21st-Century Black Librarian in America

Andrew P. Jackson is Executive Director at Queens Library’s Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center. He has served as a Library Consultant/Advisor to Roosevelt Public Library and Wyandanch Public Library, and he is Adjunct Professor at CUNY’s York College Department of History and Philosophy-Cultural Diversity Program and Queens College-Graduate School of Library Information Studies.Julius Jefferson Jr. is Information Research Specialist in the Congressional Research Service (CRS) at the Library of Congress, where he provides public policy research assistance exclusively to Members of Congress, congressional committees, and staff. Prior to joining CRS, Jefferson served as a reference librarian in the Humanities and Social Sciences Division of the Library of Congress and in the Howard University Libraries system.Akilah S. Nosakhere is Director of Library Services for New Mexico State University Carlsbad and has held management positions in academic and public research libraries in the Atlanta area. A former African American Studies subject editor for seminal Resources for College Libraries (RCL) Books for College Libraries, she currently serves on the editorial board of ALA/ACRL CHOICE.

How much have things changed since the publication of E. J. Josey’s seminal work, The Black Librarian in America (Scarecrow Press, 1970) and The Black Librarian Revisited (2d ed.; Scarecrow Press, 1994)? Judging by some of the anecdotes and data found throughout the 48 essays in this collection, racism remains a challenge to the profession. The mostly brief (four to five pages) essays cover the professional gamut from school librarianship to special libraries work, and the authors range from library school students to retired individuals, with three excellent editors helming the project. Naturally with such breadth and variety the quality will vary, but the immediacy of the personal stories are most striking and thought provoking, even though their individuality raises questions of just how prevalent racism is. The matter of diversity and relatively low number of black professional librarians runs through many of the essays, but all too often some basic questions are not addressed. Are blacks not entering the profession because of white attitudes, or is it a matter of higher pay and more opportunity in other fields? Is librarianship itself as attractive a profession as it was 40 years ago, or is it seen as a going the way of buggywhip salesmanship to new generations? Overall, this is a fine work that could open up discussion in the field, much in the way that Josey’s work did in the twentieth century. This work is recommended for all library science collections.

