Find out about the fascinating history, replete with historic photos and links to primary sources, of Australia’s State Library of Victoria!: https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/ask-a-librarian/a-library-beyond-the-building/

Link: https://bookriot.com/instagrammable-bookstores/

The American Library Association Archives Blog has a new post by Yung-hui Chou about her practicum experience there (what a wonderful place to work in for anyone interested in archives and library history!):

https://www.library.illinois.edu/ala/2024/06/28/my-practicum-experience-at-the-ala-archives/

There is also a report about Satia Marshall Orange, the former director of what is now ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services and an advocate for traditionally underserved populations in librarianship, as well as her parents:

https://www.library.illinois.edu/ala/2024/05/24/it-runs-in-the-family

If you’re interested in publishing in Libraries: Culture, History, & Society (the Library History Round Table’s peer-reviewed journal and the only journal devoted to library history in the United States):

Associate Editors Jason Martin and Julie Judkins offered a webinar a few weeks ago that provided an overview of LCHS and strategies for authors wishing to publish in this rigorously-reviewed forum. The recording of the webinar is now available at:

https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/mijhgsl66EocoVa3F9Jiwhe27hIItvaCI5Rp6F78RT5E3z5N_e8ae3uutcABxqJ-.3Qw0gB3br_W6MUt4

Leigh Schoberth has sent the blog an excellent paper on the origins of the Boston Public Library for our “Library Chronicles” column:

Library Chronicles

Thanks to Hermina Anghelescu for sending us this newly-released tour from the ITN Archive…

“Queen Elizabeth II Gives Crown Prince Naruhito [Japan] a Tour of the Royal Library”

For more tours of historic libraries, please see our list of tours from around the web at https://lhrt.news/virtual-tours-of-historic-libraries/

And please add a comment, or email us at lhrtnewsandnotes@gmail.com, if you know of additional historic library tours!

LHRT is fortunate to have recruited California library history blogger Tiffney Sanford to its ranks over the past year. Check out Tiffney’s latest posts on library history for the LA Public Library…like her others, these are beautifully-done, thoroughly-researched, and include showcases of historic photos and primary sources!:

Pomona’s Influential Librarian and Preservationist: Sarah M. Jacobus (Jacobus was a super hero librarian!)

https://lalibrarytour.blogspot.com/2024/05/pomonas-influential-librarian-and.html

Dig Los Angeles: Vernon – Leon H. Washington Jr. Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library

https://lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/dig-los-angeles-vernon-leon-h-washington-jr-branch-los-angeles

Winner: Michele Fenton, Catalog Librarian, Indiana State Library

Winner: Brett Spencer, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Penn State Berks

The Library History Round Table of the American Library Association is pleased to announce it has chosen two honorees for the Innovation and Advocacy in Library History Award.  This award acknowledges individuals or organizations that have made recent, substantive contributions to LHRT or to the wider library history community. This non-monetary award is given to an individual who recognizing those who have promoted library history in exceptional or new ways or who have reached audiences that have not been engaged previously.

Michele Fenton is Catalog Librarian at the Indiana State Library.  Her award recognizes her use of non-traditional channels to share her findings in the history of Black librarianship and to engage those interested in library history.  Since 2011, Ms. Fenton has posted hundreds of biographies of Black librarians on her blog, Little Known Black Librarian Facts, which are rich resources for further study as well as fascinating stories in their own right.  As well, she is co-leader of the “LHRTS Reads” book club, which gathers readers interested in library history to discuss an important work together; this book club represents a significant advance in the efforts of the round table to engage its members in meaningful interaction outside of formal scholarly forums.  Ms. Fenton is also a leader in bringing library history into interdisciplinary scholarly works, such as the third edition of the Handbook of Black Librarianship which she is co-editing, and the proceedings of the National Conference of African American Librarians.

Brett Spencer is Reference and Instruction Librarian at Penn State Berks.  Since 2016 he has served as editor of LHRT News & Notes, the official blog of the round table.  In that capacity, he shares information about important events and deadlines related to library history awards and events.  He has expanded the scope of the blog to include items about library history culled from other media.  Most crucially, he has made the blog a forum for publication of student research in library history, works in progress, “member spotlights” profiling LHRT members, digitized primary sources, podcasts, and virtual tours of library spaces.  By providing an outlet for budding writers in library history as well as those not inclined to pursue formal scholarly publication—and through his patient encouragement and outreach—Mr. Spencer has “helped them gain the confidence to do the historical work, and then the confidence to publish it”, as one library school professor wrote.   Mr. Spencer also serves as the book reviews editor for the journal Libraries: Culture, History, and Society.

Spencer responded:

I am truly humbled by this award!!!  Thank you so very much for the pleasure of serving as your blog editor, book reviewer for LCHS, and other positions in the Round Table over these past several years.  I can’t thank Bernadette Lear enough for nominating me for the award as well as all her support and mentorship over the past 10 years in LHRT.  I should have nominated her!  I also owe infinite thanks to Maxie Schreiber, Brenda Mitchell-Powell, Steven A. Knowlton, Jenny S. Bossaller, and Anthony Bernier for such generous words in their letters of support and for years of collegiality.  The blog is a team effort—t​hank you so much to the members of the Blog Committee:  Ana Luhrs, Mary Carroll, Sheila Devaney, Rachel Trnka, Tara Peace.   Much appreciation also to Eric Novotny.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you!!  Looking forward to our future collaborations.

—American Library Association Press Release

Winner: Wayne Wiegand, F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University

The Library History Round Table of the American Library Association is pleased to announce it has bestowed the Distinguished Service in Library History Award to Wayne Wiegand.  This award honors the career of a person who has a lifetime of scholarship and service in the field of library history. This non-monetary award is given to an individual who has a record of contributions; who demonstrates length, breadth, and depth of involvement in library history; and who has had a significant impact on the work of the ALA Library History Round Table or on the library history community at large.

Wayne Wiegand is F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University. 

Wiegand is perhaps best known for his extensive corpus of writings in library history: more than 75 scholarly articles and nine monographs (several with co-authors), most of which received awards.  His works have popularized research based on the ideas of “the library as place” and “the library in the life of the user.” However, he has also contributed in numerous capacities within the Library History Round Table, including serving a term as chair in 1987–1988; playing a leading role in creating awards for the best essays, articles, books, and dissertations in library history; and helping to endow the Edward G. Holley Lecture. 

Colleagues and students have remarked upon Dr. Wiegand’s eagerness to mentor new researchers, both informally and in his capacity as a professor of Library and Information Studies.  In addition, he tirelessly worked to provide new venues for the publication of library history, by working with university presses, establishing the Phi Beta Mu Monograph Series, and encouraging the submission of library history articles during his time as editor of The Library Quarterly. 

As a recommendation letter for this award assessed his impact, “Through the enduring effects of his dedicated service actions combined with his exceptional research, [Dr. Wiegand] continues to exercise a beneficial influence over both the content and methods of library history that is without parallel.”

Wiegand responded:

My deepest gratitude to LHRT for giving me the 2024 Distinguished Service in Library History Award, but at the same time my thanks to the Round Table for providing me with multiple opportunities over the last half-century to participate in scholarly endeavors addressing library history that have made my professional life so satisfying and rewarding.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

–American Library Association Press Release