 397-398. Print. ; Byam, Milton S. "A Librarian Grows in Brooklyn." The Black Librarian in America. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970. 50-68. Print. ; "Dr. Philip Shiver is Keynote Speaker: Speakers Set for OLA Meeting." Ohio Libraries: Newsletter of the Ohio Library Association 6.6 (1976): 1, 6. Print ; "Public Library Open Sundays." D.C. Gazette 4.5 (1972): 14. Print. ; Jordan, Casper LeRoy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 10, 12. Print. 

The Colored School Department of the Cossitt Library (Memphis, Tennessee)

The Cossitt Library (Memphis, Tennessee) opened the Colored School Department of the Cossitt Library in 1913. This department was responsible for providing library services to African Americans in Memphis. Cecelia K. Yerby was the head of the department. The Cossitt Library also established services for African Americans at the Booker T. Washington High School, the Howe Collegiate Institute, and the Vance Branch Library.

See related posts: The Negro Branch of the Carnegie Library of Nashville (Nashville, Tennessee) ; The Free Colored Carnegie Branch of the Lawson McGhee Library (Knoxville, Tennessee); and The Howard Branch of the Chattanooga Public Library (Chattanooga, Tennessee).

Sources: Yerby, Cecelia K. "Good Reading for Negroes II: A Memphis Library." The Southern Workman 43.10 (1914): 541-543. Print. ; Miller, Ernest I. "Library Service for Negroes in Tennessee." Journal of Negro Education 10.4 (1941): 636-637. Print. ; Hudson, Earline H. "Library Service to Blacks and Black Librarians in Tennessee." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 104, 109-110, 112. Print. ; Du Mont, Rosemary Ruhig and William Caynon. "Education of Black Librarians." Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Ed. Kent Allen, Harold Lancour, and Jay Daily. Vol. 45, suppl. 10. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1990. 111. Print.

 

African American Officers of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL)

The first African American president of the American Association of Law Libraries was Carol Avery Nicholson.

Sources: Rush, Mila. "Firsts in Academic Law Libraries." American Association of Law Libraries. AALL-SIS, 22 Sept. 2006. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. ; "TS-SIS Long Time Member Profile: Carol Avery Nicholson." American Association of Law Libraries. AALL-Technical Services Special Interest Section, 4 Oct. 2006. Web. 29 Aug. 2012.
 

Ruth Johnson Hill was the first African American to serve as chair for the American Association of Law Libraries – Academic Libraries Special Interest Section. She was also the first African American to chair the organization’s Council of Special Interest Section Chairs.

Sources: Rush, Mila. "Firsts in Academic Law Libraries." American Association of Law Libraries. AALL-SIS, 22 Sept. 2006. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. ; "ALL-SIS Officers and Committees 2001-2002." American Association of Law Libraries. ALL-SIS, 17 June 2002. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.

Allen Mercer Daniel, the first law librarian of Howard University (1940-1956), was also the first African American member of the American Association of Law Libraries.

Sources: Berry, Cynthia. "Allen Mercer Daniel: A Leader in Librarianship." AALL Spectrum 4 (2000): 12. Print. ; Centennial Committee of the Academic Law Libraries Special Interest Section. "Firsts in Academic Law Libraries." American Association of Law Libraries - Academic Law Libraries Special Interest Section. American Association of Law Libraries, 22 Sept. 2006. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. ; "Daniel Online Resource Guide." Howard University School of Law Library. Howard University School of Law Library, 6 Oct. 2010. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. ; "Introducing the AALL Hall of Fame." AALL Spectrum Jul. 2010: 14. Print.

Judy Dimes-Smith was the first African American elected to the American Association of Law Libraries Executive Board.

Sources: Centennial Committee of the Academic Law Libraries Special Interest Section. "Firsts in Academic Law Libraries." American Association of Law Libraries - Academic Law Libraries Special Interest Section. American Association of Law Libraries, 22 Sept. 2006. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. ; "Memorials: Judy Barbara Dimes-Smith." Law Library Journal 86 (1994): 373-374. Print. ; Howland, Joan S. "Focus on Diversity : Diversity Deferred." Law Library Journal 90 (1998): 561. Print. ; Dimes-Smith, Judy. "Law Librarianship: An African-American Perspective." Law Library Lights 35 (1992): 4. Print.

Purdue University Black Cultural Center (West Lafayette, Indiana)

The Purdue University Black Cultural Center was established on the campus of Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana) in 1969. Arthur J. Bond, one of the founders of the National Society of Black Engineers, helped found the center. The Purdue Black Cultural Center was created to serve the university’s African and African American students. The Indiana Black Librarians Network, an affiliate chapter of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), was organized on October 31, 2001 at the center.

