Advocacy and Outreach: The Work of Lyda Moore Merrick (1890-1987) and Margaret Whisenton (1918-1998)

Lyda Moore Merrick (1890-1987)

Lyda Moore Merrick was born Lydia Vivian Moore in 1890 in Durham, North Carolina. Her parents were Dr. Aaron McDuffie Moore and Sarah McCotta Dancy Moore. Merrick’s father was the first African American physician in Durham and the founder of the Lincoln Hospital for Negroes.

Merrick attended Scotia Seminary (Barber-Scotia College) in Concord, North Carolina and Fisk University, In Nashville, Tennessee, where she graduated magna cum laude in 1911. In addition, Merrick was a member of Delta Sigma Theta and the Volkemenia Literary Club.

In 1916, Merrick married Edward R. Merrick. Their fathers, John Merrick and Dr. Aaron McDuffie Moore, co-founded the North Carolina Mutual and Provident Association (North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company). In addition, Dr. Moore helped start the Durham Colored Library in 1913 in the basement of White Rock Baptist Church. In 1916 the library moved into a building owned by John Merrick.

In 1940, the Durham Colored Library moved into a new building and was renamed the Stanford L. Warren Library after Dr. Stanley L ee Warren (1863-1940), who donated funds to purchase the land on which the new library was built. Merrick joined the library’s board of directors. She also began working with the Library Corner for the Blind as part of the library’s extension service. A patron of the Library Corner for the Blind, John Carter Washington, noticed that many Braille materials being published did not feature stories by and about African Americans. In 1952, Washington and Merrick started Negro Braille Magazine as a resource for African Americans with print disabilities. Merrick was the magazine’s first editor and would search for stories and news of interest to African Americans. Washington served as the assistant editor and translated the stories and news into Braille.

Merrick served as the Negro Braille Magazine’s editor until 1969. Charlotte Hackett succeeded Merrick as the magazine’s editor. Hackett served as editor until 1975, when she was succeeded by Margaret Wilson Whisenton.

Merrick was recipient of several awards during her lifetime, including:

·       Durham Area Merchant’s Association Mother of the Year Award, 1979

·       Baha’i Community of Durham Humanitarian Award, 1981

·       Daughters of Isis of Zafa Court No. 41 Community Recognition Award, 1982

Both Lyda Moore Merrick and John C. Washington were honored during the Negro Braille Magazine’s 25^th anniversary celebration held at St. Joseph’s A.M.E. Church in Durham, on Friday, June 3, 1977. An additional program was held the next day featuring a performance at the Durham Civic Center by the Celestial Choral Ensemble of the Blind from New York.

Negro Braille Magazine was renamed Merrick-Washington Magazine for the Blind in 1981 in recognition of the work of Merrick and Washington.

Lyda Moore Merrick passed away at the age of 96 on February 14, 1987, in Durham, North Carolina. The Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery at the Hayti Heritage Center, also in Durham, is named for her.

 

Margaret Whisenton (1918-1998)

Margaret Whisenton was born Margaret Yvonne Wilson, in Durham, North Carolina on October 22, 1918. Her parents were William Henry Wilson and Lida Smith Wilson.

Whisenton attended West Virginia State College (West Virginia State University), receiving her B.A. in 1939. Whisenton furthered her education, receiving a Master of Science in Social Work from Atlanta University (Clark-Atlanta University) and later, a Bachelor of Library Science from North Carolina College for Negroes (North Carolina Central University) in 1947. She later married Andrew C. Whisenton.

In 1951, Margret Wilson Whisenton began working as the extension services librarian for the Stanford L. Warren Library (formerly the Durham Colored Library). Whisenton coordinated the library’s bookmobile service and the library’s outreach to African Americans with print disabilities through its Library Corner for the Blind. In 1966, Whisenton became head of the Durham City-County Library System’s extension service. In 1971, Whisenton became head of the library’s adult services, a position she held until her retirement in 1974.

In 1975, an opportunity became available for Whisenton. The Negro Braille Magazine needed a new editor. Founded in 1952 by Lyda Moore Merrick (1890-1987), the magazine served as a resource for African Americans with print disabilities. Whisenton became the new editor, a role she took on until 1981. Dr. Ida Blue succeeded Whisenton as editor.

 In 1981 the name of the magazine was changed to Merrick-Washington Magazine for the Blind in recognition of the work of Lyda Merrick and John C. Washington, the magazine’s founders. The magazine ceased publication in 2013.

Whisenton was not the only librarian in her family. Her son, Andre Carl Whisenton (1944-2019) was library director at the United States Department of Labor and at the Naval Systems Command; deputy director at the Defense Intelligence Agency; and director of dispute resolution and equal employment opportunity at the Library of Congress.

Margaret Yvonne Wilson Whisenton passed away in 1998.

Sources:

“Braille Group Selects New Officers.” The Durham Sun [Durham, N.C.], 30 Jan. 1976, p. A-5.

“Concern for Humanity is Family Tradition.” The Durham Sun [Durham, N.C.], 14 Feb. 1989, p. A-6.

Durham County Library. The History of the Stanford L. Warren Library, n.d., durhamcountylibrary.org/exhibits/slw/timeline.php. Accessed 25 May 2026.

Hincliffe, Kelly. “90^th Anniversary a New Beginning: Warren Branch Library Has History and a New Look.” The Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.], 14 Aug. 2006, pp. A-1, A-5.

Hodges, Betty. “Mothers of the Year 1979.” The Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.], 29 Apr. 1979, pp. E-1–E-2.

“HUD Secretary Presented First N.C. Mutual Award.” The Durham Morning Herald [Durham, N.C.], 21 Oct.1967, p. B-1.

“Library Trustee Names Book Selection Panel.” The Durham Sun [Durham, N.C.], 20 Feb. 1974, p. C-1.

Lougee, George. “She Cherishes Past and Watches Present.” The Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.], · 28 Dec. 1976, p. B-14.

“Lyda Merrick to be Honored.” The Durham Sun [Durham, N.C.], 28 May 1977, p. 10.

“Lyda Moore Merrick, 96, Founder of a Magazine for the Blind.” The Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.], 15 Feb. 1987, p. C-2.

“Magazine Editor.”  The Daily Times News [Burlington, N.C.], 27 May 1977, p. A-2.

“Magazine Founder Honored.” The Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.], 23 Apr. 1969, p. E-5.

“Magazine’s 1-Person Operation.” The Charlotte News [Charlotte, N.C.], 31 May 1977, p. B-2.

“Melva Washington Toomer and John Washington.” StoryCorps, 2016, storycorps.org/stories/john-washington-and-melva-washington-toomer-160819/. Accessed 25 May 2026.

Moe, Susan Spence. “Magazine Kept Founder on Her Knees.” The News and Observer [Raleigh, N.C.], 1 June 1977, p. 12.

“N.C.C.N. Department Sponsors Display During Book Week.” The Durham Morning Herald [Durham, N.C.], 5 Nov. 1946, Sec. 2, p. 1.

“Negro Braille Magazine Nears 25^th Anniversary.” Thomasville Times [Thomasville, N.C.], 27 May 1977, p. D-1.

“Negro Braille Magazine Unique.” Winston-Salem Journal [Winston-Salem, N.C.], 27 May 1977, p. 16.

“Negro Library Gets New Bookmobile.” The Durham Sun [Durham, N.C.], 30 May 1958, p. A-2.

“North Carolina Mutual Fulfills Long-Cherished Goal.” The Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.], 1 Apr. 1966, p. 2, North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co. Section.

“Sen. Barkley, Commencement Speaker at N.C. College Declares United States Foreign Policy is Consistent; 157 Degrees Given to Candidates at Closing Exercises.” The Durham Morning Herald [Durham, N.C.], 3 June 1947, Sec. 2, p. 6.

“Time Capsule Will Show Firm’s 65-Year History.” The Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.], 1 Apr. 1966, p. E-5.

