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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

F. Blanche Foster (1918-1988): Librarian, Teacher, and Author

F. Blanche Foster (1918-1988), a writer of travel books for middle school students, served as a school librarian for South Vigo High School in Terre Haute, Indiana. A native of Tennessee, Ms. Foster was a graduate of Wiley High School in Terre Haute, Indiana (the school was merged with Honey Creek High School in the early 1970s to form South Vigo High School). She received her library science degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and was a school librarian in Detroit before returning to Terre Haute, Indiana.

On April 17, 1977, Ms. Foster, along with five other local authors, was honored by the Friends of the Indiana State University Cunningham Memorial Library at a reception held at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.

In 1979, Ms. Foster donated from her personal collection, four first edition volumes of the works of poet Paul Laurence Dunbar to the Vigo County Public Library.

She passed away in February 1988 at the age of 69 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Her books:

Kenya. New York: Watts, 1969.

Dahomey. New York: F. Watts, 1971.

The West Indies: A Conceptual View. New York: Carlton, 1976.

East Central Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. New York: Watts, 1981.

Sources: "F. Blanche Foster." Indiana Odyssey: Celebrating Local African American Authors. Vigo County Public Library, Feb. 2000. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. ; Davis, Bettie. "Terre Haute News." Indianapolis Recorder 3 Mar. 1979: 14. Print. ; Clark, Dorothy J. "Patrons Preview Set for YWCA Yule Bazaar." Terre Haute Tribune (Terre Haute, Ind.) 23 Nov. 1975: 65. Print. ; "Plan Reception to Honor Six Local Authors." Terre Haute Tribune (Terre Haute, Ind.) 7 Apr. 1977: 11. Print. ; "ISU to Fete Local Authors." Terre Haute Tribune (Terre Haute, Ind.) 16 Apr. 1977: 3. Print. ; "Local Authors Honored by Friends Group (Photo)". Terre Haute Tribune (Terre Haute, Ind.) 20 Apr. 1977: 12. Print. ; "Carole Jones Memorial Speaker." Terre Haute Tribune (Terre Haute, Ind.) 21 Apr. 1977: 9. Print. ; "An Afternoon of Black Art (Photo)." Indianapolis Recorder 12 Oct. 1974: 4. Print. ; "Newlyweds at the Webbs." Indianapolis Recorder 6 Oct. 1979: 7. Print. ; Davis, Bettie. "Terre Haute News." Indianapolis Recorder 3 Mar. 1979: 14. Print. ; "Indiana Black Assembly Endorses Hatcher Plan to Form New Group." Indianapolis Recorder 16 Aug. 1975: 1, 13. Print. ; "Deaths."  Indianapolis Star 16 Feb. 1988: 32. Print.

Dr. Daniel Thomas Williams (1932-2010): University Archivist for Tuskegee University

Dr. Daniel Thomas Williams (1932-2010), was the University Archivist at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Tuskegee, Alabama from 1968-1999. A native of Miami, Florida, Dr. Williams was the son of Willie Mae and Daniel T. Williams, Sr.

Dr. Williams completed his undergraduate education in 1956 at West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University) in Institute, West Virginia. In 1957, Dr. Williams received his M.L.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was hired the same year by Tuskegee where he worked first as a serials librarian, then as director of the university's professional libraries, and finally, in 1968 as the university's archivist. In 1969,  Dr. Williams received a certificate in archival administration from American University.

Dr. Williams was part of the U.S. Delegation of the World Congress on Archives which met in Moscow, Russia in 1972. Dr. Williams further his education at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama where he earned his PhD. in Education in 1987.

In 1989, Dr. Williams was honored by the Academy of Certified Archivists and named a fellow by the Society of American Archivists in 1992. He was also the curator for Tuskegee's Daniel James Memorial Hall.

In 1994 and again in 1997, Dr. Williams discussed Tuskegee University's history on C-SPAN2. Video recordings of both sessions are available at:

Dan Williams, Archivist, Tuskegee University
https://www.c-span.org/person/?danwilliams

Dr. Williams remained at Tuskegee University until his retirement in 1999. He passed away on June 24, 2010 in Hollywood, Florida.



