Catherine A. Latimer: Librarian of the Harlem Renaissance

Abstract

ABSTRACT In 1920 Catherine Latimer was the first Black librarian hired by the New York Public Library (NYPL). At the 135th Street Branch Latimer supported and collected the works of young Black writers and thinkers, helping to usher in the Harlem Renaissance. An archive of letters from that era demonstrates how closely she worked with the likes of Alain Locke and Claude McKay. Latimer also conferred with Black bibliophiles and librarians, including the library’s head curator, Arturo Schomburg, under whose leadership she managed the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints. Over her twenty-six-year career at NYPL, Latimer worked with leaders in the Black community to fight racism within the library profession. Together with Schomburg and the dedicated staff of the Negro Division, Latimer helped organize and provide public access to one of the greatest collections covering the Black diaspora.