“Vacation Reading Program Launched by Negro Library.” The Durham Morning Herald [Durham, N.C.], 9 June 1947, p. 3.

“Warren Library Marks Its Half-Century.” The Durham Morning Herald [Durham, N.C.], 10 Apr. 1990, p. A-7.

“Whisenton.”  The Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.], 23 Oct. 1998, p. C-2.

Brandon, Khadija. “Stanford Lee Warren.” BlackPast, 20 July 2019, blackpast.org/african-american-history/stanford-lee-warren-1863-1940/. Accessed 25 May 2026.

Whisenton, Vera. “Andre Carl Whisenton.” Handbook of Black Librarianship, Third Edition, edited by Andrew P. Jackson, Marva L. DeLoach, and Michele Fenton, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024, pp. 38-39.

Whittenton, Burwell. “Boys Club Branch Library Proves to Be Big Success.” The Durham Sun [Durham, N.C.], 12 May 1969, p. B-1.

Wilson, Emily Herring. “Lyda Moore Merrick: A Black History Month Perspective.” The Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.], 23 Feb. 2007, p. 36.

 

 

James C. Welbourne (1942-2011) : First African American Director of the New Haven Free Public Library

A graduate of the library science program at the University of Maryland and a founding member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), James Clifton Welbourne was born in 1942 in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents were James C. and Mabel Welbourne.

Welbourne served as the assistant director of the Enoch Pratt Library from 1993 to 2000, and the assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Maryland School of Library and Information Science. Previously, he was the assistant director of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh from 1986 to 1993.

In July 2000, the New Haven Free Public Library hired Welbourne as its first African American director. In addition, to his work in libraries, Welbourne authored several chapters on librarians and librarianship for The Black Librarian in America, What Black Librarians Are Saying, and The Black Librarian in America Revisited. He retired from the New Haven Free Public Library in 2010. Welbourne passed away on August 22, 2011. The ALA Council adopted a memorial resolution honoring Welbourne's legacy during the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California.

Sources: Welbourne, James C. "Black Recruitment: The Issue and an Approach." The Black Librarian in America, edited by E. J. Josey, Scarecrow, 1970, pp. 92-97; Welbourne, James C. "The Information Potential in the Liberation of Black People." What Black Librarians Are Saying, edited by E. J. Josey, Scarecrow, 1972, pp. 50-64; Welbourne, James C. "Achieving Economic Self-Reliance: The Urban Public Library Strengthens the Economic Base of the Community." The Black Librarian in America Revisited, edited by E. J. Josey, Scarecrow, 1994, pp. 122-32.; Smith, Abbe. "Former New Haven City Librarian Touched Many Lives." New Haven Register [Online], 26 Aug. 2011, www.nhregister.com/news/article/Former-New-Haven-city-librarian-touched-many-lives-11570568.php . Accessed 6 Apr. 2026; Berry, John N. "Leadership for Change Saves Us from the Slow Death of Entrenchment: Welbourne's Legacy." Library Journal, vol. 136, no. 16, 2011, p. 9.; RoryLitwin. "James Welbourne Has Passed On." Litwin Books, 5 Sept. 2011, litwinbooks.com/james-welbourne-has-passed-on/ . Accessed 6 Apr. 2026; Satija, Neena. "He Built Up Branches & People." New Haven Independent [Online], 3 Oct. 2011, www.newhavenindependent.org/2011/10/03/james_welbourne/ . Accessed 6 Apr. 2026; "James C. 'Jim' Welbourne, Jr. (1942-2011)." Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, 25 Sept. 2023, nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/2000067 . Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.; Biddle, Stanton F. "BCALA Leadership:1970-2025 [Part 1 and 2]." Handbook of Black Librarianship, 3rd Edition, edited by Andrew P. Jackson, Marva L. DeLoach, and Michele Fenton, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024, pp. 60, 63.

Works of Fiction on Black Children and Libraries

Looking for books about libraries featuring children and teens as the central characters? Please consider checking out some of the titles below:

Abrams, Stacey. Stacey’s Remarkable Books. Illustrated by Kitt Thomas, First edition, Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2022.

Best, Cari. Red Light, Green Light, Mama and Me. Illustrated by Niki Daly, Orchard Books, 1995.

Blue, Rose. A Quiet Place. Illustrated by Tom Feelings, Franklin Watts, Inc., 1969.

Blue, Rose, and Corinne J. Naden. Ron’s Big Mission. Illustrated by Don Tate, First edition, Dutton Childrens Books, 2009.

Bryon, Nathan. Rocket Says Speak Up! Illustrated by Dapo Adeola, First American edition, Random House, 2023.

Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Finding Langston. Holiday House, 2018.

Davis, Nadvia. Davis Practices Reading with Risks. Illustrated by George Franco, First edition, Nadvia Davis, 2019.

Elbee, Viviane. I Want My Book Back. Illustrated by Nicole Miles, Little Bee Books, 2022.

Freeman, Rodney E. Little Rodney the Librarian. Illustrated by Eduardo Paj, Preservation Media LLC, 2022.

Giovanni, Nikki. A Library. Illustrated by Erin Robinson, First edition, Versify, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2022.

Horn, Alvin L. A. Places to Be: A Young Adult Novel. Romantic Blues Publishing, 2022.

Ikegwuonu, Chukwujekwu, and Tiffany Ikegwuonu. Chukwu Gets a Library Card. [publisher not identified], 2022.

Johnson, Angela. Lottie Paris and the Best Place. Illustrated by Scott M. Fischer, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013.

Joosse, Barbara M. Hot City. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, Philomel Books, 2004.

Magoon, Kekla. The Secret Library. Illustrated by Bea Jackson, First edition, Candlewick Press, 2024.

Malaspina, Ann. Finding Lincoln. Illustrated by Colin Bootman, Albert Whitman, 2009.ln

McKissack, Pat. Goin’ Someplace Special. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, 1st ed, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001.

McQuinn, Anna. Lola at the Library. Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw, First U.S. edition, Charlesbridge, 2006.

McQuinn, Anna. Lola at the Library with Mommy. Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw, Board book edition, Charlesbridge, 2020.

McQuinn, Anna. Lola Loves Stories. Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw, 1st U.S. ed, Charlesbridge, 2009.

Miedoso, Andres. Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol. 05: The Scary Library Shusher. Illustrated by Victor Rivas, First Little Simon hardcover edition, Little Simon, 2018.

Miller, William. Richard Wright and the Library Card. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, First edition, Lee & Low Books, Inc., 1997.

Muhammad, Patrick S. Little Librarian Girl. Illustrated by Jeremy Hughes, Rathsi Publishing, 2008.

Noel, Melvina. Mama’s Library Summers. Illustrated by Daria Peoples, Cameron Kids, an imprint of Abrams, 2024.

Ramsey, Calvin A. The Library in the Woods. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, Carolrhoda Books, 2025.

Reynolds, Jason. There Was a Party for Langston. Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey, First edition, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023.

Rose, Tiffany. Dear Reader: A Love Letter to Libraries. First edition, Little Bee Books, 2022.

Tyner, Artika R. Kojo Goes to the Library. Illustrated by Bilal Karaca, First edition, Planting People Growing Justice Press, 2025.

Wallace, Gwendolyn. The Light She Feels Inside. Illustrated by Olivia Duchess, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, an imprint of Sourcebooks Kids, 2023.

Children's Books on the History of African Americans and Libraries

Explore these notable titles to introduce children to the history of African Americans and their contributions to libraries:

Bolte, Mari. Dr. Carla Hayden: The First Woman Librarian of Congress. Paw Prints Publishing, 2023.

Denise, Anika. Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré. Illustrated by Paola Escobar, First edition, Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2019.

Felecié Soto, Ada Myriam, and Abimael Ortiz Alvarez. Arturo and the Hidden Treasure. 1st ed, The Rosen Publishing, 2014.

Gottesfeld, Jeff, et al. Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-down Strike for Library Reading Equality. Creston Books, 2025.