Sources: Shockley, Ann Allen. "Librarians, Archivists, and Writers: A Personal Perspective." The Black Librarian in America Revisited. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1994. 320, 322. Print. ; "Former TU Archivist Dr. Daniel Williams Dies." The Tuskegee News (Online Edition) 8 July 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. ; The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library of Science, 1980. 24, 29, 192-193. Print. ; Fields, Dorothy Jenkins. "Remembering Two Colleagues Who Made History." Miami Herald 24 Feb. 2011. Web, 27 Feb 2011. ; "Dan Williams - SAA Fellow." African-American and Third World Archivists Roundtable Newsletter 6.2 (1992): 1, 4. Print. ; "Another Honor for the Peanut Man: Botanist George Washington Carver Named to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans." Ebony 32.9 (1977): 103. Print. ; "People." Jet 83.2 (1992): 20. Print.

Andrew Venable, Jr. (1944-2016): First African American Director of the Cleveland Public Library

Andrew Venable, Jr., a native of Staunton, Virginia, was the first African American director of the Cleveland Public Library in Cleveland, Ohio. He was born on November 11, 1944 to Andrew and Catherine Venable. Andrew Venable, Jr. was a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School (now Booker T. Washington Community Center) in Staunton, Virginia; a graduate of Virginia State University (formerly Virginia State College) in Petersburg, Virginia; and a graduate of the Case Western Reserve University School of Library Science (Note: In 1981 the library school's name was changed to the Matthew A. Baxter School of Information and Library Science; the library science program was in operation from 1903 until 1986).

Mr. Venable began his library career at the Cleveland Public Library in Cleveland, Ohio in 1970. He remained there for 13 years. In 1983, Mr. Venable left the Cleveland Public Library to become the director of the East Cleveland Public Library. He served there for five years. After leaving the East Cleveland Public Library, Mr. Venable served as the director of the Gary Public Library in Gary, Indiana from 1988 until 1992. After his tenure at the Gary Public Library, Mr. Venable became library director at the Ivy Tech Community College-Northwest Region (the college is also known as Ivy Tech). He served there from 1992 until 1993.

In 1993, Mr. Venable left Indiana and headed east to Washington, D.C. where he held the position of Deputy Director at the D.C. Public Library. Four years later, Mr. Venable returned to the place where he began his library career -- The Cleveland Public Library. He served as deputy director (1997-1999) and then director (1999-2008). He retired in 2008.

Andrew Venable, Jr. passed away on May 5, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Highlights of Andrew Venable Jr.'s Career:

First African American director of the Cleveland Public Library

Named Librarian of the Year by the Ohio Library Council in 2001

Instrumental in the creation of the Greater Access Library Card

Awarded the Key to the City of Cleveland in 2008

Credited with describing public libraries as "The Peoples' University"

