Boston Book Fair Lecture - Visibility Through Invisibility: Black Librarianship in the Early 20th Century
By Erica Ciallela, Instruction & Outreach Librarian, Schlesinger Library, Harvard
Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
Hynes Convention Center
900 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115
Dorothy B. Porter photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1951 ©Van Vechten Trust/Carl Van Vechten Papers Relating to African American Arts and Letters, James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Visibility Through Invisibility: Black Librarianship in the Early 20th Century
Belle da Costa Greene left a significant legacy in librarianship. While she was building the now-iconic collection at the Morgan Library, other Black librarians were also making their mark on the field. With their unique paths, individuals like Catherine Latimer and Dorothy Porter Wesley, alongside Belle Greene, contribute to the rich history of Black Librarianship in the early 20th century. Join librarian and former Belle da Costa Greene curatorial fellow Erica Ciallela as we discuss these librarians, explore how each left a legacy, and see how current librarians build on their foundations.
Event Details
5pm-6pm
Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115
Erica Ciallela is an Instruction & Outreach Librarian at Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America. Previously, Erica was at the Morgan Library & Museum, where she was a Belle da Costa Greene Curatorial Fellow and Exhibition Project Curator on Belle da Costa Greene, A Librarian’s Legacy. Before the Morgan, she worked at the Prudence Crandall Museum, a National Historic Landmark in Canterbury, Connecticut. With a background in public history and archives, she believes that looking at archival collections in non-traditional ways will help provide opportunities for sharing more complete histories.
This lecture is open to all attendees of the book fair, and Saturday admission is free!
BSA members can also get free tickets to the fair for Friday 7 November. Login to your member profile to request your tickets.