Pauline Short Robinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pauline Short Robinson
|
|
|---|---|
Robinson in Hawai'i 1958
|
|
| Born |
Pauline Short
1915 |
| Died | 1997 (aged 81–82) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.S. library science, University of Denver, 1943 |
| Occupation | Librarian |
| Years active | 1945–1979 |
| Employer | Denver Public Library |
| Known for | First African-American librarian in Denver, Colorado |
Pauline Short Robinson (1915–1997) was an amazing American librarian. She was also a strong civil rights activist. She made history by becoming the first African American to work as a librarian in Denver, Colorado. During her 36 years with the Denver Public Library, she worked in many different branches. For 15 years, she was the leader for Children Services. In 1996, a new library branch was named after her. It was a great honor! She was also added to the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
Early Life and Education
Pauline Short was born in Gay, Oklahoma, in 1915. Her grandfather taught her to read even before she started grade school. After finishing high school in Lawton, she moved to Denver, Colorado. She hoped to study law there. However, college was too expensive for her at the time.
Pauline lived with her aunts in Denver. She studied at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. To pay her way, she worked in people's homes. She also got a job at the Community Vocational Center Library. This library was in Five Points, a neighborhood where many African Americans lived.
The library often received old books from the Denver Public Library. It didn't have money to buy books about African-American history. So, Pauline decided to help! She baked 150 pies and sold them. This raised $40, which she used to buy new books. She also asked local businesses for money. This helped the library buy subscriptions to African-American newspapers.
Pauline loved reading with the young people at the library. She thought about becoming a teacher. In 1935, she started studying education at the University of Denver. She had a scholarship that paid half her tuition. But she learned that African Americans could only teach kindergarten or first grade in Denver. So, she changed her major to library science. She earned her degree in 1943.
She got married in 1940. After college, she left Denver with her husband, who was in the army. They returned to Denver in 1945.
A Career in Libraries
When Pauline returned to Denver, the Community Vocational Center Library was in trouble. The reading program had stopped, and fewer people were visiting. The Denver Public Library even planned to close it. Pauline and local school principals worked hard to save it. They pushed for a new library.
The Denver Public Library listened! In 1945, they built a new Cosmopolitan Branch Library in Five Points. Pauline Robinson was chosen to be its librarian. This made her the very first African-American librarian in Denver. By 1950, there were eight Black librarians in the city.
Pauline worked in several different library branches during her career. In 1964, she became the Coordinator of Children Services. She held this important job for 15 years. She was in charge of the library's yearly summer reading program. She also helped write a grant that brought the Reading is Fundamental program to Denver. This program helps kids get free books. Pauline retired in 1979.
Civil Rights Work
Pauline Robinson was a civil rights activist even when she was in college. She was an "activist for freedom" with the NAACP. She helped make sure that Lakeside Amusement Park in Lakeside, Colorado allowed everyone, no matter their race.
She also organized the first Negro History Week at the New Hope Baptist Church. This event was an early version of what we now celebrate as Black History Month in Denver.
Honors and Awards
In 1996, Pauline Robinson was there for the opening of a new library branch. It was named the Pauline Robinson Branch Library in her honor! This library is in the Northeast Park Hill neighborhood. It helped bring new life to the Holly Square area. The library offers fun programs like "After School is Cool" for arts and crafts. It also has the Pauline Robinson Book Club.
Pauline was recognized for her work many times. She was inducted into the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame in 1973. After she passed away, she was also inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
