Black Librarian in America : Reflections, Resistance, and Reawakening

This book will contribute to the discourse on ways of increasing anti-racism, empowerment, and representation in the LIS field and beyond. It continues in the civil rights legacy of African American librarian pioneers including Dr. E.J. Josey, Dr. Virginia Lacy Jones, Dr. Carla Hayden, and Dr. Eliza Atkins Gleason.

The Black Librarian in America: Reflections, Resistance, and Reawakening is the latest in the powerful line of The Black Librarian in America volumes. While previous editions we organized around library types, this edition is organized in four thematic sections”:A Rich Heritage: Black Librarian HistoryCelebrating Collective and Individual IdentityBlack Librarians across SettingsMoving Forward: Activism, Anti-Racism, and Allyship”Issues pertaining to Black librarians’ intersectional identities, capacities, and contributions take center stage. The Black Librarian in America: Reflections, Resistance, and Reawakening is not only the first edition to be edited entirely by Black women, but it is officially produced by BCALA members in commemoration of the organization’s 50th anniversary. Dr. Carla Hayden (14th Librarian of Congress) and Julius Jefferson, Jr. (president of the American Library Association for the 2020-2021 term) contribute moving foreword and afterword segments.