• DedicationA Selected Bibliography: E.J. Josey, Andrew P. JacksonA Tribute to Dr. E.J. Josey, Satia Orange and Effie Lee MorrisEpigraphPreface, Andrew P. JacksonAcknowledgmentsIntroduction, Akilah Shukura NosakherePART I: FROM THE SCHOOL LIBRARYChapter 1. Information Literacy Instruction in K-12 Education: What Does the Research Say About Success in the 21st Century? Siliva LloydChapter 2. Inequality of Resources in School Libraries in the 21st Century, Joyce F. NdiayeChapter 3. Challenges as a Black School Librarian in the 21st Century: Why I Choose to Stay, Angela Washington-BlairChapter 4. The “Qualified” Black Librarian, Barbara MontgomeryChapter 5. The Charge and Challenge of the Black School Library Media Specialist, Ayodele OjumuChapter 6. Swimming Against the Tide: Library Media Specialists in Urban Schools, Karen Lemmons and Andre TaylorChapter 7. Winning the Future with 21st Century School Libraries, Gloria J. ReavesChapter 8. Meeting the Needs of the African American Students in the School Media Program, Pauletta Brown BracyPART II: FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARYChapter 1. What Does Black Public Librarianship Look Like in the Proverbial Information Age?, Linda Bannerman-Martin and Sandra Michele Echols Chapter 2. Servant Librarianship and the Importance of African Americans Mentors, Rhea Brown-LawsonChapter 3. Becoming a Leader within the Library Profession, Rose Dawson TimmonsChapter 4. Making the Grade: An African American Library Director in a Majority Community, Jos N. HolmanChapter 5. Designing and Promoting Public Library Services for Teens of Color without losing one’s Sanity, Syntychia Kendrick-SamuelChapter 6. Adultism: Discrimination by another Name, Tamara StewartChapter 7. Public Libraries in the 21st Century, Lucille Cole ThomasPART III: FROM THE ACADEMIC LIBRARYChapter 1. National and International Challenges of Black Librarianship, Ruth M. Jackson, Ph.D.Chapter 2. Academic Art Librarianship and the Black Librarian, Deirdre D. SpencerChapter 3. Managing HBCU Academic Libraries during Economic Recession: Challenges and Expectations for Black Library Deans and Directors, Felix UnaezeChapter 4. Managing the Academic Library: The Role of the Black Librarian Leader in Three Different Institutional Environments, Dr. Theresa S. ByrdChapter 5. Not Just a Drop in the Bucket: Black Instructional Librarians Teaching for Academic Success , Lisa A. EllisPART IV: FROM THE SPECIAL LIBRARYChapter 1. Medical Libraries, Information Technology and the African American Librarian , Ellie BushhousenChapter 2. Achievements of Selected 21st Century African American Health Sciences Librarians, LaVentra E. DanquahChapter 3. Why Did I Become a Special Librarian?, Phyllis HodgesChapter 4. The Southern California Library: Opening the Doors to the Next L.A., Michele WelsingChapter 5. The Dark but Good side of Diversity in Corporate Libraries, Brendan ThompsonPART V: FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL LIBRARIESChapter 1. We Need Some Color Up In Here: Educating and Recruiting Minority Librarians in Indiana, Michele Fenton and Deloice HollidayChapter 2. A Charge to Keep I Have, Steven BoothChapter 3. Massachusetts Black Librarians Network, Inc.: Commitments and Challenges to our 21st Century Presence, Em Claire KnowlesPART VI: FROM THE LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCHOOLChapter 1. Going the Distance: Supporting African America Library and Information Science Students, Angel K. Washington DurrChapter 2. African American Faculty in LIS: Unresolved issues in a new era, Maurice B. Wheeler, Ph.D.PART VII: FROM LIBRARY TECHNOLOGYChapter 1. Technology Skills for the 21st Century, Fantasia ThorneChapter 2. Archival and Digital Music Challenges with Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Libraries, Gladys Smiley-Bell and Harvey J. Stokes, Ph.D.Chapter 3. Web 2.0 in Libraries, Jennifer W. BaxmeyerChapter 4. From MARC to MARS: The Impact of Technology on Librarianship, Allene Farmer HayesChapter 5. HBCU Library Alliance: Preserving Our Culture, Ira RevelsPART VIII: ISSUES AND PROFILESChapter 1. The Black Body at the Reference Desk: Critical Race Theory and Black Librarianship, Tracie D. HallChapter 2. Diversity in Librarianship: Is There a Color Line?, Cheryl L. BrancheChapter 3. Beyond the Spectrum: Examining Library Recruitment of Blacks in the New Millennium, RaShauna Brannon and Jahala SimuelChapter 4. Exploring the Generational Transfer of Tacit and Explicit Librarianship Knowledge, Johnnie O. Dent and Valeda Dent GoodmanChapter 5. Your World Outside the Library, Carol NurseChapter 6. The 21st Century Black Librarian: Renewing Our Commitment to Liberation and Cultural Activism, Taneya D. GethersChapter 7. Dismiss the Stereotypes! Combating Racism and Continuing our Progress, Margaret J. GibsonChapter 8. Walking in the Footsteps of Giants: My Journey in Public Libraries, Emily GussChapter 9. In Retrospect and Forward: Issues Facing Black Librarians, Binnie Tate WilkinChapter 10. E.J. Josey: The Internationalist, Mary and Herb BibloChapter 11. A Soldier in E. J. Josey’s Army, Linda Saylor-MarchantChapter 12. Pay it Forward for Effie Lee Morris: A Tribute, Satia OrangeEpilogue, Julius C. Jefferson, Jr.ContributorsIndex