Awarded an honorary doctorate from Cleveland State University in 2007

A member of the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha


Sources: Oder, Norman. "Q & A with Cleveland's Andrew Venable." Libraryjournal.com. Library Journal. 15 May 2008. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. ; "Andrew Venable Appointed Director of CPL." PR Newswire.com. PR Newswire, 9 June 1999. Web. 20 Dec. 2010. ; Henson, Jane E. E. Libraries--Link to Learning. Final Report on the Indiana Governor's Conference on Libraries and Information Services (2nd, Indianapolis, Indiana, November 16-18, 1990). Indianapolis: State of Indiana, 1990. Print. ; Hanson, Debbie. "Andrew Venable: Leading the Peoples' University." ClevelandSeniors.com, N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. ; "Reading Recruiter Gary Library Chief Hustles to Bring in Customers." Post-Tribune (Ind.) 18 Feb. 1990. Highbeam Research. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. ; "City of Gary Says Farewell as Old Friend Tries Something New." Post-Tribune (Ind.) 6 Oct. 1993. Highbeam Research. Web. 2 Feb. 2011. ; "Venable Named Director of Cleveland Public Library." American Libraries. American Library Association, 14 June 1999. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. "Andrew Venable (1944-2016), Cleveland Library Director." Cleveland Public Library Archives. 9 May 2016. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. ; Kuehner, John C. "Andrew A. Venable Jr. Cleveland Public Library Leader Who Coined the Term 'The Peoples University': Black History Month." The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. ; "Cleveland Public Library." Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. 23 Sept. 2004. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. ; Marco, Guy A. "Cleveland Public Library." The American Public Library Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2012. 94. Print. ; "The Schools of CRWU." University Archives. Case Western Reserve University. 2009. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. ; "Mr. Andrew Venable, Jr. (Obituary)." efboyd.com. E.F. Boyd & Son Funeral Home and Crematory. 2016. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. ; "Cleveland Public Library to Open Circulating eBook Collection." Independent Publisher (Online). Jenkins Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. ; Rogers, Michael, and Norman Oder. "Venable Named Cleveland Director." Library Journal 124.12 (Jul. 1999): 18. Print. ; Gray, Lisa. "Balancing the Books: Budget Cuts Strike Deep at the D.C. Public Library." Washington City Paper (Washington, D.C.) 17 Feb . 1995. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. ; "Carnegie's Commemorative Grants to Urban Public Libraries." Carnegie.org. Carnegie Corporation of New York, 10 June 1999. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. ; Albanese, Andrew Richard. "Culture Keepers: ALA's Black Caucus Continues to Make a Critical Difference in Library Services."  Libraryjournal.com. Library Journal. 15 Sept. 2002. Web. 8 Jan. 2017.

Dr. Carla D. Hayden: The First African American Librarian of Congress

A remarkable moment in library history!!

On Wednesday, September 14, 2016, Dr. Carla D. Hayden was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress by Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, Jr.  The ceremony was broadcast live on the Library of Congress's YouTube channel.

Members of the United States Congress who spoke during the ceremony included Representative Paul Ryan (Speaker of the House), Senator Roy D. Blunt (Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration), and Senator Barbara A. Mikulski.


Some facts about Dr. Hayden:

The first African American to serve as the Librarian of Congress.

The first woman to serve as the Librarian of Congress.

Nominated for the position of Librarian of Congress by President Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States.

President of the American Library Association, 2003-2004.

Served as director of the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore, Maryland from 1993-2016.

Received her library science education at the University of Chicago Graduate Library School.

Worked at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and at the Chicago Public Library in the 1970s and 1980s.

Taught library science at the University of Pittsburgh.

Library Journal's Librarian of the Year in 1995.

In 1992, Dr. Hayden edited Ventures into Cultures: A Resource Book of Multicultural Materials and Programs. 

Timeline of Dr. Hayden's journey to the Library of Congress:

February 24, 2016  --  Dr. Hayden Nominated by President Barack Obama

April 20, 2016  --  Confirmation Hearing Held for Dr. Hayden

July 13, 2016 -- Dr. Hayden Confirmed 

September 14, 2016 -- Dr. Hayden sworn in as Librarian of Congress

Transcripts of Dr. Hayden's confirmation hearing and swearing-in ceremony:


The transcript of the confirmation hearing (click on the title below): 

United States Congress. Senate. Committee on Rules and Administration. Nomination of Dr. Carla D. Hayden, to Be Librarian of Congress: Hearing Before the Committee on Rules and Administration, Congress of the United States, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, April 20, 2016. Washington : G.P.O., 2016. PDF File.


The transcript of Dr. Hayden's remarks from the swearing-in ceremony can be accessed by clicking here: 

Remarks by Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress: Swearing-In Ceremony, September 14, 2016. [Washington, D.C.] : Library of Congress, 2016. PDF.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association Newsletter:

The Summer 2016 issue of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Newsletter features Dr. Hayden on the cover as well as some pieces written about her (see pages 42-48):

http://bcala.org/Summer2016/BCALA_Summer2016.html

Update 10/04/2016: 

The October 2016 issue of Essence features a brief paragraph on Dr. Hayden:

"History Maker." Essence 47.6 (Oct. 2016): 86. Print.