Lyon, Lea, et al. Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina. First edition, Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020.

Mack, John B., et al. Nobody Promised Me. [Childrens Press], 1970.

McDaniel, Breanna J. Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller. Illustrated by April Harrison, Dial Books for Young Readers, 2024.

Miller, William. Richard Wright and the Library Card. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, First edition, Lee & Low Books, Inc., 1997.

Moening, Kate. Carla Hayden: Librarian of Congress. Bellwether Media, 2021.

Priestley, Mary P., et al. Little Brown Hen Librarian: Based on the True Story of a Little Girl Who Loved to Read. Thurmond Memorial Library: Proctor’s Hall Press, 2017.

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library. Illustrated by Eric Velasquez, First edition, Candlewick Press, 2017.

White, C. Ian, and Charles White. Grandpa and the Library: How Charles White Learned to Paint. The Museum of Modern Art, 2018.

Some Books on Black-Owned Bookstores: A Short List

In celebration of Black-owned bookstores, here is a short list of fiction and non-fiction titles on the subject:

Non-Fiction

Adams, Char. Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore. Tiny Reparations Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2025.

Mitchell, Katie, et al. Prose to the People: A Celebration of Black Bookstores. First edition, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2025.

Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux. The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, Carolrhoda Books, 2015.

Fiction

Lindo-Rice, Michelle. The Bookshop Sisterhood. Mira, 2024.

Robinson, Shauna. The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks: A Novel. Sourcebooks Landmark, 2022.

Update: May 25, 2026:

Non-Fiction

Cook, Jeannine A. Shut Up and Read: A Memoir from Harriett's Bookshop. Amistad, 2026.

Julia Bullock Gaddy (1921-2010): Librarian at Hampton Institute and the Detroit Public Library

Julia Bullock Gaddy was born Julia Amanda Bullock on September 3, 1921, in Boston, Massachusetts to Matthew Washington Bullock and Katherine H. Wright Bullock.  She was the youngest of two children. 

Gaddy's father, a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, taught at the Atlanta Baptist College (Morehouse College) and at State Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes (Alabama A & M University); was an assistant attorney general, and the first African American to serve as chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Appeals.

Gaddy attended Fisk University where she graduated cum laude in 1941. She also attended Simmons College School of Library Science (Simmons University School of Library & Information Science), receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Library Science in 1942.  That same year, Gaddy was hired as a circulation librarian at Hampton Institute (Hampton University) in Hampton, Virginia.

On December 23, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan, she married George W. Gaddy, an educator, basketball coach, and graduate of Fisk University. The couple had two children.

On March 1, 1944, Gaddy was appointed junior library assistant at the Detroit Public Library. She was the second African American librarian hired to work for the library.

In addition to working at the Detroit Public Library, Gaddy was active in the community and was the corresponding secretary for the West Side Human Relations Council.

Julia Bullock Gaddy passed away in 2010 at the age of 88.

Sources: "Detroit Library Appoints Second Negro Librarian." The Michigan Chronicle (Detroit, Mich.), 4 March 1944, p. 1; "Thirty Added to Faculty at Hampton." The Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch (Norfolk, Va.), 22 Sept. 1942, p. 20; "Circulation Librarian." The Afro-American, 26 Sept. 1942, p. 19; "Bullock, Julia Amanda," Massachusetts, U.S. Birth Index, 1860-1970, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com. Accessed Mar. 1, 2025; "Julia A. Gaddy," U.S. Social Security Death Index, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com. Accessed Mar. 1, 2025; "Julia A. Bullock, George W. Gaddy," Michigan, U.S. Marriage Records, 1867-1952, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com. Accessed Mar. 1, 2025; Webster, Edlee. "Detroit Spotlight." The Afro-American, 8 Jan. 1944, p. 17; Webster, Edlee. "Detroit Spotlight." The Afro-American, 18 Mar. 1944, p. 13; "Julia Amanda Bullock, A.B." Simmons College Register of Officers and Students, 1942-1943. Simmons College, 1942, p. 31; "Fisk Exercises Open Saturday: Dr. Jones to Deliver Closing Address; 79 Are Candidates." The Nashville Tennessean (Nashville, Tenn.), 30 May 1941, p. 24; "30 New Members of Hampton Faculty as New Semester Begins," The New York Age (New York, N.Y. : 1887), 26 Sept. 1942, p. 12; "Greater Boston Society," The Afro-American, 18 July 1942, p. 19; Neal, Anthony. "The Multitalented Matthew Washington Bullock." The Bay State Banner (Roxbury, Mass.), 9 Feb. 2017, https://baystatebanner.com/.  Accessed Mar. 1, 2025; "Matthew Bullock Dies: Ex-Parole Board Chief," Hartford Currant (Hartford, Conn.), 20 Dec. 1972, p. 86; Gaddy, Matthew. "George W. Gaddy III (1916-1997)," Facebook, www.facebook.com. Accessed Mar. 1, 2025; "The Fisk Club Annual Party." The Michigan Chronicle (Detroit, Mich.),  3 June 1944, p. 9; "New Director and Personnel Asked by Bill." The Michigan Chronicle (Detroit, Mich.),  23 June 1945, p. 5; "Local Fisk University Club Entertains School President," The Detroit Tribune (Detroit, Mich.), 10 May 1947, p. 7; "George Gaddy, 81 (Obituary)." Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Mich.), 5 Dec. 1997, p. 118.

Guest Post: Remembering A Legend: Bobbie Smith (1932-2022)

Today's post is a special guest post by Dele C. Ladejobi:

Remembering A Legend: Bobbie Smith 

May 5, 1932 - July 20, 2022

 by 

Dele C. Ladejobi

 Bobbie Smith (nee Bobbie Jean Davis) was born and raised in Mississippi, United States. She attended grade school in Mississippi during the trials of the segregation era and experienced the harsh discrimination of Jim Crow laws. She received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in religious education from Eureka College and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. Bobbie was married to her high school sweetheart, Herbert (“Herb”) Smith,” a famous basketball player on the Harlem Globetrotters for 35 years and they had two children.

Bobbie and her family moved to California in 1965 in the midst of the Watts Riots. In the late 1960s, she was hired as the Audio-Visual Department librarian at LBCC. She was the first African American librarian to be employed at LBCC. She previously worked in the Los Angeles County Library system in their audiovisual department. Bobbie was successful in raising the stature of the LBCC Audiovisual Department at a time when technology was becoming more important in education. Under her guidance, the department was eventually elevated to the status of Media Services Department, and she served as its director for several years prior to being elected Library Department Head. She served in that capacity until her retirement in 1992.

During her tenure as librarian, Bobbie served on numerous college committees, and she was active in both state and national library organizations. She achieved many noteworthy accomplishments, such as, the first African American to be elected the Academic Senate President where she served multiple terms; and the first African American to serve as the Faculty Union President. She was also responsible for the introduction of automation and computer use in the LBCC libraries.

In 1988 she became the first African American elected to the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education and served four terms as President. In this capacity, she facilitated the restructure and reform of the schools in her district. Bobbie made a positive mark on Long Beach local history in 2014, when the former Peter Burnett Elementary School was renamed in her honor in recognition of her role, impact and contributions to the community. This event was important and meaningful because the elementary school shed its namesake from a racist, White supremacist California governor and slaveholder to claim a new forward-looking identity in which students could now take pride. According to Bobbie, this accomplishment was “a lifetime achievement” and the “GEOT – Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, Tony award all rolled into one.” 

Bobbie is fondly remembered for her physical beauty, charm, wit, humor, and charisma. She was so elegant and had a distinguished aura about her. Bobbie was an incredible mentor, multi-talented and creative. She had amazing compassion and empathy and was extremely generous and supportive.

Bobbie passed away in California on July 20, 2022, at the age of 90.

