As we celebrate Black History Month, it's essential to recognize the contributions of Black professionals who have shaped the library profession. This blog series highlights library industry trailblazers and some of our own KDL staff members whose work has left an indelible mark on our community.
Rev. Thomas Fountain Blue was a minister, educator, and civic leader who became the first African American to head a public library in the United States. Born on March 6, 1866, in Farmville, Virginia, Blue was the second child of former slaves. He attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute from 1885 to 1888 and later graduated from Richmond Theological Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity in 1898.
In 1905, Blue was appointed to lead the Western Colored Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library, the first Carnegie library in the nation to serve African American patrons with an exclusively African American staff. His dedication to training library personnel led to the establishment of the first library training program for African Americans in the U.S. Blue's efforts made the Louisville Free Public Library a national leader in segregated library administration and education.
Blue was also a civic leader, serving on various associations, including the Louisville Chapter of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. From 1919 until his death in 1935, he directed all library work for African Americans in Louisville, including bringing library collections to seventeen schools in the Jefferson County area.
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