Also, the September/October 2016 issue of Library of Congress Magazine features an interview of Dr. Hayden in which she discusses what she hopes to accomplish as the new Librarian of Congress:

"The 14th Librarian of Congress." Library of Congress Magazine 5.5 (Sept./Oct. 2016): 2-3. PDF File.

Update 10/08/2016:

On September 19, 2016, Dr. Hayden was interviewed by Jeffrey Brown on PBS Newshour:

"The New Librarian of Congress on the Value of Free Information"
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/new-librarian-congress-value-free-information/

Update 10/25/2016:

The October 15, 2016 issue of Library Journal features an article about Dr. Hayden:

Schwartz, Meredith. "Librarian of the People: The New Librarian of Congress Sets an Ambitious Agenda and a New Tone." Library Journal 141.17 (Oct. 2016): 20-22. Print.

Update 10/31/2016:

The Nov./Dec. 2016 issue of American Libraries features an article about Dr. Hayden:

Landgraf, Greg. "America's Librarian: Carla Hayden Plans to Continue Her Career-Long Focus on Access and Technology as Librarian of Congress." American Libraries 47.11/12 (Nov./Dec. 2016): 40-44. Print.

Update 11/03/2016:

Related articles:

Page, Susan. "Carla Hayden Becomes First Woman, First Black to Lead Library of Congress." USA Today 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 3 Nov. 2016.

Woods, Baynard. "Carla Hayden: New Librarian of Congress Makes History, with an Eye on the Future." The Guardian 15 Sept. 2016. Web. 3 Nov. 2016.

Darnton, Robert. "The New Hillary Library?" The New York Review of Books 27 Oct. 2016. Web. 3 Nov. 2016. 

McGlone, Peggy. "'Rock Star' Baltimore Librarian Makes History at Library of Congress." Washington Post 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 3 Nov. 2016.

Update 11/14/2016:

Dr. Hayden is featured on a Library of Congress webcast reading to children at the Library of Congress Young Readers Center:

http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=7464

Update 12/05/2016:

A photograph of Dr. Hayden being sworn in as the Librarian of Congress is on page 24 of the November/December 2016 issue of Library of Congress Magazine:

"Around the Library." Library of Congress Magazine 5.6 (Nov./Dec. 2016): 24. PDF File.

Update 1/14/2017:

A photograph of Dr. Hayden and singer Smokey Robinson is on page 24 of the January/February 2017 issue of Library of Congress Magazine:

"Around the Library." Library of Congress Magazine 6.1 (Jan./Feb. 2017): 24. PDF File.

Dr. Hayden was also interviewed by Shannon Maughan for Publishers Weekly:

Maughan, Shannon. "PW Talks with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden." Publishers Weekly 16 Dec. 2016. Web. 14 Jan. 2017.

Update 2/01/2017:

Cox, Ana Marie. "Carla Hayden Thinks Libraries Are a Key to Freedom." New York Times Magazine 22 Jan. 2017: MM66. Print.

Update 2/04/2017:

Daliyah Marie Arana, a four-year-old from Georgia, visited with Dr. Hayden at the Library of Congress and served as its first "Librarian for the Day":

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2017/01/17/newsmaker-daliyah-marie-arana/

Update 2/16/2017:

Dr. Hayden was interviewed by Lottie L. Joiner for the Fall 2016 issue of Crisis:

Joiner, Lottie L. "The Accidental Librarian: Carla Hayden is the First Woman and First African American to Head the Library of Congress." Crisis 123.4 (Fall 2016): 22-25. Print.

Note: Crisis is the journal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was founded by W.E.B. DuBois in 1910.

