Vivian Ann Davidson Hewitt’s legacy has been felt by many whether it is through her impact as a librarian or her curated collection of African American art.
This April, during National Library Week, April 7 – 13, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is proud to announce the establishment of the annual Vivian Ann Davidson Hewitt Lecture intended to honor and celebrate Ms. Davidson Hewitt.
To learn more about Ms. Davidson Hewitt and Black Librarianship, staff have curated a list of suggested readings.
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Officially produced by the Black Caucus American Library Association in commemoration of the organization’s 50th anniversary and edited entirely by Black women, this collection includes both academic papers and personal essays that consider the many aspects of Black librarianship and the contributions of Black librarians to the profession.
Because public libraries were not immune to the racial segregation of the 20th century, civil rights voter registration workers created over 80 Freedom Libraries in the Deep South, to give many African Americans their first chance to use a library.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.
A comprehensive reference work that compiles history, biography, resources, and programs relevant to Black Librarianship, as well as a section focused on librarianship and publishing in Africa.
Vivian Ann Davidson Hewitt and her husband John’s collection of African American Art consists of fifty-eight works and includes such artists are Romare Bearden and Henry Ossawa Tanner, among others. All the works are reproduced in full color in this volume, along with supplementary essays and interviews.
While much research and study has been done on the history of school segregation, little research has been done on the history of segregation of public libraries in the Jim Crow South. With this work, Cheryl Knott attempts to rectify this omission, using primary sources and scholarly articles to bring forth the complex history of libraries and segregation.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.
A fictionalized story of the real Belle da Costa Greene, a Black woman who had to pass as white to acquire and keep her position as the librarian and archivist of J.P. Morgan. As her status rises in high society, the mental and emotional cost of her secret grows.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby and in eAudio on Libby.
The founder of the Well-Read Black Girl book club gathers a selection of inspiring essays by Black women writers, on the theme of the importance of representation in literature.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby and in eAudio on Libby.