October 10th passed like any other day for the average person, but for those in children’s library land, the day represented a special day: the birthday of Caroline Hewins ,a founding matriarch of our profession.
Long before there was ALSC, there was the Children’s Section of the American Library Association, which Caroline Hewins helped found in 1900. Hewins, born and raised in New England, found early work in Hartford, CT working within the Wadsworth Atheneum. There, she was disappointed in the amount of children’s material available, and began a fifty-year career advocating for children’s literature and children’s library access, acquiring a children’s collection and writing about it for other libraries, and advancing the profession through her work with the American Library Association.
Hewins became the first woman to address the ALA at their conference shortly after its founding in 1876, and in 1900, helped spearhead the founding of the Children’s Section.
The Creation of the Children’s Library Section
From the history of ALSC, it is reported, “At the A. L. A. conference in Montreal in 1900 an informal meeting was held for the purpose of personal acquaintance and cooperation among those actively engaged in library work with children….As a result of this meeting an organization was formed, to be known as the Club of Children’s Librarians, of which Miss A. C. Moore was made chairman, and Miss M. E. Dousman secretary… The secretary of the club was instructed to inform the secretary of the American Library Association of the formation of the club and to offer its services in the making of the program for future sessions on library work with children, if desired.”
Hewins, who served as an ALA Councilor 1885 to 1888 and again in 1893 to 1902, and as the ALA vice-president in 1891, was one of the eight women who attended this organizing meeting.
While there certainly would not be an ALSC today without the historic work of Hewins and her compatriots, Hewins impact extends to all public libraries, bringing access to a world that used to be dominated by subscription fees. She promoted reduced fees for children’s library access, traveling libraries, mentorship to up and coming librarians, and the future of our beloved profession.
Take a few moments today to learn more about her and see what our organization has become because of women like her who paved the way for generations more.
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Aryssa Damron is a librarian living in San Antonio, Texas. She’s been a public librarian, a school librarian, and a personal librarian to many friends and toddlers. She is an ALA Chapter Councillor and a former member of the Alex, Carnegie, and Caldecott awards committees.
The post Remembering Caroline Hewins, Library Services to Children Matriarch appeared first on ALSC Blog.
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