To learn more about Bobbie:

•  Fisher, JJ. “Bobbie Smith, LBUSD’s first Black board member, dies at 90.” (Online) August 3, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://lbpost.com/news/education/bobbie-smith-lbusds-obit-first-black-board-member-dies-at-90/)

• “Herbert Smith (1931-1991)”. Find a Grave Memorial (Online) November 16, 1991. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94614365/herbert-smith)

• LBUSD News. “Paying Tribute to Dr. King.” (Online) January 21, 2016. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://www.lbschools.net/Departments/Newsroom/article.cfm?articleID=2136)

• LBUSD News. “Remembering Bobbie Smith.” (Online) July 21,2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://www.lbschools.net/Departments/Newsroom/article.cfm?articleID=3230)

• LBUSD News. “Smith School Celebrates Its New Name” (Online) December 19, 2014. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://www.lbschools.net/Departments/Newsroom/article.cfm?articleID=1936) 

• Wilkin, Binnie Tate. “Bobbie Smith: Former Coordinator of Libraries Long Beach City College and Recently Retired Member and President Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education.” In African American Librarians in the Far West: Pioneers and Trailblazers, 221–28. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2006.

• YouTube: Long Beach Elementary Students Meet School's New Namesake

 

Dr. Dock Alexander Boyd (1939-2011): Director, Library Science Professor, Past ALA Council Member, and Past President of BCALA

Originally from Williston, South Carolina, Dr. Dock Alexander Boyd was born on October 5, 1939, to Alexander and Octoria Boyd. He was the oldest of seven children. After serving in the United States Air Force, Dr. Boyd attended the University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign, receiving his bachelor's degree in the Teaching of English and then in 1968, he received his master's degree in library science. Dr. Boyd held positions at Alabama State University and at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.

In 1980, Dr. Boyd received his doctorate in library science from Rutgers University. He served as an assistant commissioner at the Chicago Public Library from 1984 to 1988. Dr. Boyd was the first African American director of the Newark Public Library, a position he held from 1988 until his retirement in 2004. In addition, Dr. Boyd served as president of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) from 1992 to 1994. Moreover, Dr. Boyd was the first African American professor at the University of Alabama School of Library Science.

During his career, Dr. Boyd made several contributions to library science literature. He wrote the chapter, "Reflections on Being a (Minority) Librarian in Our Time" for The Black Librarian in America Revisited.  Also, Dr. Boyd co-authored an article with Catherine J. Lenix-Hooker, "Afrocentrism: Hype or History?" which appeared in Library Journal in 1992.

Other accomplishments of Dr. Boyd:

• Helped found the BCALA Literary Awards
• Member of the ALA Council
• President of the New Jersey Library Association, 1997-1998
• Member of the Public Library Association (PLA)
• Served on the board of the Schomburg Corporation
• Member of the New Jersey Center for the Book's advisory council
• Member of the executive board of Infolink

Dr. Dock Alexander Boyd passed away on October 25, 2011, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The American Library Association (ALA) Council issued a memorial resolution in Dr. Boyd's memory at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference.

Sources: "BCALA Presidents." Black Caucus of the American Library Association, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. ; Holman, Jos N. "BCALA- Dr. Alex Boyd - BCALA Leaders and Past President." Message to BCALA Listserv. 28 Oct. 2011. Email. ; Finnerty, Ed. "Kalamazoo- Area Births, Deaths and Divorces for Oct. 28, 2011." Kalamazoo Gazette. Kalamazoo Gazette, 28 Oct. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. ; "Obituary: Dock Alexander Boyd." The Star Ledger (New Jersey) 30 Oct. 2011: n. pag. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. Grant, George, comp. "Boyd, D. Alex." The Directory of Ethnic Professionals in LIS. Winter Park: Four-G. Publishers, 1991. 26-27. Print. ; Boyd, D. Alexander. "Reflections on Being a (Minority) Librarian in Our Time." The Black Librarian in America Revisited. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1994. 133-140. Print. ; Boyd, Alex and Catherine J. Lenix-Hooker. "Afrocentrism: Hype or History?" Library Journal 117.18 (1992):46-49; Council of the American Library Association. "Memorial Tribute for Dr. Dock Alexander Boyd." American Library Association Institutional Repository, American Library Association, 2012. PDF; "Former NJLA Presidents." New Jersey Library Association, n.d. Web. 17 July 2024.

Curley C. Jones (1941-2015) and the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library

Curley C. Jones was the first African American professional librarian to work for the University of Utah, where he served for 39 years before retiring in 2011. 

Curley Cleveland Jones was born on February 23, 1941, in Rossville, Tennessee. His parents were Cleve and Susie Palmer Jones.  Jones studied library science at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo, receiving his Master of Library Science (MLS) in 1971. In addition, he received a Certificate of Advanced Study in Librarianship in 1977 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Jones also had degrees from Saints Junior College in Lexington, Mississippi; Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi; and the University of Utah.

In 1972, Jones began his library career at the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library. He worked there as the Educational Librarian, and did collection development for education, educational psychology, general reference, African American studies, religion, and law. 

 In addition, to his service at the University of Utah, Jones was active in several associations:

• Member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA).
• Member-at-Large for the Reference and User Services Association's Management and Operation of User Services Section's (RUSA MOUSS) Reference Services in Small and Medium Sized Research Libraries Discussion Group 
• Historian for the Salt Lake City Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NCAAP).

Jones also wrote Black Bibliography in 1974 as part of the University of Utah's Bibliographic Series.

Curley Cleveland Jones died on March 3, 2015, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Sources: Jones, Curley. Black Bibliography. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah, 1974; "Staff Directory." University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library. University of Utah, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2010; Goldberg, Beverly. "African Americans 'Stretch the Envelope' at the First Black Caucus Conference." American Libraries (Nov. 1992):833-835; "Honor Roll of Donors." GSLIS Alumni Newsletter, 2003-2004. [Urbana-Champaign, IL]: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, 2004. 40; Email messages from Curley Jones, BCALA Listserv,14 Dec. 2010 and 15 Dec. 2010; Email message from Marcellus Turner, BCALA Listserv, 6 Dec. 2010.; Email message from Billy C. Beal, BCALA Listserv, 6 Dec. 2010; "Curley Jones Obituary." Legacy.com, Mar. 2015. Web. 7 July 2024; Harris, Linda S. "Minutes: ALA Midwinter Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 26, 2003." RUSA MOUSS Reference Services in Small and Medium Sized Research Libraries Discussion Group, 2003. Web. 7 July 2024; Seale, Colleen. "Minutes: ALA Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada, June 22, 2003." RUSA MOUSS Reference Services in Small and Medium Sized Research Libraries Discussion Group, 2003. Web. 7 July 2024.

The Carnegie Free Public Library of Georgetown, Guyana

On May 15, 1906, businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie granted $10,400 (equivalent to £7,000 at the time) to Georgetown, Guyana for the construction of a public library. Construction of the library began in the spring of 1908. 

The Carnegie Free Public Library of Georgetown opened for service in September 1909. Emily Murray was its first library director, leading the institution from 1909 until 1940.

The library expanded its outreach beginning with the Rural Library Service in 1950; library services to prisons in 1966; mobile library service in 1970; service as the nation's copyright library in 1972; computer services in 1993; and internet services in 2002. 

The Carnegie Free Public Library of Georgetown is now the National Library of Guyana. The Publication and Newspapers Act of 1972 enabled the former Carnegie Library to function as the nation's national library. The National Library of Guyana has branches in Bagotville, Corriverton, Linden, New Amsterdam, and Ruimveldt.

The library celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009.

