Annette Lewis Phinazee facts for kids
Alethia Annette Lewis Hoage Phinazee (born July 23, 1920 – died September 17, 1983) was an amazing librarian and teacher. She made history by being the first woman and the first Black American woman to get a special high degree (a doctorate) in library science from Columbia University. People called her a "trailblazer" because she led the way for others in her field.
Early Life and Learning
Annette Phinazee was born on July 23, 1920, in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Her parents, William Charles and Althia Lightner Lewis, were both teachers.
School Days
Annette went to public schools in Orangeburg. She earned her first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts, in modern foreign languages from Fisk University in 1939. This means she studied different languages.
Becoming a Librarian
She then went on to study library science. In 1941, she received a bachelor's degree in library science. She earned her master's degree in library science in 1948. Both of these degrees were from the University of Illinois.
Making History at Columbia University
In 1961, Annette Phinazee made history again. She became the first woman and the first Black American woman to earn a doctorate in library science from Columbia University. This is the highest degree you can get in a subject.
Her special research paper, called a "dissertation," was very important. It looked at how librarians and people using libraries used the Library of Congress Classification system. This system helps organize books. Her work was one of the first times anyone thought about how library users actually used this system.
Her Career as a Librarian and Teacher
Annette Phinazee had a long and important career. She worked in many different places, always helping libraries and students.
Early Teaching and Cataloging
She started her teaching career in North Carolina. From 1939 to 1940, she was a teacher and librarian at Caswell County Training School.
Next, she worked as a "cataloguer" at Talladega College in Alabama from 1941 to 1942. A cataloguer helps organize and list all the books in a library. From 1942 to 1944, she was a journalism librarian at Lincoln University of Missouri.
Teaching Library Science
Annette Phinazee taught courses on cataloging and classification. These are important skills for librarians. She taught at the Atlanta University School of Library Service from 1946 to 1957.
She also worked as a cataloguer at Southern Illinois University from 1957 to 1962.
Leading Special Collections
From 1962 to 1967, she returned to Atlanta University. There, she became the head of "special services." This included managing the Trevor Arnett Library's Negro Collection. This was a famous collection of books and materials about African American history and culture.
She also became a professor again at the School of Library Service from 1963 to 1969.
Helping Black Colleges
In 1969, Phinazee took on a new role. She became the assistant director of the Cooperative College Library Center in Atlanta. This center helped improve libraries at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). These are colleges that were first created to educate Black students.
Recognized for Her Work
In 1975, she was chosen as the first Black president of the North Carolina Library Association. Her colleagues saw her as a great teacher and mentor. She helped many Black American librarians throughout her career. In 1978, she received honors from the American Library Association Black Caucus.
Legacy and Awards
Annette Phinazee passed away on September 17, 1983, in Durham, North Carolina.
Annette Lewis Phinazee Award
To remember her important work, the Annette Lewis Phinazee Award was created in 1984. This award is given each year at the NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences. It honors people or groups who help improve access to African-American children's literature in North Carolina.
Posthumous Recognition
In 1989, she was given the North Carolina Library Association's Distinguished Service Award. This award was given to her after her death, showing how much her work was valued.