See related posts: Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center at Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana) ; The Indiana Black Librarians Network (IBLN): Empowering Indiana's African American Librarians and Paraprofessionals.
 

Sources: "...Or the Fire Next Time: A Timeline of African American History at Purdue." Purdue University Libraries, Archives, and Collections. West Lafayette: Purdue U, 2010. 3. PDF file. ; "Arthur J. Bond." Our People - Purdue Engineering. Purdue University, 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. ; "About Us." Purdue University Black Cultural Center. Purdue University, 2009. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. ; "About Us." Indiana Black Librarians Network. Indiana Black Librarians Network, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2011.

Mary Louise Lambert Pickett and the Milwaukee Public Library (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Mary Louise Lambert Pickett (1919-1979) was the first African American librarian hired by the Milwaukee Public Library. Ms. Pickett began her tenure at the Milwaukee Public Library on July 1, 1946. Previously, Ms. Pickett worked at the Chicago Public Library (1945-1946) and at Dillard University (1942-1943). She received her Master of Library Science (MLS) from the University of Chicago in 1944. Ms. Pickett was a member of Delta Sigma Theta, the Wisconsin Library Association, the NAACP, and the Young Adult Services Division of the American Library Association. She passed away in 1979.

*Note: The Young Adult Services Division (YASD) of the American Library Association is now the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).

Sources: Milwaukee Public Library ; Grant, George, comp. "Pickett, Mary Louise Lambert." The Directory of Ethnic Professionals in LIS. Winter Park: Four-G Publishers, 1991. 179-180. Print. ; "Mary L. Pickett." Wisconsin Death Index, 1959-1997. FamilySearch.org., n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.

African American Presidents of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)

The first African American man to become president of ACRL was Joseph H. Reason (1971-1972).

Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. “A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship.” Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 10. Print. ; “ACRL History: ACRL Presidents (beginning with 1938).” ACRL. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2011. ; A Directory of Negro Graduates of Accredited Library Schools, 1900-1936. Washington: Columbia Civic Library Association, 1937. 19. Print. ; Ellis, Elizabeth G. “The Southeastern Black Academic Librarian.” The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 179. Print. ; Davis, Mary Ellen K. and Mary Jane Petrowski. "Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)." Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Vol. 1. Ed. Marcia J. Bates and Mary Niles Maack. 3rd ed. Boca Raton : CRC Press, 2010. 372. Print. ; Jefferson, Julius C. “The Black Male Librarian: An Endangered Species.” The National Diversity in Libraries Conference. Louisville Marriott Downtown, Louisville, KY. 3 Oct. 2008. Pdf.


The first African American woman to become president of ACRL was Louise Giles (1975-1976).

Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. “A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship.” Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 12. Print. ; “ACRL History: ACRL Presidents (beginning with 1938).” ACRL. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2011. ; Davis, Mary Ellen K. and Mary Jane Petrowski. "Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)." Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Vol. 1. Ed. Marcia J. Bates and Mary Niles Maack. 3rd ed. Boca Raton : CRC Press, 2010. 372. Print.

Update 7/27/2020:

Other African American presidents of ACRL:

Tyrone Cannon, 2003-2004

Trevor Dawes, 2013-2014

Jon Cawthorne, 2020-2021

Sources: Davis, Mary Ellen. "Cawthorne Elected ACRL Vice-President/President-Elect." ALA News.  American Library Association, 11 Apr. 2019. Web. 27 Jul. 2020. ; Wurm, Jill. "School of Information Science Dean Elected President of the Association of College and Research Libraries." News and Announcements. Wayne State University, School of Information Science, 23 Jul. 2020. Web. 27 Jul. 2020. ; “ACRL History: ACRL Presidents (beginning with 1938).” ACRL. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 27 Jul. 2020.

African American State Law Librarians of West Virginia

From 1900-1906, Samuel W. Starks was the state law librarian for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

Sources: Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 4. Print. ; "Western Colored School." National Historic Register of Historic Places Registration Form - Section 8. Washington: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, 1993. 5. Pdf. West Virginia Culture, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. ; Posey, Thomas E. The Negro Citizen of West Virginia. Institute: West Virginia State College, 1934. 39, 43, 47, 60. Print. ; Josey, E.J. "The Role of the Black Library and Information Professional in the Information Society: Myths and Realities." Educating Black Librarians: Papers from the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the School of Library and Information Sciences, North Carolina Central University. Ed. Benjamin F. Speller, Jr. Jefferson: McFarland, 1991. 52. Print.

