In an era where national literacy rates seem to be declining, and American libraries are facing record cuts to funding, it’s more important than ever to support our local libraries and remember the history that stands behind them. The American Library Association has been a consistent protector of public access to books and other media since it was founded in 1876. Since its creation, the association has faced many challenges and underwent change to become the symbol of freedom it is today. Among those who were most instrumental in molding the ALA into what it is today are a number of Black women who didn’t let the prejudice of their time and country stop them from kickstarting the change they wanted to see.
Virginia Proctor Powell Florence
The one to start it all, Virginia Proctor Powell Florence was the first Black woman to obtain a professional degree in library science. In 1923, Florence graduated from The Carnegie Library School, now known as The University of Pittsburgh’s School of Library and Information Science. After receiving her degree, she went on to work in a number of different libraries in major metro areas such as New York City and Washington, D.C., as a school and public librarian. When she received her degree, she was just the second black American to receive a degree in library science, only after Edward Christopher Williams.
Clara Stanton Jones
One of the most influential figures in ALA history, Clara Stanton Jones made historic firsts many times in her career as a librarian. After receiving a degree in Library Science in 1938 from the University of Michigan, Jones began working as a librarian in a number of different libraries across the country. At the beginning of her career, she worked for Universities such as Dillard and Southern University in Louisiana. However, her first big steps in history came when she began work at the Detroit Public Library in 1944. She was only the third Black American to work at the library at the time. She would go on to spend the majority of her career in Detroit until, in 1970, she made history as being both the first woman and first Black American to be appointed as director of a major public library system when she was made director of the Detroit Public Library.
Her impact did not stop there, as in 1976 she made history again as the first Black American to become President of the ALA. While her role was only a year long, she made significant progress towards desegregating libraries across the country as well as the implementation and defense of the Resolution on Racism and Sexism Awareness into the Library Bill of Rights, which aimed to fight racism and sexism in the library through requiring combative programs for employees, revising catalogues, and being committed to educate patrons on problems posed by racism and sexism. After retiring from the Detroit Public Library in 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed her as commissioner in the National Commission on Libraries and Information Services, where she served until 1982. Overall. Jones’s work in Detroit and the ALA were instrumental in making public libraries across the country more inclusive to all.
Carla Hayden
A more recent figure in the library system, Carla Hayden, made history in 2016 when she was the first woman and first Black American to be appointed as the Librarian of Congress. Just like Clara Stanton Jones, Hayden served as ALA president from 2003-2004, where she directed focus on the implementation of outreach programs in libraries across the nation. During her time with the Library of Congress, Hayden focused on the digitization of many records, with the aim of bringing the historic institution into the digital age. Hayden served as Librarian until her prompt dismissal in May of last year. The firing of Hayden was met with outrage as it seemed a targeted attack against her by the Trump administration due to her disagreement with the President on his policies and practices.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt alluded that she had violated her roles agreement by putting “inappropriate” materials in the children’s section of the library stating, “There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the Library for children and we don’t believe that she was serving the interests of the American taxpayer well, so, she has been removed from her position and the President is well within his rights to do that.” The Trump administration’s attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion led to his early targets on champions of such topics, with Libraries and the Arts being at the top of the list
Despite her controversial termination, Hayden has remained steadfast in her role as a protector of knowledge and education as a senior fellow with the Mellon Foundation in New York City. After being appointed in July of 2025, Hayden said, “At a time when equitable access to information and the free exchange of ideas face significant challenges, I am honored to join the Mellon Foundation as a senior fellow. Together, we will work to strengthen the public knowledge ecosystem and ensure that the transformative power of information remains accessible to all.”