Dorothy Porter: A Black Woman Pioneer in Library and Information Science

Penelope Wright

Conley, Z. (2023). Dorothy Porter: A Black woman pioneer in library and information science. Arkansas Libraries Fall/Winter 2023, 80(3/4), 24-26.

Summary:

Dorothy Porter was born in 1905 in Virginia. She attended Howard University and in 1930 became a librarian there. In 1932 she was Columbia University's first Black student to earn a library science degree. When she began as a librarian, there were two numbers in Dewey that all materials by (or about) Black people went: 326 (slavery) or 325 (colonization). A book of poetry by a Black author would be assigned either 326 or 325, it would not go in 811. Dorothy changed this, putting materials by Black authors in the sections in which they fit best in the wider Dewey system, not just in the two numbers. Porter's system pushed back on racism and challenged the bias of the Dewey system. She was the curator of the Moorland Foundation and amassed a collection of more than 180,000 materials. Her contributions to Black history and literature were immense. She received numerous awards and accolades, including the Frankel Award from the National Endowment for the Humanities. She published many scholarly works and helped set the standard for collections focused on Black lives and culture. Porter's indomitable will and trailblazing nature brought resounding positive change to libraries worldwide. 

Evaluation/Opinion

I read a lot of different articles this semester but this is the one that I kept coming back to, that stuck in my mind the most. Porter challenged the status quo, and shook up the way things "had always been done" because the way things had "always been done" was wrong. I'm glad I learned about her, she was an amazing woman. I'd recommend this article to anyone who wants a quick, informative read about notable librarians, the history of libraries, or overcoming institutional racism. 

What Makes a Great Librarian?

Langstraat, Carina

Stephens, M. T., (2016). The heart of librarianship :Attentive, positive, and purposeful change.
       Chicago; 4: ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association

Descriptive Summary:

This book is a collection of articles and insights from Michael Stephens, Associate Professor of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University.  Its title aptly describes the book's content:  what kind of heart is required to be an effective librarian? Among other things, the answers Stephens provides include a heart filled with empathy for not just patrons but other staff members and colleagues.  "For me", writes Stephens, "the heart of librarianship is learning.  It's a cyclical process of support, engagement, and discovery with deep roots in service, access, and freedom to pursue interests of all kinds".

Evaluation:

It’s hard not to let Stephens’s enthusiasm seep into you as your read this book.  He boldly confronts the stodged librarian waiting to retire who is uninterested in change, asking them to get out of the way so work can be done.   He asks new librarians to be risk takers, innovators, and creators.  He challenges one to proceed rather than sitting around and waiting for permission.  He asks for project management, planning skills, and the ability to make decisions when it comes to any new hire.  He wonders why academic papers have to be so boring, encouraging students to put their own personal slant into their work as a means of showing what they learned, understood, and comprehended. He refers over and over again to librarianship being the “ultimate service profession”, asking students why they are going into librarianship. 

If you are in library school and have occasional doubts late a night about why you are doing this, will you ever get a job in this field, and are their aspects to it that are less dry than your least favorite class, then I encourage you to read this book.  You'll walk away energized and simultaneously grounded about the profession you've chosen.