Sources:  Stephenson, Yvonne V. "Guyana." World Encyclopedia of Libraries and Information Services. Ed. Robert Wedgeworth. Chicago: ALA Editions, 1993. 332-333.; Allicock, Dmitri. "The 1909 National Library of Guyana." Oh, Beautiful Guyana. 6 May 2014. Web. 27 May 2023.; Mattar, Carol. "Guyanan Studies Local Public Library." Journal Herald (Dayon, Ohio) 21 June 1974: 31.; Caribbean Libraries in the 21st Century: Changes, Challenges, and Choices. Ed. Cheryl Peltier-Davis and Shamin Renwick. Medford, New Jersey: Information Today, Inc., 2007. 183.; Persaud, Petamber. "The Andrew Carnegie Vision: Still Alive 108 Years Later." Guyana Times International, Inc. 22 Sept. 2017. Web. 27 May 2023.; "The National Library,1909-2009." Guyana Chronicle. 6 Sept. 2009. Web. 27 May 2023.

South Carolina State University Connections: Emily America Copeland and Rossie Brower Caldwell

Emily America Copeland became chair of the library science department at South Carolina State College (now South Carolina State University) in 1946. Ms. Copeland was a 1942 graduate of the library school at Atlanta University (Clark-Atlanta University). She held library positions at Spelman College, Atlanta University, Finley High School (Chester, South Carolina). Gammon Theological Seminary, the Woodstock Branch of the New York Public Library, Albany State College, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Florida A&M University). From 1958 to 1976, Ms. Copeland was the chair of Florida A &M University Library Science Department.

Sources: Walker, Lillie S. "Black Librarians in South Carolina." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 94. Print.; Copeland, Emily America. "Lady Emily." The Black Librarian in America. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970. 77-91. Print.; Caldwell, Rossie B. "South Carolina State Library Group." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 73. Print.; "Emily A. Copeland." Florida A & M University. Blackbaud, Inc., 2022 Web. 28 May 2022.

Rossie Brower Caldwell was a librarian and professor at South Carolina State University from 1957-1983. Ms. Caldwell was also a librarian at Reed Street High School, Emmett Scott High School, and Wilkinson High School. She received her MLS from the University of Illinois.

Sources: Walker, Lillie S. "Black Librarians in South Carolina." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 96-97. Print.; Caldwell, Rossie B. "South Carolina State Library Group." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 69-74. Print.; Clanton, Deborah. The Papers of Rossie B. Caldwell [Finding Aid]. South Carolina State University Historical Collection, Miller F. Whitaker Library, South Carolina State University, 2000. Print.; "Caldwell, Rossie Brower." The Directory of Minority Professionals in LIS (Library and Information Science). Comp. George C. Grant. Winter Park, FL: Four-G Publishers, Inc., 1991. 36-37. Print.

A Family of Librarians: The Gaytons of Seattle, Washington

This blog post focuses on three members of the Gayton family who were librarians: 

In 1946, Willetta Esther Riddle Gayton (1909-1991) became the second African American to receive an undergraduate degree in librarianship from the University of Washington. Ms. Gayton was also the first African American librarian to work in the Seattle public school system. She passed away on March 29, 1991.

Sources: Henry, Mary T. "Gayton, Willetta Esther Riddle (1909-1991)." History Link - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.; Lewis, Peter. "Willetta R. Gayton, 81, Librarian." The Seattle Times 10 Apr. 1991: n. pag. Web. 13 Jan. 2011.

Guela Gayton Johnson (1927-2018) was the first African American librarian to manage a branch library in the eighteen-branch library system of the University of Washington. The branch was the University of Washington Social Work Library, which Ms. Johnson managed until her retirement in 1992. 

Sources: "Guela Gayton Johnson, former School of Social Work Librarian and Community Leader, Dies." School of Social Work, University of Washington. 26 Oct. 2018. Web. 11 May 2022; Henry, Mary T. "Obituary - Guela Gayton Johnson." The Seattle Medium. 24 Oct. 2018. Web. 11 May 2022; Henry, Mary T. "Johnson, Guela Gayton (1927-2018)." History Link - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 28 June 2010. Web. 11 May 2022; "Guela Gayton Johnson, Retired Manager, Social Work Library, University of Washington, Seattle." African American Librarians in the Far West: Pioneers and Trailblazers. Ed. Binnie Tate Wilkin. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2006. 109-121. Print.; Henry, Mary T. "Gayton, Willetta Esther Riddle (1909-1991)." History Link - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.

John T. Gayton (1866-1954) of Seattle was the U.S. District Court Librarian from 1933-1953. He was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt. Mr. Gayton was the father-in-law of Willeta Esther Riddle Gayton and the grandfather of Guela Gayton Johnson.

Sources:  Henry, Mary. "John T. Gayton (1866-1954)." Black Past.org. 21 Jan. 2007. Web. 11 May 2022; Henry, Mary T.  "Gayton, John T. (1866-1954)."History Link - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 8 Nov. 1998. Web. 11 May 2022; "Guela Gayton Johnson, Retired Manager, Social Work Library, University of Washington, Seattle." African American Librarians in the Far West: Pioneers and Trailblazers. Ed. Binnie Tate Wilkin. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2006. 109-121. Print.; Henry, Mary T. "Gayton, Willetta Esther Riddle (1909-1991)." History Link - The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.

Educators and Libraries: Isaac Fisher (1877-1957)

Isaac Fisher (1877-1957), a native of East Carroll Parish, Louisiana and the son of former slaves, was the valedictorian of Tuskegee Institute's (Tuskegee University) graduating class of 1898. Fisher was also the first African American to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship. He was awarded the fellowship in 1926.

In addition to being a Guggenheim Fellow, Fisher was an educator, speaker, writer, editor, and conference organizer. He was often called upon to deliver speeches and keynote addresses at graduations, programs, conventions, and other events. Some of Fisher's speeches include:

• "Will America Absorb the Negro?" -- Delivered in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1893 to raise money for the train fare he needed to travel to Tuskegee, Alabama to attend Tuskegee Institute (Tuskegee University).
•  "Has the Negro Kept Faith?" -- Delivered at the 1910 centennial celebration of the life of abolitionist Theodore Parker.
• "The Unfinished Task." Delivered in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1934 at Crispus Attucks High School.

Fisher served as editor of The Southern Workman (published by Hampton Institute (now Hampton University)), The Fisk University News (published by Fisk University), and The Negro Farmer (published by Tuskegee Institute). In addition, Fisher once served as Tuskegee Institute's official news correspondent and had the honor of interviewing George Washington Carver (ca. 1864?-1943), a professor of agriculture at the institute and the 1923 winner of the Spingarn Medal.

As an educator, Fisher taught at the Schofield School in Aiken, South Carolina; served as principal of the Swayne Public School in Montgomery, Alabama; was principal of the Branch Normal College (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) in Pine Bluff, Arkansas; taught journalism and argumentation (debate) at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee; and headed the Department of Research and Publications at Florida A & M College (Florida A & M University) in Tallahassee, Florida.

His connection with libraries:

• While a student at Tuskegee Institute, Isaac Fisher built his own private library with the assistance of Margaret Murray Washington (1865-1925) the wife of Tuskegee Institute founder Booker T. Washington (1856-1915).

• In 1904, seeking to improve access to books and other information sources for students at Branch Normal College, Isaac Fisher made a request to Andrew Carnegie for funds to build a library for the college. However, Fisher's request was denied.  The reason given: "not a good business investment to give a library to a school which constructed only three buildings -- a classroom building, a girls' dormitory, and an industrial shop -- in twenty-nine years" (from page 1 of the Wednesday, June 6, 1906 issue of the Pine Bluff Daily Graphic, a local newspaper).

• On Friday, June 1, 1934, Isaac Fisher gave his speech "The Unfinished Task" at the graduation ceremony for Crispus Attucks High School, a high school for African Americans in Indianapolis, Indiana (the school is now integrated).  Housed inside the high school was the Crispus Attucks Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library, one of three library branches located in predominately African American neighborhoods in Indianapolis. The Crispus Attucks Branch Library was in operation from 1927-1959.

Fisher passed away on Friday, August 23, 1957 in Minnesota.