Update 2/26/2017:

Dr. Hayden was interviewed by Sarah Larson for the New Yorker:

Larson, Sarah. "The Librarian Congress and the Greatness of Humility: The Values of Dr. Carla Hayden, the First Woman and the First of Color in the Position, Can Be Seen in Every Aspect of the Institution She Runs." The New Yorker 19 Feb. 2017. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/sarah-larson/the-librarian-of-congress-and-the-greatness-of-humility

Update 03/26/2017:

Dr. Hayden will be a part of the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Spectrum Scholarship Program: 

"Dr. Carla Hayden to Kick Off Spectrum 20th Anniversary Celebration at ALA Annual Conference." ALA News 20 Mar. 2017. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/03/dr-carla-hayden-kick-spectrum-20th-anniversary-celebration-ala-annual



Sources: Pelosi, Nancy. Acceptance letter for the United for Libraries Award and an endorsement of Carla Hayden for Librarian of Congress. 2016 May 2. Letter. ; Fandos, Nicholas and Michael Shear. “Privacy Advocate is Choice to Head the Librarian of Congress.” New York Times (New York ed.). 25 Feb. 2016: A12. Print. ; Fandos, Nicholas. “Library of Congress Nominee Gets Senate Hearing.” New York Times (New York ed.). 21 Apr. 2016: A18. Print. ; Campbell, Colin. “Hayden Glides through Senate Confirmation Hearing to Lead Library of Congress.” Baltimore Sun 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. ; McGlone, Peggy. “Librarian of Congress Nominee Carla D. Hayden to Testify before Senate.” Washington Post 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. ; Duner, Alex. “Can Carla Hayden Reinvent the Library of Congress?” U.S News & World Report 25 Mar. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. ; Peet, Lisa. “President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate Carla D. Hayden as Librarian of Congress.” Library Journal 26 Feb. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. ; Gravatt, Nancy. “‘The President Could Not Have Made a Better Choice’”: ALA Comments on the Pending Nomination of Dr. Carla Hayden for Librarian of Congress.” ALA News 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. ; Clark, Larra. “ALA Past President Receives Warm Senate Welcome.” ALA Dispatch 20 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. ; Price, Gary. “Librarian of Congress: Carla Hayden’s Senate Confirmation Hearing Scheduled for Next Week.” INFOdocket 14 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. ; Trujillo, Mario. “Obama Nominates First Black, Female Librarian of Congress.” The Hill 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. ; Kenney, Brian. “The Case for Carla Hayden: An Experienced Library Leader is Exactly What the Library of Congress Needs.” Publishers Weekly 263.20 (May 16, 2016): 16-17. Print. ; Connley, Courtney. “President Obama Nominates First African American to Head Library of Congress.” Black Enterprise 25 Feb. 2016. Web. 28 May 2016. ; “Carla Hayden First African American to Be Nominated to Head U.S. Library of Congress.” Caribbean Current 25 Feb. 2016. Web. 28 May 2016 ; Peet, Lisa. "Carla D. Hayden Confirmed as 14th Librarian of Congress by Wide Margin." Library Journal 13 July 2016. Web. 15 Sept. 2016 ; Peet, Lisa. "Carla Hayden Blazes Trail as First Woman, First African American Librarian of Congress." Library Journal 15 Sept. 2016. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. ; "Save the Date: Library Career Expo Coming March 6th." The Wednesday Word: News from the Indiana State Library 13 Jan. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. ; "Registration Closes Tomorrow for Library Career Expo." The Wednesday Word: News from the Indiana State Library 3 Mar. