Extraordinary Women in Library History

A woman made history as the first black supervising librarian in the entire New York Public Library system. She also co-founded a theater company, was a playwright, and hosted dinners that brought together many of the intellectuals and writers active in the Harlem Renaissance. She was even recognized at the 1939 World's Fair. Who was this extraordinary woman? Regina M. Anderson.

Regina M. Anderson, the first black supervising librarian at NYPL.
Image via http://womenoflibraryhistory.tumblr.com

Anderson and other trailblazers are profiled in Women of Library History, a blog created by the Feminist Task Force (FTF). A division of the American Library Association, the FTF started the blog "to remember the contributions of these important women in librarianship." Women such as Lora Lashbrook, the first female librarian at the all-male University of Notre Dame Law School; Jane Van Arsdale, who was the first curator of one of the first rare book collections in a public library in the United States; and the women of the Everett Woman's Book Club, of Everett, Washington, who founded the city's first library in 1898.

Although created for Women's History Month 2013, the Women of Library History blog is still up and running. It's just four pages long, but it contains a wealth of information that will surely benefit anyone writing a paper on women in library history or those who are simply curious about the subject. You can access the Tumblr blog Women of Library History at THIS LINK.

More on the incredible life of librarian Regina M. Anderson is HERE and HERE.