"This book aims to fill a large gap in scholarship and knowledge about black librarianship and enable newer librarians to see themselves reflected in the profession's long and rich legacy"--
Black women have historically been hidden figures in librarianship, yet their passion, courage, and tenacity paved the way for future generations of knowledge workers. Profiling more than a dozen librarians, book champions, activists, and pioneers of the profession from across the country, this powerful work of archival storytelling will inspire readers both inside and outside of the library field. These personal histories of advocacy and resilience
- span the entire 20th Century, stretching from rural South Carolina and Florida to urban centers like New York and Los Angeles;
- profile better known figures such as Augusta Baker and Eliza Atkins Gleason as well as many who have yet to receive their due;
- grapple with the toxic legacy of segregation in library education, universities, public libraries, schools, and other institutions, showing how these persevering Black women dared to strive and work towards more equitable futures;
- include an inspiring Afterword by Dr. Aisha Johnson-Jones, an educator and revelator of Southern intellectual history;
- will encourage LIS students and newer librarians of all backgrounds to see themselves reflected in the profession’s long and rich heritage; and
- shed light on how librarianship can become ever more diverse and community centered.
Inside this stirring and timely collection, readers will discover the important stories of many trailblazing Black women who fought racism, sexism, and other hardships in their libraries and communities to become leaders of our profession.
Acknowledgments
Introduction, by Nicole A. Cooke
Prologue: Children at Augusta Bakers Feet, poem by Jennifer Bartell Boykin
Chapter 1
Augusta Baker: An Early Advocate for Diverse Books
Nicole A. Cooke and Michael Weisenburg
Chapter 2
Ella Baker at the New York Public Library
Courtney Becks
Chapter 3
Ethel Bolden
Cynthia Johnson and Cearra Harris
Chapter 4
Doris Hargrett Clack: Pioneer, Activist, and Educator
Wendy Moore
Chapter 5
Sweet Resolve: Mayme A. Claytons Response to the Precarity of African
American Lives and Historical Materials
Chaitra Powell
Chapter 6
Resurgence of a Bibliotherapist: Exploring the Life and Times of Sadie Sara
Marie Peterson Delaney
S. Michele Echols
Chapter 7
Eliza Atkins Gleason: Researcher, Dean, Advocate*
LaKeshia Darden
Chapter 8
Miriam Matthews and the Legacy of Black Documentation in Los Angeles
Jesse R. Erickson, Laura E. Helton, and Dalena Hunter
Chapter 9
Black Quiet: Continuing the Work of Activist Librarian and Community Advocate
Annie L. McPheeters
Roberta Price Gardner and Morris R. Gardner
Chapter 10
Alice Roberts and the Breakdown of Segregation in Northern Library Schools,
1890-1940
Anthony Cocciolo
Chapter 11
A Life of Service: Mattie Herd Roland in Birmingham, Alabama*
Brooke Becker
Chapter 12
A Fulfilling Legacy of Florida Firsts: The Pioneering Impact of Henrietta
Mays Smith
Jason Alston
Chapter 13
Exploring Six Decades of Librarianship with Jessie Carney Smith
Jahala Simuel and Bethany McGowan
Chapter 14
Gently Daring: The Story of Anne Bethel SpencerPoet, Librarian, Gardener,
and Activist
Shaina V. Anderson
Chapter 15
Lucille C. Thomas: Championing Diversity Through Library Leadership
Taina Evans
Chapter 16
Charlemae Hill Rollins: Out of One, Many
LaVerne Gray
Epilogue: Charlemae Rollins at the Willard School, 1955, poem by Jennifer
Bartell Boykin
Afterword: Black WomenThe Resilient Force Uplifting All, by Aisha M.
Johnson
About the Editor and Contributors
Index
Dr. Nicole A. Cooke is the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and an Associate Professor at the School of Library and Information Science, at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Cookes research and teaching interests include human information behavior, fake news consumption and resistance, critical cultural information studies, and diversity and social justice in librarianship. Early, innovative courses created by Dr. Cooke bringing EDISJ issues to the forefront sparked a major shift in curricula across library and information science programs. Dr. Cooke was named a Mover & Shaker by Library Journal in 2007 and is the recipient of numerous honors including the 2016 ALA Equality Award, the 2017 ALA Achievement in Library Diversity Research Award (Office for Diversity and Literacy Outreach Services), the Illinois Library Associations 2019 Intellectual Freedom Award in recognition of her work in combating online hate and bullying in LIS, and the 2019 Excellence in Teaching Award (Association for Library and Information Science Education). In 2021 she was presented with the Martin Luther King, Jr., Social Justice Award by the University of South Carolina. Dr. Cooke has published widely and is a frequent speaker; her other books include Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-Truth Era and Foundations of Social Justice.
