New York Black Librarians' Caucus | Our HistoryIn 1970 a group of Black Librarians met to address the problems resulting from widespread racism in their profession. The problems fell into two major categories: • Libraries in Black communities were most often inaccessible, had neglected facilities, and inadequate staffing and resources. It was increasingly evident that minority communities were being left behind in terms of access to the avalanche of information so indispensable in a rapidly changing technological society. The Black Librarians’ professional advancement was consistently blocked by blatant restrictions. The members of the group that met over 40 years ago decided to take collective action. They founded an organization and named it the Black Librarians’ Caucus of Queens since most of its members lived or worked in that borough. The problems that this group rallied around were so persuasive that librarians from the greater New York area soon joined the founding members. In 1975, the organization’s name was changed to the New York Black Librarian’s Caucus Inc. Today, the Caucus is still a thriving, vital organization that strongly advocates for quality library services in all communities, broad professional opportunities for Black Librarians, bridging the Digital Divide and other important issues. Through the annual Donna Hoke Scholarship award, the Caucus assists at least two Black graduate students in pursuit of master’s degrees in library and information science. Caucus ObjectivesThe objective of this organization is to:
AffiliatesThe Caucus is an affiliate of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Contact UsNew York Black Librarians Caucus Inc. |