Sources: "200 Attucks Graduates in Commencement Exercises ; Prof. Isaac Fisher Speaks." Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, Ind.) 2 June 1934: 1, 3. Print. ; "Attucks Class Gets Diplomas: Need of Providing for Material Things Stressed by Virginian." Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Ind.) 2 June 1934: 12. Print. ; "Branch Normal: Closing Exercises of State Colored School One of Greatest Successes in History of the Institution --- The Great Work Accomplished by Principal Isaac Fisher." Pine Bluff Daily Graphic (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 6 June 1906: 1. Print. ; "Isaac Fisher Again Winner: Colored Man Awarded Prize in Magazine Contest : Nine Thousand Competed." Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, Ind.) 19 Sept. 1914: 1, 4. Print. ; "Mr. Fisher Wins Again" The Advocate (Charleston, W. Va.) 24 Feb. 1910: 3. Print. ; "Changes Made at Hampton." The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 7 July 1934: 11. Print. ; "Hamptonians in N.Y. Hear Isaac Fisher on Gen. Armstrong: Founder's Day Program Draws Large Audience in Harlem." New York Age (New York, N.Y.) 2 Feb. 1935: 2. Print. ; "Hampton Commencement." New York Age (New York, N.Y.) 7 June 1917: 7. Print. ; "Moton Sketches Progress of Negroes on Ever of Tuskegee Anniversary." The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) 12 Apr. 1931: 10. Print. ; "Fisher Hits 'Making the News'; Press Friendly, Cooperative When Program is Genuine." Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, Ind.) 21 Aug. 1937: 13. Print. ; "Fisher Writes Moving Picture Drama." Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis, Ind.) 16 Oct. 1915: 4. Print. "Commencement Programs Announced by Manual, Broad Ripple, and Attucks." Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Ind.) 29 May 1934: 6. Print. ; Wheeler, Elizabeth L. "Isaac Fisher: The Frustrations of a Negro Educator at Branch Normal College, 1902-1911." The Arkansas Historical Quarterly 41.1 (Spring 1982): 3-50. Print. 

1928 Indiana Library Association Meeting and the Hotel Lincoln

African American librarians experiencing discrimination and prejudice while attending library conferences was not unique to the 1936 ALA Conference in Richmond, Virginia. Similar incidents have happened at other library conferences.

During the 1928 Indiana Library Association Meeting (now the Indiana Library Federation Conference) in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Hotel Lincoln changed its rules and allowed African American attendees to use the hotel's elevators. This made it easier for African American librarians to attend sessions of the conference held on the higher floors of the building. However, one rule stayed in place: African Americans were not allowed to book rooms at the hotel and had to seek accommodations elsewhere.

The Hotel Lincoln, named for United States President Abraham Lincoln, was built in 1918 and was located on the corner of West Washington Street and Kentucky Avenue in downtown Indianapolis. The hotel hosted numerous conferences and conventions during its years of operation, and was where Robert F. Kennedy and his campaign crew stayed during the Indiana Primary in 1968. The hotel was torn down in 1973. 

Sources: Howard, Edward Allen. "Indiana Library Association." Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Ed. Kent Allen, Harold Lancour, and Jay Daily. Vol. 11. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1974. 447. Print. ; "Indiana Library Association 37th Annual Conference and Indiana Library Trustees Association 20th Annual Conference: Indianapolis, November 21, 22, 23, 1928." Library Occurrent 9.1 (1929): 2-9. Print. ; Secker, William R. "The New Fireproof Hotel Lincoln, Indianapolis." Hotel Monthly 20.305 (1918): 44-55. Print.

Update 7/27/2020:  

Related post: ALA History: 1936 American Library Association Meeting in Richmond, Virginia

Dr. Charles D. Churchwell (1926-2018): Second African American to Earn a Ph.D. in Library Science from the University of Illinois

Dr. Charles Darrett Churchwell was the second African American to receive a Ph.D. in library science from the University of Illinois. A native of Dunnellon, Florida, Dr. Churchwell was born on Sunday, November 7, 1926 to John Dozier Churchwell and Leeannah Delaughter Churchwell. Dr. Churchwell was also a veteran of the United States Army. After the military, he attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating in 1952 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. Dr. Churchwell then attended the Atlanta University Library School (Clark-Atlanta University), receiving his MLS (Master of Library Science) in 1953. He earned his doctorate (Ph.D.) in library science from the University of Illinois in 1966.

During his career, Dr. Churchwell held several positions in libraries across the country, including Alabama State College (Alabama State University), Prairie View A & M University, the New York Public Library, and the University of Illinois before becoming the first African American to serve as Assistant Director of Public Services & Associate Professor at the University of Houston. He remained at the University of Houston until 1970. That same year, Dr. Churchwell became the director of the Miami University of Ohio's libraries, serving for four years. Afterwards, he served as director of the Brown University Library, the dean of libraries at Washington University in St. Louis, and a library science professor at Wayne State University. His final years of librarianship were spent as the dean of the library science program at Clark-Atlanta University.  He retired in 1999.

Although Dr. Carla Hayden is the first African American to serve as Librarian of Congress, she was not the first African American to be considered for the job. When Librarian of Congress Lawrence Quincy Mumford (L. Quincy Mumford) retired from the Library of Congress in 1974, Dr. Churchwell was among several candidates recommended by the American Library Association Executive Board as Mumford's replacement. Even though Churchwell wasn't selected for the position, the fact that he was recommended is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Dr. Churchwell wrote several articles, contributed chapters to books on library science, and was the author of The Shaping of American Library Education.  He also testified before the Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and Humanities of the United States Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources in October 1979 during hearings on the Higher Education Amendments of 1979 and before the Subcommittee on Post Secondary Education of the United States House of Representatives' Committee on Education and Labor in September 1985 during hearings on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

Dr. Churchwell passed away in 2018 at the age of 91 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Some works of Dr. Churchwell:

Churchwell, Charles D. "The Evolution of the Academic Research Library in the 1960s." College & Research Libraries 68.2 (Mar. 2007): 104-105. Print.

Churchwell, Charles. "Racial Integration at the University of Houston: A Personal Perspective II." Untold Stories: Civil Rights, Libraries, and Black Librarianship. Ed. John Mark Tucker. Champaign: Board of Trustees of U of Illinois, 1998. 136-140. Print.

Churchwell, Charles D. "A Historical Introduction to Library Education: Problems and Progress to 1951 (Book Review)." College & Research Libraries 38.1 (Jan. 1977): 74-75. Print.

Churchwell, Charles D. The Shaping of American Library Education. Chicago: American Library Association, 1974. Print.

Churchwell, Charles D. "Education for Librarianship in the United States: Some Factors Which Influence Its Development between 1919 and 1936." Diss. U of Illinois, 1966. Print.

Update 6/27.2020:

*Note: The first African American to receive a doctorate in library science from the University of Illinois was Dr. Jessie Carney Smith. Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. in 1964.  Many thanks to Jamillah Gabriel for bringing this to my attention!!

