ShipLibrary Blog

Black History Month: Library Trailblazers

Throughout Black History Month, Ship Library has been doing a weekly post on our Instagram highlighting contemporary and historical Black librarians that helped shape and change the field of librarianship. These trailblazers were also highlighted during the library department's presentation to the campus community at the SU Social Equity Office's "Let Every Department Shine" virtual program. Here are a few of the Black librarians highlighted:

 Dr. Carla Hayden

• 14th Librarian of Congress, first woman and first African-American in this position​
• As the head of the @librarycongress, Dr. Hayden leads massive efforts to digitize, modernize, and expand the collection so that the public has access to the millions of materials available​
• First African American to receive Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year award (1995) for her leadership at Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library

Carla Stanton Jones

• Librarian and Educator who broke barriers to assume leadership roles in library organizations.​
• First Black director of a major library system (Detroit Public Library).  Earned the position, after a contentious vote, in 1970. Originally joined Detroit Public Library in 1944. ​
• The first African American President of the American Library Association. Elected to the position in 1977.​

Carrie C. Robinson 

• School librarian who challenged and sued the Alabama Department of Education in 1969 on the basis that she had been passed over for a promotion because of her race​
• Her case was turned into a class action lawsuit by the National Education Association and the Alabama State Teachers Association on behalf of Robinson​
• The case was settled in 1970 when the state promoted Robinson to a higher-ranking role with a salary increase and the agreement to pay for all of Robinson’s legal fees.​

These librarians helped and are helping to push libraries to be more equitable, fair, and accessible. 

For more information on these librarians and how libraries continue to fight for equality, please visit these links:

• Dr. Carla Hayden
• Clara Stanton Jones
• Carrie C Robinson 
• ShipLibrary Guide to Antiracist Books ​
• Library Bill of Rights
• Freedom to Read Statement