Women of the book
Key to greatness of the N.Y. Public Library
The words “radical” and “revolutionary” aren’t usually associated with librarians, but this is New York, after all.
And the women who shaped the New York Public Library, one of the nation’s most vital information repositories, and made it the center of research and learning that it is today, certainly qualify.
Behind the scenes they have toiled for decades, building the institution from the ground up.
There was founding curator Genevieve “Gegi” Oswald, who insisted that dance was a legitimate field of academic study.
There was Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian, who stockpiled Spanish-language books and advocated for bilingual story hours.
And there was Augusta Braxton Baker, who led the effort to collect children’s literature that positively portrayed people of color.
“These trailblazing librarians, who overcame tremendous challenges and fought relentless adversity, were all central in making us what we are today,” said New York Public Library President Anthony Marx. “We all owe them our deepest gratitude and appreciation, from the many librarians who broke barriers and fought for change in the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s, to those who built collections that will serve researchers for generations to come.”
To commemorate Women’s History Month, which starts Monday, the library is honoring 20 female librarians who shaped and directed the iconic institution.
Hardly bookworms, these women were at the forefront of change and innovation, despite working in a male-led institution.
On their own, they assembled book collections and hosted programs to meet the educational and recreational needs of the neighborhoods. They sponsored clubs for lovers of great books, history students, Yiddish mothers, theater fans, and many others.
“The women who worked for the New York Public Library were a remarkable group,” said library archivist Bob Sink, who is turning a blog he writes about the librarians into a book.
“They wanted to live independent lives in the nation’s cultural capital and to pursue a career that would improve people’s lives. Librarianship provided that satisfaction. Whether they grew up in New York City or moved here from across the country, they embraced the challenge of working in the city’s diverse neighborhoods.”
Among the women spotlighted is Regina Andrews, the first Black librarian to lead a branch. She began her library career in 1923 at Manhattan’s W. 135th St. location, which put her in the center of the Harlem Renaissance. Andrews brought prominent speakers to the branch, and helped writers like Langston Hughes work at the library.
Jean Blackwell Hutson was chief of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture from 1948 to 1980. She began her library career in 1936, serving as a librarian at various locations. During her tenure, Hutson grew the Schomburg’s collection from 15,000 to 75,000 volumes, including the archive of her friend Hughes. The library’s research and reference division now bears her name.