Augusta Braxton Baker
Encyclopedia
Augusta Braxton Baker was an African-American librarian
and storyteller
, renowned for her contributions to children’s literature.
, where she both met and married James Baker by the end of her sophomore year.
Relocating with her husband to New York
, Baker sought to transfer to Albany Teacher’s College (now the State University of New York at Albany), only to be met with racial opposition from the college. It was then the wife of Franklin Roosevelt (who was then the Governor of New York
), Eleanor
, who was on the board of the Albany Interracial Council (now the Albany Urban League) and heavily advocated for Baker’s successful transfer. Though the college did not want to admit blacks, they also did not want to oppose the governor
's wife, and Baker was admitted. She completed her education there, earning a B.A.
in education
in 1933 and in 1934 became the first African American to graduate from the college with a B.S.
in library science
.
's 135th Street Branch (now the Countee Cullen
Regional Branch) in Harlem
.
In 1939, the branch began an effort to find and collect children's literature
that portrayed black people as something other than "servile buffoons," speaking in a rude dialect
, and other such stereotypes. This collection, founded by Baker as the James Weldon John Memorial Collection of Children's Books, led to the publication of the first of a number of bibliographies of books for and about black children. Baker furthered this project by encouraging authors, illustrators, and publishers to produce, as well as libraries to acquire, books depicting blacks in a favorable light.
In 1953, she was appointed Storytelling Specialist and Assistant Coordinator of Children's Services. Not long after that, she became Coordinator of Children's Services in 1961, becoming the first African-American librarian
in an administrative position in the New York Public Library
. In this role, she oversaw children's programs in the entire NYPL
system and set policies for them. During this time, Baker also figured prominently in the American Library Association
's Children's Services Division (now the Association for Library Service to Children
), having served as its president. Additionally, she chaired the committee that awarded the Newbery Medal
and the Caldecott Medal
. Furthermore, Baker influenced many children's authors and illustrators—such as Maurice Sendak
, Madeleine L'Engle
, Ezra Jack Keats
, and John Steptoe
--while in this position. She also worked as a consultant for the then newly created children's television series
Sesame Street
.
In 1974, Baker retired from the New York Public Library
. However, in 1980, she returned to librarianship to assume the newly created Storyteller-in-Residence position at the University of South Carolina
; this was also the first such position in any American university at the time. She remained there until her second retirement in 1994. During her time there, Baker cowrote a book entitled Storytelling: Art and Technique with colleague Ellin Green, which was published in 1987.
College of Library and Information Science and the Richland County Public Library
, this festival originated in 1987 during Baker’s time at the University, and is celebrated still to this day.
Her legacy also continues through the Augusta Baker Collection of Children's Literature and Folklore at the University of South Carolina
. The collection, donated by her son, James H. Baker III, contains over 1,600 children's books, including materials from her personal and working library, as well as papers, illustrations, and anthologies of folktales Baker used during her career.
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
and storyteller
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
, renowned for her contributions to children’s literature.
Early life and education
Augusta Braxton Baker was born on April 1, 1911 in Baltimore, Maryland. Both of her parents were schoolteachers, who instilled in her a love of reading. During the day while her parents worked, her grandmother, Augusta Fax (from whom she received her name) cared for and told her stories. Baker delighted in these stories, carrying her love for them throughout her life. She learned to read before starting elementary school, later enrolling in the (racially segregated) black high school where her father taught, and graduating at the age of 16. Baker then entered the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, where she both met and married James Baker by the end of her sophomore year.
Relocating with her husband to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Baker sought to transfer to Albany Teacher’s College (now the State University of New York at Albany), only to be met with racial opposition from the college. It was then the wife of Franklin Roosevelt (who was then the Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
), Eleanor
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
, who was on the board of the Albany Interracial Council (now the Albany Urban League) and heavily advocated for Baker’s successful transfer. Though the college did not want to admit blacks, they also did not want to oppose the governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
's wife, and Baker was admitted. She completed her education there, earning a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in 1933 and in 1934 became the first African American to graduate from the college with a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in library science
Library science
Library science is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the...
.
Professional career
After graduation, Baker taught for a few years, until she was hired in 1937 as the children's librarian at the New York Public LibraryNew York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
's 135th Street Branch (now the Countee Cullen
Countee Cullen
Countee Cullen was an American poet who was popular during the Harlem Renaissance.- Biography :Cullen was an American poet and a leading figure with Langston Hughes in the Harlem Renaissance. This 1920s artistic movement produced the first large body of work in the United States written by African...
