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  • The Christian Science Monitor

    In Kentucky, the oldest Black independent library is still making history

    by Jingnan Peng Apr 26, 2024 4 minutes

    Thirty minutes into the library tour, Louisa Sarpee wants to work there.

    History is so close to her. One block away from her high school, the small library she had never set foot in laid the foundation of African American librarianship. What is more, the library was created by a former principal of her own school. Its archives even house a diploma of her school from the time the word “colored” was still in the school’s name.

    “Is there any way to volunteer at the library?” the ninth grader asks Natalie Woods, the librarian giving the tour. “I’m obsessed with everything here.”

    “Say no more, girlfriend,” Ms. Woods replies, beaming. “We’re gonna talk.”

    For Ms. Woods,, the gasps coming from the group of 18 students learning about its history is no surprise. She meets Louisvillians every day who know nothing about Western. The library under her care is the in the United States independently run by and for African Americans. It was also the earliest training ground of Black librarians from around the South. It is a legacy that has changed Ms. Woods’ life, and preserving it has become her vocation.

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