John C. Gilmer was the state law librarian of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, 1906-1913.

Sources: Posey, Thomas E. The Negro Citizen of West Virginia. Institute: West Virginia State College, 1934. 47, 50, 60. Print. ; The West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. Richwood: Comstock, 1976. 1841. Print.

Leroy Oliver Wilson was the state law librarian, 1914-1917.

Sources: "Western Colored School." National Historic Register of Historic Places Registration Form - Section 8. Washington: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, 1993. 3-5. Pdf. West Virginia Culture, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. ; Posey, Thomas E. The Negro Citizen of West Virginia. Institute: West Virginia State College, 1934. 43, 47. Print.

J. Arthur Jackson was the state law librarian, 1921-1965.

Sources: "Ex-High Court Librarian, Jackson, Dies at 93." Charleston Gazette 4 Nov. 1978: n.pag. West Virginia Archives & History. Web. 23 October 2010. ; Jordan, Casper Leroy and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 6. Print. ; Posey, Thomas E. The Negro Citizen of West Virginia. Institute: West Virginia State College, 1934. 47, 49. Print.

                                                                                                                             

Dr. Lucille Cole Thomas: The First and Only African American President of the New York Library Association (NYLA)

*Submitted by Dr. Lucille Cole Thomas


Lucille Cole Thomas is the first and only African American president of the New York Library Association (1977-1978), and the first African American to serve as president of the School Library Media Section (SLMS) (1973-1974) of the New York Library Association (NYLA). In addition, she was the first African American elected president of the New York City School Librarians Association (1970-1972) and The New York Library Club (1977-1978). Dr. Thomas received her library science degree from Columbia University (1957), where she was active as president of the alumni association. She is also a graduate of New York University and Bennett College.


A member of the American Library Association (ALA) since 1965, Thomas has served on the ALA Council and Executive Board. In 2003, at the Annual ALA Conference in Toronto, she was awarded ALA's highest honor, "Honorary Member." Thomas' international library service includes president of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) (1989-1994), NGO Representative of International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) to the United Nations, and the chair of several committees.

In 1982, she was one of five educators from the United States to participate in the French Ministry Cultural Exchange Program. One week was spent in Paris, France visiting cultural institutions and interacting with officials. In 1990, the American Library Association (ALA) and the International  Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) selected Thomas as the only librarian representative to the "World Conference on Education" in Jomtien, Thailand. Among the 2,000 delegates from 150 countries participants, Thomas represented all libraries. Her report was included in the final conference report. In 2002, she testified before the United States House of Representatives' Committee on Education and the Workforce during its reauthorization hearing on the Museum and Library Service Act (click here to view transcript of hearing).

In 1974, Dr. Thomas founded "School Library Media Day (NYLA)", and in 1985, "School Library Media Month (AASL/ALA)". From 1993 to the present, Thomas serves as Trustee of the Brooklyn Public Library (NY), an appointment by the mayor of the city of New York. During that time she was elected president for three years. The Queen College School of Library and Information Studies (CUNY) named an award, the Lucille Thomas Library Award, in her honor in 2010.

Sources:

Thomas, Lucille Cole. "Public Libraries in the 21st Century: Challenges and Solutions." The 21st Century Black Librarian in America: Issues and Challenges. Ed. Andrew P. Jackson, Julius C. Jefferson, and Akilah S. Nosakhere. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2012. 79-84. Print.


"Lucille C. Thomas: She Helps Make Librarians 'Master Builders and Creators'."American Libraries 32.3-4 (1978): 83. Print.


"Lucille C. Thomas Named 2007 Freedom to Read Foundation Roll of Honor Award Recipient." Freedom to Read Foundation. American Library Association, 8 June 2007. Web. 11 July 2012.
[http://www.ala.org/news/news/pressreleases2007/june2007/thomasfreedomtoreadaward ]


"Minutes." IFLA Section on Library Services to Multicultural Populations. IFLA, 6 July 2012. Web. 11 July 2012.
[Minutes from the 2001 Meeting in Boston and the 2001 Midwinter Meeting in Granada can be accessed: http://www.ifla.org/en/mcultp/minutes ]


Queens College School of Library and Information Studies Student Handbook, Fall 2010. New York: Queens College School of Library and Information Studies, 2010. 22.Print.
[See: http://www.Qcpages.qc/Cuny.edu/GSLIS/handbooks/Student_Handbook.doc ]


