197:
In 2003, the
American Library Association passed a resolution recognizing "the leadership role of Reverend Thomas Fountain Blue in laying the foundation for the continued presence of African American libraries, library students, and library employees in all types of libraries within the United States
156:
Blue became the first
African-American to head a public library in 1905. The Western Colored Branch was the first Carnegie colored library in Louisville, Kentucky. it was the first public library in the nation to serve African-American patrons with an exclusively African-American staff. In 1914 he
193:
in March 1927. The Negro library training program that Blue established at LFPL continued as the
Hampton Library School. The Louisville apprenticeship program ended in the early 1930s when professional library schools began to fill the gap of educating librarians. Blue died November 10, 1935; a
161:
Early in the history of the two Negro branch libraries, apprentice classes were conducted with the assistance of department heads from the Main Free Public
Library. At this time there were no facilities in the South for training Negro librarians and several cities sent persons to Louisville for
176:
These classes were the first library training program for
African Americans in the United States. Blue was dedicated to cultivating the library as a space for the use of the community; social clubs frequently made use of the Western and Eastern Colored Branches.
194:
resolution passed later that month by the
Louisville Free Public Library Board of Trustees referred to him as "a trusted, loyal and highly competent administrator" and "a pioneer in this field of public service among Colored People".
188:
conference in 1922, Blue presented information about his training class; he was the first
African American to be on an ALA program. Blue was the founder of the Negro Library Conference, which was first held at Blue's alma mater
145:
180:
From 1919 to his death in 1935 Blue was the director of all library work for
African Americans in Louisville, including work bringing library collections to seventeen schools in the
157:
was also made
Librarian in charge of the newly opened Eastern Colored Branch of LFPL. Blue became known for the high value he placed on training library personnel:
531:
136:, Blue served in the Sixth Virginia Volunteers and was stationed in Camp Poland in Tennessee and Camp Haskell in Georgia. After the war he moved to
511:
210:, an educator and advocate for racial desegregation in Kentucky. Blue continued to be a preacher and church leader throughout his life.
31:
328:
206:
Blue married
Cornelia Phillips Johnson in 1925; they had two sons together. Through his marriage he was the brother-in-law of
125:
109:
101:
81:
120:
Thomas Fountain Blue was the second child of Noah Hedgeman Blue and Henry Ann Crawley, both former slaves. Blue attended
516:
185:
181:
100:(March 6, 1866 – November 10, 1935) was a minister, educator, and civic leader who led the Colored Branches of the
112:
being nationally recognized as a leader in segregated library administration and education for African Americans.
133:
144:
and served on a number of civic associations, including as a charter member of the Louisville Chapter of the
371:
The colored librarian: Thomas F. Blue and the Louisville Free Public Library's Colored Department, 1905–1935
526:
521:
137:
129:
58:
479:
108:
librarians. Blue was the first African-American to head a public library and his efforts led to the
44:
190:
121:
77:
324:
344:
374:
207:
105:
321:
Library service to African Americans in Kentucky, from the Reconstruction era to the 1960s
261:
505:
124:
from 1885 to 1888, after which he taught school in Virginia. In 1894 he enrolled at
30:
449:
480:"Library Board of Trustees Resolution on the Death of Thomas Fountain Blue"
394:
288:
422:
379:
169:
Libraries and lotteries: a history of the Louisville Free Public Library
373:(MA). Louisville, Kentucky: University of Louisville. p. 3.
140:, where he was in charge of the Colored Branch of the Louisville
141:
146:
Association for the Study of African American Life and History
323:. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. p. 54.
87:
73:
65:
51:
37:
21:
263:Thomas Fountain Blue, pioneer librarian, 1866–1935
417:
415:
159:
255:
253:
251:
249:
247:
245:
243:
8:
345:"Thomas Fountain Blue biographical portrait"
241:
239:
237:
235:
233:
231:
229:
227:
225:
223:
427:Notable Kentucky African Americans Database
314:
312:
310:
293:Notable Kentucky African Americans Database
283:
281:
450:"Spotlight: Reverend Thomas Fountain Blue"
266:(MS). Atlanta, Georgia: Atlanta University
29:
18:
378:
167:William R. Breyer and Edward L. Kinkade,
122:Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute
78:Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute
219:
260:Wright, Lillian Taylor (August 1955).
