1924- Vivian Gordon Harsh, became the Chicago Public Library System's First Black Librarian
Title
Description
"Vivian Gordon Harsh was the first African American librarian in the Chicago Public Library system and a significant contributor to Chicago's Black Renaissance. In 1932 she was appointed head librarian of the George Cleveland Hall Branch, the city’s first library built in an African American community. During her career, Harsh developed a black history collection that would become a world-renowned resource for residents and scholars. Harsh and Charlemae Rollins, a children’s librarian, developed the branch’s substantial African American resources along with programming specifically for the black community. The collection began with over 100 books on African-Americana donated by George Bentley, founder of the Chicago branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Operating in the 1920s without funding from the Chicago Public Library, Harsh expanded the collection through private donations and her personal contributions."