Sources: Figa, Elizabeth and Macpherson, Janet. "Brown v. Board of Education and Its Effect on Libraries and Library and Information Science Education: Mapping and Storytelling a Historical Journey  Fifty Years in the Making."  Unfinished Business: Race, Equity, and Diversity in Library and Information Science Education. Ed. Maurice B. Wheeler. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2005. 21. Print. ; Holley, Edward G. "Racial Integration at the University of Houston: A Personal Perspective I."  and Churchwell, Charles. "Racial Integration at the University of Houston: A Personal Perspective II." Untold Stories: Civil Rights, Libraries, and Black Librarianship. Ed. John Mark Tucker. Champaign: Board of Trustees of U of Illinois, 1998. 129-140. Print. ; Jordan, Casper LeRoy and Josey, E.J. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 12, 15. Print. ; "Charles D. Churchwell Obituary." A Guide to African American Studies, Washington University in St. Louis. 14 Feb. 2020. Web. 30 May 2020. ; United States Congress Senate. Committee on Labor and Human Resources. Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and the Humanities. Higher Education Amendments of 1979: Hearings before the Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and the Humanities of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, United States Senate: Ninety-Sixth Congress, First Session on S. 1839 to Extend the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for Other Purposes: October 10, 11, 23, 25, and November 9, 1979, Part 2. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1980. Print. ; United States Congress House. Committee on Education and Labor. Subcommittee on Post Secondary Education. Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act: Title II (College Libraries); Title VI (International Education); Title VIII (Cooperative Education); Title X (F.I.P.S.E.); Title XI (Urban Grant Universities): Hearings before the Subcommittee on Post Secondary Education of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session: Hearings Held in Washington, DC, September 6 and 10, 1985. Volume 8. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1986. Print. ; "SWIDC Meets." The Prairie View Standard 45.4 (Dec. 1954): 3. PDF file. ; "Dr. Churchwell Nominated." The Miamian 3.31 (May 1974): 1. Digital file. ; Pearson, Lois R. "Outside Consultant's Plan Causes Churchwell to Resign from Washington U. Libraries." American Libraries 18 (Mar. 1987): 164. Print. ; "Charles D. Churchwell." The History Makers. The History Makers, 16 Oct. 2007. Web. 1 June 2020. "American Council on Education Fellows." Wright State University Research News 3.10 (Apr. 1971): 3. PDF file.

Bertha Pleasant Williams (1923-2008) and the Union Street Library, Montgomery, Alabama

Bertha Pleasant Williams was Montgomery, Alabama's first African American librarian. Ms. Williams was born on Friday, June 29, 1923 in Montgomery, Alabama to Reuben P. and Mary Green Pleasant.  She was a 1943 graduate of Alabama State University where she earned a bachelor of library science degree (BLS) and a 1946 graduate of Atlanta University (Clark-Atlanta University) where she earned her Master of Library Science (MLS). Previously, Ms. Williams had tried to attend the library science program at the University of Alabama but was refused admission because she was African American. In 1950, she married Robert H. Williams.

Library service in Montgomery, Alabama began with the Montgomery Library Association, a small subscription library above a drugstore on Dexter Avenue in 1899. In 1904, with funds from the Carnegie Endowment (founded by businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie) the Carnegie Library of Montgomery, Alabama was built (later called the Montgomery City-County Public Library). However, library services were not extended to Montgomery's African American community. This changed in June 1947, when the Montgomery Negro Ministerial Association met to formulate plans to establish a library branch for the African American community. At the meeting, a task force, the Friends of the Library Association, was created and charged with making the library branch a reality. Members of the task force included:

Rev. Ralph A. Daley
Zenovia Johnson
Alice Martin
M. L. Pace
Dr. V. E. Daniel

A building was found on 409 South Union Street and was renovated for housing the library. The building was provided by the Sojourner Truth Club, an African American women's club. The name chosen for the library branch was the Union Street Library. Through the encouragement of library science professor  Dr. Virginia Lacey Jones, Bertha Pleasant Williams applied for and accepted the position as librarian for the newly created library.

The Union Street Library opened for service on December 8, 1948. Ms. Williams was determined to provide patrons with the best service and resources possible. She promoted the library and it services on the local African American radio station and in the local African American newspaper. She worked closely with the city's African American teachers to promote reading in the classroom and loaned books for the schools to use. Williams also established deposit stations, authorized locations to lend library books for patrons to use. Williams had help from people in the community -- some would help transport books to patrons since the city refused to fund bookmobile service for African Americans; others would contribute funds in support of the library.

As time went by, the Union Street Library outgrew its space and needed to expand. In 1960, a new location for the library was secured and it was renamed the Cleveland Avenue Branch.  In 1963, the entire library system of the Montgomery City-County Public Library was integrated. The Cleveland Avenue Branch was later renamed the Rosa Parks Avenue Branch. The branch was renamed again in 2012 as the Bertha Pleasant Williams Library at the Rosa L. Parks Avenue Branch.

Ms. Williams later worked at the library at Alabama State University. She was employed at the university for 14 years, 7 of which she served as head of the university's rare book collection and archives.

Bertha Pleasant Williams passed way on Monday, November 24, 2008 at the age of 85.  Her funeral was held at the Dexter King Memorial Baptist Church, in Montgomery, Alabama.  In 2012, a historic marker commemorating her work with libraries was placed at the Bertha Pleasant Williams Library at the Rosa Parks L. Avenue Branch.


Sources: Graham, Patterson Toby. A Right to Read: Segregation and Civil Rights in Alabama's Public Libraries, 1900-1965. Tuscaloosa: U of Alabama P, 2006. 56-62, 68, 75-80. Print. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South, or Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 94, 126. Print. ; Knott, Cheryl. Not Free, Not for All: Public Libraries in the Age of Jim Crow. U of Massachusetts P, 2015. 28, 143, 262. Print. ; Wiegand, Wayne A. and Shirley A. Wiegand. The Desegregation of Public Libraries in the Jim Crow South: Civil Rights and Local Activism.  LSU P, 2018. 51-53., 118-125. Print. ;  Robinson, Carrie C. "Alabama Association of School Librarians." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 51. Print. ; Blumenstein, Lynn. "Bertha Pleasant Williams Dies." Library Journal.com,  Library Journal, 1 Dec. 2008. Web. 30 May 2020. ; Edwards, Brian. "Montgomery Officials Honor Recognition of Bertha Williams Library with Unveiling of Historic Marker." Montgomery Advertiser, USA Today Network, 28 June 2019. Web. 30 May 2020. ; "Council Reaches Compromise over the Renaming of Rosa Parks Library." WFAS.com, WFAS12 News, 18 July 2012. Web. 30 May 2020. ; "Bertha Pleasant Williams." Legacy.com, Legacy, 28 Nov. 2008. Web. 30 May 2020.

Three Notable Figures in Librarianship in Jamaica

Daphne Rowena Douglas

Daphne Rowena Douglas (1924- ) was head of the University of the West Indies' Library Science Program 1976-1980, and again from 1982-1993. She received the Institute of Jamaica's Centenary Medal for Meritorious Service in the Field of Librarianship and Library in 1979. Ms. Douglas is a 1974 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh's library science program.

Sources: "Biographies of Jamaican Personalities: Daphne Douglas." National Library of Jamaica. National Library of Jamaica, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. ; "Professor Daphne Rowena Douglas." Douglas Archives. Douglas Archives, 26 Oct. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2010.

Kenneth Everard Niven Ingram

Kenneth Everard Niven Ingram (1921-2007) was one of  the earliest known black professional librarians in Jamaica. He was the University Librarian at the University College of the West Indies for ten years and helped found the Jamaica Library Association. Also, Mr. Ingram received the Gold Musgrave Medal for his contributions to library services and was president of the Association of Caribbean Universities, Research and Institutional Libraries. Mr. Ingram passed away in 2007.

Sources: "Biographies of Jamaican Personalities: Kenneth Everard Niven Ingram." National Library of Jamaica. National Library of Jamaica, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. ; "Kenneth Everard Niven Ingram, OD, DLitt, MPhil, FLA, BA." University of the West Indies at Mona. University of the West Indies at Mona, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. ; Dunn, Pat and Mordecai, Pamela. " Ingram, Kenneth Everard Niven." Encyclopedia of Latin and Caribbean Literature. Ed. Daniel Balderston and Mike Gonzalez. New York: Routledge, 2004. 276. Print.

Dorothy G. Williams Collings

Dorothy G. Williams Collings (1911-1991) helped found the library science program at the University of the West Indies. Ms. Collings, whose parents were Jamaican, was also a librarian at the New York Public Library and an instructor at the library school at Columbia University. She also worked at Atlanta University, UNESCO, and Fisk University. Ms. Collings received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1947.