Equipping Museums and Libraries for the 21st Century: Hearing before the Subcommittee in Select Education of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session, Hearing Held in Washington, DC, February 14, 2002. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 2002. Print.
[Also available: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-107hhrg81193/pdf/CHRG-107hhrg81193.pdf ]


Thomas, Lucille C. "School Libraries in the New York City Schools." Bookmark 50.1 (1991). Print.  
[This special issue of Bookmark is also called School Library Media Program Connections for Learning ; Abstract found here: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=ED346857 ]


Dawson, Alma. "Celebrating African American Librarians and Libraries." Library Trends 49.1 (2000): 59. Print.
[Also available at: http://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/8328/librarytrendsv49ild-opt.pdf?s ]


"Breaking New Ground: Bedford Library Reopens & Ninth Annual Gala Event." Brooklyn Public Library. Brooklyn Public Library,14 Nov. 2005.Web. 12 July 2012.
[http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/media/press/breaking-new-ground-bedford-library-reopens-ninth-annual-gala-event ]


"Annual Report 2009 Brooklyn Public Library." Brooklyn Public Library. Brooklyn Public Library, 2010. Web. 12 July 2012.
[ http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/sites/default/files/files/ar09.pdf ]


Thomas, Lucille C. "World Literacy and the Role of Libraries." IFLA Journal 19.2 (1993): 162-167. Print.


Nottingham, Sharon. "Lucille Thomas: A Legend from Brooklyn to the World." The Bulletin of the New York Library Association 44.3 (1996): 15-16. Print.


Thomas, Lucille. Chapter in What Black Librarians are Saying. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1972.


Thomas, Lucille. "Ethical Considerations in an Age of Technology." School Library Media Annual, 1985. Ed.Shirley Aaron and Pat Scales. Littleton: Libraries Unlimited, 1985. 423-431. Print.


Staino, Rocco. "Lucille Thomas on the 25th Anniversary of School Library Media Month." School Library Journal. School Library Journal, 7 Apr. 2010. Web. 11 July 2012. [http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6724833.html]


Update 10/22/2019 (by Michele Fenton):

Dr. Thomas passed away on June 15, 2019 at the age of 97:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=lucille-thomas&pid=193215703

Virginia Lacy Jones: Second African American to Earn PhD in Library Science

Virginia Lacy Jones (1912-1984), a 1936 graduate of the Hampton Institute Library School, was the second dean of the library school at Atlanta University (now Clark-Atlanta University). She was also the second African American to earn a Ph.D. in library science, which she earned from the University of Chicago. For two years, Ms. Jones served as an editorial consultant for Library Journal.  Before coming to Atlanta University, Ms. Jones was a librarian at the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes (now Simmons College of Kentucky), Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), and Prairie View State College (now Prairie View A&M University).  

Update 07/07/2012:
Eliza Atkins Gleason was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in library science and was the first dean of the library school at Atlanta University (now Clark-Atlanta University). Like Jones, Gleason earned her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago.

See related posts: Librarian Education: Eliza Atkins Gleason, First African American to Earn PhD in Library Science and Annette Hoage Phinazee: Dean, Professor, Author, and Librarian.

Sources: Jones, Virginia Lacy. "A Dean's Career." The Black Librarian in America. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970. 19-42. Print. ; "Top Negro Librarians Air Views on Library Segregation." Jet 20.5 (1961): 24-25. Print. ; Jordan, Casper and E.J. Josey. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 7. Print. ; Woodson, Almeta Gould. "Fifty Years of Service: A Chronological History of the School of Library Service Atlanta University, 1941-1979; the School of Library and Information Studies Atlanta University, 1979-1989; the School of Library and Information Studies, Clark Atlanta University, 1989-1991." Georgia Librarian 28.3 (1991): 71-77. Print. ; Totten, Herman L. "Southeastern Black Educators." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 206. Print. ; Jordan, Casper Leroy. "The Multifaceted Life of Virginia Lacy Jones." The Black Librarian in America Revisited. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1994. 75-86. Print. ; McPheeters, Annie L. Library Service in Black and White: Some Personal Recollections, 1921-1980. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1988. 9-10, 131. Print. ; "Atlanta University Center Exhibition Hall Named for Dr. Virginia Lacy Jones." Jet 68.16 (1985): 19. Print. ; "College and School News." Crisis 63.7 (1956): 436. Print. ; "College and School News." Crisis 50.11 (1943): 323. Print. ; "Segregation in Libraries." Crisis 68.6 (1961): 342-343. Print. ; "College and School News." Crisis 71.10 (1969): 701. Print. ; A Directory of Negro Graduates of Accredited Library Schools, 1900-1936. Washington: Columbia Civic Library Association, 1937. 15. Print. ; Josey, E.J. "Foreword." Educating Black Librarians: Papers from the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the School of Library and Information Sciences, North Carolina Central University. Ed. Benjamin F. Speller, Jr. Jefferson: McFarland, 1991. xi. Print. ; "Receives Doctorate at University of Chicago." Indianapolis Recorder 6 Oct. 1945: 5. Print. ; Freightman, Connie Green. "Historically Black College Closes Its Library Studies Program." The Crisis 112.1 (2005): 10. Print.
                   