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2016. ; "Carla Hayden Elected New American Library Association President." Jet 101.23 (2002): 34-35. Print. ; Fandos, Nicholas. "New Librarian of Congress Offers History Lesson in Her Own Right." New York Times 15 Sept. 2016: A13. Print. ; "President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate Carla D. Hayden as Librarian of Congress." Whitehouse.gov, 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 3 Oct. 2016. ; Ventures into Cultures: A Resource Book of Multicultural Materials and Programs. Ed. Carla D. Hayden. Chicago: American Library Association, 1992. Print. ; United States Congress. Senate. Committee on Rules and Administration. Nomination of Dr. Carla D. Hayden, to Be Librarian of Congress: Hearing Before the Committee on Rules and Administration, Congress of the United States, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, April 20, 2016. Washington : G.P.O., 2016. Print. ; Remarks by Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress: Swearing-In Ceremony, September 14, 2016. [Washington, D.C] : Library of Congress, 2016. PDF. ; "History Maker." Essence 47.6 (Oct. 2016): 86. Print. ;  "The 14th Librarian of Congress." Library of Congress Magazine 5.5 (Sept./Oct. 2016): 2-3. PDF File. ; Schwartz, Meredith. "Librarian of the People: The New Librarian of Congress Sets an Ambitious Agenda and a New Tone." Library Journal 141.17 (Oct. 2016): 20-22. Print. ; Landgraf, Greg. "America's Librarian: Carla Hayden Plans to Continue Her Career-Long Focus on Access and Technology as Librarian of Congress." American Libraries 47.11/12 (Nov./Dec. 2016): 40-44. Print. ; Darnton, Robert. "The New Hillary Library?" The New York Review of Books 27 Oct. 2016. Web. 3 Nov. 2016. ; Page, Susan. "Carla Hayden Becomes First Woman, First Black to Lead Library of Congress." USA Today 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 3 Nov. 2016. ; McGlone, Peggy. "'Rock Star' Baltimore Librarian Makes History at Library of Congress." Washington Post 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 3 Nov. 2016. ; Woods, Baynard. "Carla Hayden: New Librarian of Congress Makes History, with an Eye on the Future." The Guardian 15 Sept. 2016. Web. 3 Nov. 2016. ; Vercelletto, Christina. "Up Front: The Power of Purpose: SLJ Summit Attendees Got a Fresh Perspective, New Energy, and Actionable Ideas." School Library Journal 69.11 (Nov. 2016): 12-14. Print. Staino, Rocco. "Carla Hayden Headlines the 2016 National Book Festival." School Library Journal 3 Oct. 2016. Web. 14 Nov. 2016. ; Peet, Lisa. "Hayden, Marx in Conversation at NYPL." Library Journal 8 Nov. 2016. Web. 14 Nov. 2016. ; Davenport, Anne Azzi. "The New Librarian-in-Chief Picks Her Favorite Children's Book." PBS NewsHour: Art Beat 20 Sept. 2016. Web. 14 Nov. 2016. ; Gross, Daniel A. "Carla Hayden Takes Charge of the World's Largest Library." The New Yorker 20 Sept. 2016. Web. 14 Nov. 2016. ; Begley, Sarah. "10 Questions with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden." Time 15 Sept. 2016. Web. 14 Nov. 2016. ; "Around the Library." Library of Congress Magazine 5.6 (Nov./Dec. 2016): 24. PDF File. ; "Around the Library." Library of Congress Magazine 6.1 (Jan./Feb. 2017): 24. PDF File. ; Maughan, Shannon. "PW Talks with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden." Publishers Weekly 16 Dec. 2016. Web. 14 Jan. 2017. ; Cox, Ana Marie. "Carla Hayden Thinks Libraries Are a Key to Freedom." New York Times Magazine 22 Jan. 2016: MM66. Print. ; Joiner, Lottie L. "The Accidental Librarian: Carla Hayden is the First Woman and First African American to Head the Library of Congress." Crisis 123.4 (Fall 2016): 22-25. Print. ; "Obama to Nominate Hayden as Librarian of Congress." American Libraries 47.5 (May 2016): 10. Print. ; Larson, Sarah. "The Librarian Congress and the Greatness of Humility: The Values of Dr. Carla Hayden, the First Woman and the First of Color in the Position, Can Be Seen in Every Aspect of the Institution She Runs." The New Yorker 19 Feb. 2017. Web. 23. Feb. 2017. ; "Dr. Carla Hayden to Kick Off Spectrum 20th Anniversary Celebration at ALA Annual Conference." ALA News 20 Mar. 2017. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.