Developing Southern Libraries to Influence the Life of the African-American User: an Exploratory, Archival Analysis Aisha Montae Johnson
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2015 Developing Southern Libraries to Influence the Life of the African-American User: An Exploratory, Archival Analysis Aisha Montae Johnson Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION DEVELOPING SOUTHERN LIBRARIES TO INFLUENCE THE LIFE OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN USER: AN EXPLORATORY, ARCHIVAL ANALYSIS By AISHA MONTAE JOHNSON A Dissertation submitted to the School of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2015 Aisha M. Johnson defended this dissertation on April 3, 2015. The members of the supervisory committee were: Paul Marty Professor Directing Dissertation Suzanne Sinke University Representative Kathy Burnett Committee Member Gary Burnett Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” ― Maya Angelou I dedicate this work to my parents, Gloria Johnson and Herbert Johnson, who recognized my premature obsession with literature, encouraged me, and invested in my education. Thank you for teaching me to put God first and trust my journey. Thank you for listening to every detail of my long stories, answering every question, purchasing every book, and building confidence in all my pursuits. Your acts of love I will forever hold within my heart. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My most sincere gratitude to: Committee Chair, Dr. Paul Marty, who made this process as smooth as possible and often minimized my anxieties. You assured me that the feelings I encountered were normal, and I was on the right path. I appreciate your support. The Doctoral Committee, Drs. Paul Marty, Gary Burnett, Kathy Burnett, and Suzanne Sinke, who each made thought-provoking contributions. The consistent support and recommendations will never go without recognition. A team makes all the difference when a difficult task needs to be conquered. I am happy each of you obliged my request to be a member of this team. Dr. Wayne Wiegand for inspiring me to elevate my passion for diversity studies to something that would be impactful. You taught me not simply to state facts, but to tell a story that forces my audience to impose deeper thoughts. Now, I write with my heart and soul. Thank you for being the initial confirmation that I could and would complete this task. The faculty and staff at the College of Communication and Information, School of Information who have helped mold and perfect my academic curiosity. A special thank you to Dr. Christie Koontz who recruited me as a master’s student with the belief I would make significant contributions to the LIS field. I am elated that I followed both her feelings and mine. The faculty and staff of the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library at Fisk University for the constant support, knowing the importance of my research, and allowing me to access the archival collections without yield. I have nothing but genuine gratitude. To Beta Phi Mu and Dr. Eugene Garfield for the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship and for supporting my research with the belief in the importance of a different perspective on libraries. I am grateful for your generosity, which enabled me to move forward with my research. The Sol and Beverly Hirsch Scholarship Endowment for supporting archival research and focusing on Judaica studies. The Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program is an unsung and largely unknown story. With your support, I am able to further share this important narrative and research. My fiancé, family, and friends who have heard me rave about all things libraries, archives, and the importance of preserving history. Your open ears and smiles for my own enthusiasm never went unnoticed. I will always appreciate the abundance of emotional support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................1 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................8 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................36 CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH FINDINGS ...............................................................................57 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION .............................................................88 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................102 A. TOTAL EXPENDITURES OF THE JULIUS ROSENWALD FUND..................................102 B. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES ACCESS FORMS .......................................103 C. EXPENDITURES OF THE JULIUS ROSENWALD FUND LIBRARY PROGRAM ........106 D. FISK UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES PERMISSION TO PUBLISH .........................................107 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................108 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................................113 v LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Participants of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program County Demonstration..43 Table 3.2: Data Review Schedule .................................................................................................50 Table 3.3: Preset Categories for Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program, 1927-1947 ...............52 Table 4.1: College Library Development Funded by the Library Program, 1929-1934 ...............67 Table 4.2: Participants of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program County Demonstration..72 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1: Graphic Depiction of Case Study Research Design ....................................................36 Figure 4.1: Roland B. Hayes Branch of Chattanooga Public Library in Hamilton County, TN.........74 Figure 4.2: Public Library Book Wagon in Greenville, SC ...........................................................80 Figure 5.1: Graphic depiction of study’s importance ....................................................................91 vii ABSTRACT Library history provides a biographical account of libraries, which includes information concerning the establishment, benefactors, significant collections, services rendered, outstanding achievements, and other points of interest. However, records of library service to African Americans in the South prior to 1900 are rare or non-existent. Not until the early 20th century did the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program begin to offer library service to the black and white residents in the rural South. Through the analysis of archival documents, this dissertation explores the impact of the library program on Southern libraries and the role of the library in the life of the African-American user. In its attempt to educate the reader about the early African- American struggle for library access, this study highlights the lack of emphasis on library history research in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) and its risk of losing a valuable sub-discipline. In addition, the field potentially forfeits invaluable insight and understanding of library service to African Americans in the 20th century. This could jeopardize future planning for adequate service to underrepresented populations. Using archival analysis, the study utilizes preset categories to investigate library practices of Rosenwald-funded libraries with anticipation for unanticipated concepts to emerge. This exploratory, archival analysis unveils the variety of approaches and practices the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program incorporated to improve library service not only to African-Americans users, but to the entire American South. viii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Problem Statement A deficiency is present in the study of library history, particularly pertaining to African Americans in the early 20th century. Initially, African Americans were not allowed to utilize public libraries unless they were returning or retrieving library materials for a white person (typically an employer). This was a national reality that was more obvious in Southern states due to the Jim Crow practices, which racially segregated all spheres of life in the South. Nationally, African Americans endured a long struggle for library access, a struggle acutely experienced in libraries in the South. With the assistance of the community, charitable organizations, and philanthropists, blacks were able to grow as a community and develop a unique culture. Subsequently, the Library and Information Science (LIS) profession followed suit with improvements in library services, collection development, and research. Understanding the difficulty