.

Charlemae Hill Rollins and the Chicago Public Library (Chicago, Illinois)

Charlemae Hill Rollins (1897-1979), the first African American to serve as president of the Children’s Services Division of the American Library Association (1957-1958), was an author and a noted children’s librarian at the Chicago Public Library.

Ms. Rollins, a native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, was the daughter of Allen G. and Birdie Tucker Hill. She attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. Ms. Rollins worked as a school teacher before entering the field of librarianship. In 1918, she married Joseph Walter Rollins.

Ms. Rollins began her library career at the Harding Square Branch of the Chicago Public Library in 1927. She received her library science education at University of Chicago and at Simmons College. She later became the Children’s Department Head at the George Cleveland Hall Branch of the Chicago Public Library where Vivian Gordon Harsh was branch manager. Built in 1932, this branch was the first one located in an African American neighborhood. Ms. Rollins passed away in 1979.

*Note: The Children's Services Division of the American Library Association is now Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC).

*Update 6/05/2013:

Ms. Rollins was the first African American female to receive an honorary membership from the American Library Association. The award was given to her in 1972.

Sources: Rude, Dan. "ALSC Charlemae Rollins President's Program presents Think with Your Eyes!" ALAnews 31 May 2013:n. pag. Web. 3 June 2013. ; "Rollins, Charlemae." American Library Association Honorary Member Listing. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 5 June 2013.

See related post: Vivian Gordon Harsh and the Chicago Public Library.

Sources: Willet, Holly G. "We Build Together: Charlemae Rollins and African American Children's Literature." American Education History Journal 31.1 (2004): 51-57. Print. ; "Charlemae Rollins, 80, Noted Librarian, Dies." Jet 55.23 (1979): 53. Print. ; "Charlemae Hill Rollins, Noted Children's Librarian and Editor, Remembered in Chicago." Jet 91.6 (1996): 12-13. Print. ; "Rollins Foundation Set Up to Help Change Portrayal of Blacks in Literacy." Jet 81.3 (1991): 23. Print. ; "Society World." Jet 53.13 (1977): 36. Print. ; Lensinski, Jeanne M. "Charlemae Hill Rollins." Answers.com. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. ; Dawson, Alma. "Celebrating African American Librarians and Librarianship." Library Trends 49.1 (2000): 60. Print. ; Shaw, Spencer G. "Not Whay You Get, But What You Give." The Black Librarian in America. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970. 153. Print. ; "Black History Prophets and Custodians: Handful of Men and Women Created Foundations of Saga of Persistence and Creativity." Ebony 50.4 (1995): 90. Print. ; Des Jardins, Julie. "Black Librarians and the Search for Women's Biography during the New Negro History Movement." OAH Magazine of History 20.1 (2006): 16. Print. ; Tolson, Nancy. "Making Books Available: The Role of Early Libraries, Librarians, and Booksellers in the Promotion of African American Children's Literature." African American Review 32.1 (1998): 9-16. Print. ; Wright, Joyce. "Black Librarians as Creative Writers." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva DeLoach. 2nd. ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 656-657. Print. ; O'Connor, Sean. "The George Cleveland Hall Branch Library." Examiner.com. 23 May 2010. Web. 23 June 2012. ; "George Cleveland Hall Branch- Chicago Public Library." In Honor of: Libraries Named for African Americans. Ed. George L. Grant. Jonesboro: GrantHouse Publishers, 2011. 80. Print. ; "Charley May Hill [Charlemae]." United States Census, 1900. FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. ; "Charlemae Rollins." United States Census, 1930. FamilySearch.org, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. ; "Charlemae Hill Rollins, 1897-1979." School Library Journal Mar. 1979: 78. Print. ; "Charlemae Hill Rollins Dies." American Libraries 10 (1979): 105. Print. ; Rude, Dan. "ALSC Charlemae Rollins President's Program presents Think with Your Eyes!" ALAnews 31 May 2013:n. pag. Web. 3 June 2013. ; "Rollins, Charlemae." American Library Association Honorary Member Listing. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 5 June 2013.