The 21st-Century Black Librarian in America: Issues and Challenges

The 1970 and 1994 editions of The Black Librarian in America by E.J. Josey singled out racism as an important issue to be addressed within the library profession. Although much has changed since then, this latest collection of 48 essays by Black librarians and library supporters again identifies racism as one of many challenges of the new century. Essays are written by library educators, library graduate students, retired librarians, public library trustees, veteran librarians, and new librarians fresh out of school with great ideas and wholesome energies. They cover such topics as poorly equipped school libraries and the need to preserve the school library, a call to action to all librarians to make the shift to new and innovative models of public education, the advancement in information technology and library operations, special libraries, recruitment and the Indiana State Library program, racism in the history of library and information science, and challenges that have plagued librarianship for decades. This collection of poignant essays covers a multiplicity of concerns for the 21st-century Black librarian and embodies compassion and respect for the provision of information, an act that defines librarianship. The essays are personable, inspiring, and thought provoking for all library professionals, regardless of race, class, or gender.

Author: Andrew P. Jackson
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Published: 04/12/2012
Pages: 300
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780810882454
Audience: Young Adult


Award: Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary_award - Winner

About the Author
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.