January 1, 2025

Memories of Public Libraries in Oral Histories of Accomplished Black Professionals: Methods of Finding the Library in the Life of the User

Key Points

Memories of public libraries frequently evoke feelings of personal growth and cultural exploration, while some also highlight experiences of segregation and discrimination.
Data was drawn from 503 oral histories which reflected varied emotional responses, with declining negative associations from the 1920s to the 1970s in urban settings.
Method employed includes a prosopography of sentiment, which aggregates testimonies to analyze the impact of libraries on Black American communities.
Findings suggest that library narratives often align with stereotypes upheld by library advocates, raising questions about representation and memory.

Abstract

Abstract: I mined 503 oral histories of prominent Black Americans for their memories of public libraries in the twentieth-century United States. I then analyzed testimonies to produce a “prosopography of sentiment”: aggregated data demonstrating how members of this demographic group in general felt about libraries. The most common themes were “reading as a pleasurable activity,” “library as a source to explore Black culture or develop Black pride,” and “library as a site for personal growth or maturation.” The most common theme with unpleasant emotional valence was “stories related to segregation or discrimination.” Most memories occurred during reporters’ childhoods or adolescences. The percentage of stories with unpleasant emotional valence declines significantly from the 1920s to the 1970s and as the population of the city increases. Within this demographic group, memories of the library often confirm the stereotypes that library advocates tend to promote.

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