Sources: Jackson, William Vernon. "The Pioneers: Dorothy G. Collings (1911-1991)." World Libraries 11.1-2 (2001):n.pag. Dominican Graduate School of Library and Information Science, 2001. Web. 8 Dec. 2010.; "Dorothy Collings: Tribute from the Library Association of Guyana." University of the West Indies at Mona, Library & Information Studies. University of the West Indies at Mona, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. ; Jordan, Casper Leroy. "Georgia Peaches and Cream: Afro-American Librarians in the State of Georgia."  Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Durham: NCCU School of Library Service, 1980. 34 . Print. ; Cooper, Glendora Johnson. "African American Historical Continuity: Jean Blackwell Huston and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture." Reclaiming the American Library Past: Writing the Women In. Ed. Suzanne Hildenbrand. Norwood: Ablex, 1996. 38. Print.

African and African American Presidents of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

Robert Wedgeworth, IFLA President 1991-1997

Sources:"IFLA Presidents." IFLA.org. IFLA, 1 Apr. 2019. Web. 15 Sept. 2019.; Wilhite, Jeffrey M. 85 Years IFLA: A History and Chronology of Sessions 1927-2012. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2012.72, 77,269, 273, 283. Print. ; "Voice of 3,000 Librarian: Robert Wedgeworth, Executive Director of American Library Association Seeks to Make Librarians Visibile." Ebony 28.8 (1973): 107-108, 110-112. Print. ; "Arts and Letters." Ebony 28.3 (1973): 39. Print. ; Tate, Thelma H. "African Americans in International Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 615, 618-619. Print. ; Dawson, Alma. "Celebrating African American Librarians and Librarianship." Library Trends 49.1 (2000): 61. Print. ; "Wedgeworth Named Dean of N.Y. Library School." Jet 68.21 (1985): 34. Print. ; "American Library Assn. Names Black Executive." Jet 42.4 (1972): 25. Print. ; "Lerome J. Bennett Unveils 'Wade in the Water' ." Jet 57.5 (1979): 55. Print. ; "People." Jet 22.25 (1962): 45. Print. ; "The Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. Celebrates 40 Years." Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. Newsletter 39.2 (2010): 4. Print.

Update 07/04/2026

Dr. Wedgeworth published his biography in June 2026:  Wedgeworth, Robert. Breaking Barriers: A Librarian's Story of Changing Times. Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited, 2026.


Kay Raseroka, IFLA President 2003-2005

Sources: "IFLA Presidents." IFLA.org. IFLA, 1 Apr. 2019. Web. 15 Sept. 2019. ; Raseroka, Kay. "'Not in My Wildest Dreams': IFLA Journal Interviews Kay Raseroka." IFLA Journal 29.3 (2003): 205-208. PDF. ; Byrne, Alex. "Kay Raseroka, IFLA President 2003-2005." IFLA Journal 31.4 (2005): 355-356. PDF. ; Raseroka, Kay. "Reports to Council in Oslo: President's Report." IFLA Journal 31.4 (2005): 350-354. PDF. ; Wilhite, Jeffrey M. 85 Years IFLA: A History and Chronology of Sessions 1927-2012. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2012.78-79, 304, 307, 314. Print. ; Shimmon, Ross. Kay Raseroka Wins Presidential Election. The Hague, Netherlands: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, 2001.PDF. ; Raseroka, H. Kay. "Seizing the Moment: Issues and Opportunities towards the Creation of an Information Society." IFLA Journal 27.5-6 (2001): 322-327. PDF.

Ellen Tise, IFLA President 2009-2011

Sources: "IFLA Presidents." IFLA.org. IFLA, 1 Apr. 2019. Web. 15 Sept. 2019.; "Newsmaker: Ellen Tise." American Libraries 41.10 (Oct. 2010): 31. Print. ; "Gates Foundation Contributes $1.5 Million to IFLA Advocacy." American Libraries. ALA,  25 Aug. 2009. Web. 15 Sept. 2019; Carlton, Amy. "IFLA President's Program Reunites Leaders: Past Presidents Take to the Stage to Talk Change." American Libraries. ALA, 26 Aug. 2018. Web. 15 Sept. 2019; Tise, Ellen R. and Raju, Reggie. "African Librarianship: A Relic, a Fallacy, or an Imperative?" Library Trends 64.1 (2015):3-18. Print. ; Tise, Ellen R. "Strategies by LIASA to Develop Library Services and the Profession in Africa." Information Development 20.1 (2004): 36-42. PDF. ; "South Africa's Libraries Highlighted at LC Talk for African American Month." Capital Librarian 1.6-7 (Jan./Feb. 2008): 10. PDF. ; Tise, Ellen R. "Libraries Driving Access to Knowledge (A2K)." Libraries Driving Access to Knowledge. Ed. Jesus Lau, Anna Maria Tammaro, and Theo J. D. Bothma. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2012. 17-34.Print. ; Wilhite, Jeffrey M. 85 Years IFLA: A History and Chronology of Sessions 1927-2012. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2012.79-80, 88, 326, 330. Print.

Some Early Librarians of Roosevelt High School, Gary, Indiana

Built in 1930, the Theodore Roosevelt High School of Gary, Indiana (now Theodore Roosevelt College and Career Academy) was established to educate the city's African American students. Some of the early librarians employed at the school: 

1931-1934 -- Wilhemina Turner was hired as a librarian at the Theodore Roosevelt High School where she worked until 1934. After receiving her library science degree in 1935, Turner became an assistant librarian at the Du Sable High School in Chicago, Illinois. 

1935-1936  -- Hortense Houston Young, was hired in 1935. A 1934 graduate of the University of Illinois Library School, Young remained at Roosevelt High School until 1936 when she became an assistant librarian at the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes (now Simmons College of Kentucky; Eliza Atkins Gleason and her sister, Ollie Atkins Carpenter once worked at the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes; Eliza became the first African American to earn a PhD in library science). 


1935-1937? -- Marjorie Adelle Blackistone Bradfield began working at Roosevelt High School (at that time she was Marjorie Blackistone). A native of Washington, D.C., Ms. Bradfield was the daughter of John Roger and Lucy Comfort Winston Blackistone. Bradfield was a 1935 graduate of the Columbia University School of Library Service (the school closed in 1992) and also attended the University of Michigan.  

In 1937, she became the first African American librarian hired by the Detroit Public Library in Detroit, Michigan. On June 29, 1938, she married Horace F. Bradfield.  Ms. Bradfield remained at the Detroit Public Library until 1968, when she left to accept a position as a school librarian for the Detroit Public Schools. 

In 1970, Ms. Bradfield was instrumental in the appointment of Clara Stanton Jones as the Detroit Public Library’s first African American female director (Ms. Jones would later serve as the first African American president of the American Library Association, 1976-1977). Also, in July 1970, Ms. Bradfield participated in a panel discussion, “Black History in Libraries”, given by the History Section of the American Library Association (now the Library History Round Table) at the 89th American Library Association Annual Conference held in Detroit.

Ms. Bradfield remained at the Detroit Public Schools until 1980. She passed away on November 19, 1999 at the age of 88.

Sources: A Directory of Negro Graduates of Accredited Library Schools, 1900-1936.  Washington: Columbia Civic Library Association, 1937. 7, 22, 25. Print. ; Jones, Reinette F. Library Service to African American in Kentucky: From the Reconstruction Era to the 1960s. Jefferson: McFarland, 2002. 91, 103, 126, 163. Print. ; Spradling, Mary Mace. “Black Librarians in Kentucky.” The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 50. Print. ; Audi, Tamara. "Marjorie Bradfield: Put Black History into Library." Detroit Free Press 20 Nov. 1999: 123. Print. ; "Marjorie A. Blackistone and Horace Ferguson Bradfield Papers: 1931-1978." Bentley Historical Library. University of Michigan. May 2017. Web. 23 Feb. 2019. ; Taliaferro, Trudy Bradfield. "Special Guest Column: Benjamin Brown, Buffalo Soldier, Family Hero." AAGSNC.org. African American Genealogical Society of Northern California. 2000. Web. 23 Feb. 2019.