7:
532:20th-century African-American people
104:(LFPL) and was an early trainer of
429:. University of Kentucky Libraries
295:. University of Kentucky Libraries
128:, graduating in April 1898 with a
14:
142:Young Men's Christian Association
369:Burress, Jacob Carlton (2016).
484:Reverend Thomas F. Blue Papers
349:Louisville Free Public Library
110:Louisville Free Public Library
102:Louisville Free Public Library
1:
126:Richmond Theological Seminary
82:Richmond Theological Seminary
399:American Library Association
186:American Library Association
512:African-American librarians
319:Jones, Reinette F. (2002).
548:
486:. Kentucky Digital Library
423:"Negro Library Conference"
28:
174:
289:"Blue, Thomas F., Sr"
138:Louisville, Kentucky
134:Spanish–American War
130:Bachelor of Divinity
98:Thomas Fountain Blue
59:Louisville, Kentucky
23:Thomas Fountain Blue
517:American librarians
448:Jones, Reinette F.
91:Librarian, educator
45:Farmville, Virginia
454:Kentucky Libraries
16:American librarian
380:10.18297/etd/2420
191:Hampton Institute
171:(1944), page 122.
95:
94:
55:November 10, 1935
539:
496:
495:
493:
491:
476:
470:
469:
467:
465:
445:
439:
438:
436:
434:
419:
410:
409:
407:
405:
391:
385:
384:
382:
366:
360:
359:
357:
355:
341:
335:
334:
316:
305:
304:
302:
300:
285:
276:
275:
273:
271:
257:
208:Lyman T. Johnson
182:Jefferson County
172:
106:African-American
33:
19:
547:
546:
542:
541:
540:
538:
537:
536:
502:
501:
500:
499:
489:
487:
478:
477:
473:
463:
461:
447:
446:
442:
432:
430:
421:
420:
413:
403:
401:
393:
392:
388:
368:
367:
363:
353:
351:
343:
342:
338:
331:
318:
317:
308:
298:
296:
287:
286:
279:
269:
267:
259:
258:
221:
216:
204:
173:
166:
154:
118:
80:
61:
56:
47:
42:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
545:
543:
535:
534:
529:
524:
519:
514:
504:
503:
498:
497:
471:
440:
411:
395:"Equal Access"
386:
361:
336:
329:
306:
277:
218:
217:
215:
212:
203:
200:
164:
153:
152:Library career
150:
117:
114:
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
75:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
57:
53:
49:
48:
43:
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
544:
533:
530:
528:
525:
523:
520:
518:
515:
513:
510:
509:
507:
485:
481:
475:
472:
459:
455:
451:
444:
441:
428:
424:
418:
416:
412:
400:
396:
390:
387:
381:
376:
372:
365:
362:
350:
346:
340:
337:
332:
330:9780786411542
326:
322:
315:
313:
311:
307:
294:
290:
284:
282:
278:
265:
264:
256:
254:
252:
250:
248:
246:
244:
242:
240:
238:
236:
234:
232:
230:
228:
226:
224:
220:
213:
211:
209:
202:Personal life
201:
199:
198:and abroad".
195:
192:
187:
184:area. At the
183:
178:
170:
163:
158:
151:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
132:. During the
131:
127:
123:
115:
113:
111:
107:
103:
99:
90:
88:Occupation(s)
86:
83:
79:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
54:
50:
46:
41:March 6, 1866
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
490:27 September
488:. Retrieved
483:
474:
464:26 September
462:. Retrieved
457:
453:
443:
433:26 September
431:. Retrieved
426:
404:26 September
402:. Retrieved
398:
389:
370:
364:
354:26 September
352:. Retrieved
348:
339:
320:
299:26 September
297:. Retrieved
292:
270:26 September
268:. Retrieved
262:
205:
196:
179:
175:
168:
160:
155:
119:
97:
96:
527:1935 deaths
522:1866 births
116:Early years
66:Nationality
506:Categories
214:References
162:training.
74:Education
460:(4): 6–7
165:—
69:American
327:
492:2018
466:2018
435:2018
406:2018
356:2018
325:ISBN
301:2018
272:2018
52:Died
38:Born
375:doi
508::
482:.
458:67
456:.
452:.
425:.
414:^
397:.
347:.
309:^
291:.
280:^
222:^
148:.
494:.
468:.
437:.
408:.
383:.
377::
358:.
333:.
303:.
274:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