Regional Branch) in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
.
In 1939, the branch began an effort to find and collect children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
that portrayed black people as something other than "servile buffoons," speaking in a rude dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
, and other such stereotypes. This collection, founded by Baker as the James Weldon John Memorial Collection of Children's Books, led to the publication of the first of a number of bibliographies of books for and about black children. Baker furthered this project by encouraging authors, illustrators, and publishers to produce, as well as libraries to acquire, books depicting blacks in a favorable light.
In 1953, she was appointed Storytelling Specialist and Assistant Coordinator of Children's Services. Not long after that, she became Coordinator of Children's Services in 1961, becoming the first African-American librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
in an administrative position in the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
. In this role, she oversaw children's programs in the entire NYPL
NYPL
NYPL or N.Y.P.L. may refer to:* New York Public Library, one of the leading public libraries of the world and is one of America's most significant research libraries....
system and set policies for them. During this time, Baker also figured prominently in the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
's Children's Services Division (now the Association for Library Service to Children
Association for Library Service to Children
The Association for Library Service to Children is a division of the American Library Association. Its members are concerned with the profession of children's Librarianship...
), having served as its president. Additionally, she chaired the committee that awarded the Newbery Medal
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
and the Caldecott Medal
Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children , a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year. The award was named in honor of nineteenth-century English...
. Furthermore, Baker influenced many children's authors and illustrators—such as Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Bernard Sendak is an American writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963.-Early life:...
, Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer best known for her young-adult fiction, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time...
, Ezra Jack Keats
Ezra Jack Keats
Ezra Jack Keats , Caldecott-winning author of The Snowy Day, was one of the most important children's literature authors and illustrators of the 20th Century....
, and John Steptoe
John Steptoe
John Steptoe is an award winning author and illustrator for children’s books dealing with aspects of the African American experience....
--while in this position. She also worked as a consultant for the then newly created children's television series
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
.
In 1974, Baker retired from the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
. However, in 1980, she returned to librarianship to assume the newly created Storyteller-in-Residence position at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
; this was also the first such position in any American university at the time. She remained there until her second retirement in 1994. During her time there, Baker cowrote a book entitled Storytelling: Art and Technique with colleague Ellin Green, which was published in 1987.
Death and continued legacy
After a long illness, Baker died at the age of 86 on February 23, 1998. Her legacy has remained even today, particularly through the "A(ugusta) Baker’s Dozen: A Celebration of Stories" annual storytelling festival. Sponsored by the University of South CarolinaUniversity of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
College of Library and Information Science and the Richland County Public Library
Richland County Public Library
Richland County Public Library is the public library system of Richland County, South Carolina. It has 11 branches including its Main Library. In 2001, it was named the National Library of the Year by the Library Journal and the Gale Group.-History:...
, this festival originated in 1987 during Baker’s time at the University, and is celebrated still to this day.
Her legacy also continues through the Augusta Baker Collection of Children's Literature and Folklore at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. The collection, donated by her son, James H. Baker III, contains over 1,600 children's books, including materials from her personal and working library, as well as papers, illustrations, and anthologies of folktales Baker used during her career.
Awards and honors
- First recipient of the E.P. Dutton-John Macrae Award (1953)
- Parents Magazine Medal Award (1966)
- ALA Grolier Award (1968)
- Women's National Book Association, Constance Lindsay SkinnerConstance Lindsay SkinnerConstance Lindsay Skinner was a Canadian writer, critic, historian and editor best known for having conceived the Rivers of America Series for the publisher Farrar & Rinehart.-Early life and career:...
Award (1971) - Clarence DayClarence DayClarence Shepard Day, Jr. was an American author. Born in New York City, he attended St. Paul's School and graduated from Yale University in 1896. The following year, he joined the New York Stock Exchange, and became a partner in his father's Wall Street brokerage firm...
Award (1975) - Honorary ALAAmerican Library AssociationThe American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
Membership (1975) - Honorary Doctorate from St. John's University (1980)
- Catholic Library Association's Regina MedalRegina MedalThe Regina Medal is an American Literary award of the Catholic Library Association. It was established in 1959 to recognize "continued, distinguished contribution to children’s literature without regard to the nature of the contribution"....
(1981) - Honorary Doctorate from the University of South CarolinaUniversity of South CarolinaThe University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
(1986) - Second recipient of ALSCAssociation for Library Service to ChildrenThe Association for Library Service to Children is a division of the American Library Association. Its members are concerned with the profession of children's Librarianship...
Distinguished Service Award (1993)