The Legacy of Black Women in Librarianship: When They Dared to Be Powerful - Paperback

by Nicole A. Cooke (Author), Aisha M. Johnson (Afterword by)

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.

Author Biography

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. Cooke's 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 Association's 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.