Digital reproduction of a handwritten report by Anne Spencer, Librarian of the Jones Memorial Library Dunbar Branch. In the report dated March 15, 1927 , Spencer recounts her attendance at a Conference of Librarians held at Hampton, Virginia. The conference was for black librarians serving in segregated libraries in the United States. Spencer notes attendance at a session led by Rachel Davis Harris where Davis shared her experience with establishing the Dunbar Branch in Lynchburg in 1924.
Digital reproduction of resignation letter and envelope from Anne Spencer to Jane Maud Campbell, director of Jones Memorial Library. The letter is dated 1946.
In the letter, Spencer resigns from her position as librarian of the Dunbar Branch at Dunbar High School.
While the letter is dated March 14, 1946, the envelope is postmakred several weeks later on April 7, 1946.
Digital images of a typewritten letter addressed to Anne Spencer from C.G. Woodson, Director of The Journal of Negro History. The letter dated 30 April 1927 is an appeal for funding to support The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. At the time, Spencer was Librarian for the Jones Memorial Library Dunbar Branch.
This letter is part of Jones Memorial Library Manuscript Collection 1396, the Dunbar High School Library Papers.
Manuscript Collection 1396 is the Dunbar High School Library Papers. Four folders are included in this collection. The papers are from the Dunbar Branch of the Jones Memorial Library. The Dunbar Branch was opened in 1924 at the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, a segregated school serving African American students in Lynchburg during the Jim Crow era.
The Dunbar Branch was established by Jane Maud Campbell, director of the Jones Memorial Library. Campbell requested assistance from the Louisville Free Public Library, which was a leader in training African American librarians, to get the branch established. Librarian Rachel Davis Harris traveled from Louisville to Lynchburg to establish the branch and help train Anne Spencer, the Dunbar Branch's first permanent librarian. Spencer served as librarian at the branch from 1924 until 1945.
Included in Folder 1 are a variety of lists published by the Louisville Free Public Library to aid librarians in purchasing books for collections serving African Americans. Also included in the folder are two handwritten lists with additional titles; these lists may have been compiled by Jones Memorial Library staff. Of note is a 24 page typewritten list compiled by Reverend Thomas Blue and Rachel Harris of the Louisville Free Public Library titled "A List of Books Selected From Titles in the Western Colored Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library Recommended for First Purchase." This list includes marks suggesting that staff from Jones Memorial Library intended to purchase particular titles, with handwritten numbers suggesting the quantity of each title ordered. It is possible that these titles were ordered for use at the Dunbar Branch in Lynchburg.
Scanned images of a three page handwritten list stamped "Dunbar Branch" containing the surnames of authors and titles. The list appears to include titles that the library purchased for the Dunbar Branch collection in 1945.
This list is part of Jones Memorial Library Manuscript Collection 1396, the Dunbar High School Library Papers.
Digital reproduction of the February 1924 branch report by librarian Anne Spencer for the Jones Memorial Library Dunbar Branch. This report was the second monthly report issued for the branch, and the first report with Spencer as sole author.
Dunbar High School Library Papers Held At Jones Memorial Library In Lynchburg, Virginia.
Dunbar High School Library Was A Branch Library Of Jones Memorial Library. The Library Provided Library Services To City Residents At The Dunbar High School, Which Was A Segregated School Serving Black And African-American Residents. The Dunbar High School Librarian Was Anne S. Spencer. The Library Operated Under The Direction Of The Jones Memorial Library And Its Director, J. Maud Campbell. The Collection Includes Correspondence, Circulation Reports, Book Lists, And Commencement Programs And A Booklet Spanning The Period 1922 To 1937.
Parts of this collection have been digitized and are searchable under the digital collections Item Set "The Dunbar High School Library Papers".
This academic paper explores the life and legacy of Anne Spencer, a notable figure in the Harlem Renaissance. McKendrick delves into Spencer's multifaceted identity as a poet, her experiences with racial dynamics, and her significant contributions to African American literature. Despite the challenge of encapsulating Spencer's 93-year life within a concise presentation, the paper highlights her defiance of societal norms, her nuanced approach to race and identity, and her unique voice in poetry that transcends protest to embody beauty, control, and a profound connection with nature. Spencer's work and life story are contextualized within the broader narrative of the Harlem Renaissance, emphasizing her influence and the challenges she faced in gaining recognition.
Digital reproduction of a series of letters between Jane Maud Campbell, librarian of Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, and George T. Settle and Rachel Davis Harris of the Louisville Free Public Library. The letters are written in 1923 and 1924.
In the letters, Campbell requests assistance of a librarian from Louisville to travel to Lynchburg to set up the new Dunbar Branch at Dunbar High School. The Dunbar Branch was the first public library branch in Lynchburg to offer services to black residents.
In the responses, Settle agrees to send Rachel Davis Harris. Harris then writes of her travel arrangements. Campbell advises Harris on accomodation in Lynchburg and notes that Anne Spencer is a candidate for the position of Dunbar Branch librarian. In February 1924, Campbell seeks to extend Harris' stay in Lynchburg, Settle agrees to an extension. Campbell then thanks Settle for Harris' work in Lynchburg.
Digital reproduction of a letter from Rachel Davis Harris of Western Colored Branch, Louisville Free Public Library, to Jane Maud Campbell at Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg. The 1924 letter shares that Harris has returned to Louisville after working to establish the Dunbar Branch in Lynchburg.
Scanned image of the Jones Memorial Library's Report of Dunbar Branch for January 1924 submitted by Anne Spencer and R.D. Harris.
The Dunbar Branch was opened in 1924 in the Dunbar High School in Lynchburg and was the first branch of the Jones Memorial Library. The branch provided service to "colored" residents of the city during a time when library services were racially segregated.
This report records the circulation of library books and materials at the branch during its first month of operation. The report was submitted by Anne Spencer, who was appointed as the branch's permanent librarian, and Rachel Davis Harris, who had traveled to Lynchburg from the Louisville Free Public Library's Western Colored Division in 1923-1924 to advise and assist with establishment of the Dunbar Branch. The report appears to have been entered by hand by Anne Spencer.
Anne Spencer Memorial Foundation, Inc. Papers Held At Jones Memorial Library In Lynchburg, Virginia. The Papers Include Minutes, Photographs, Notes, And Articles About Harlem Renaissance Poet And Lynchburg Resident Anne Spencer.
Digital reproduction of a typed manuscript entitled "The Dunbar high School Story!!" by Chauncey E. Spencer. The original manuscript is held at Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, Virginia as PAM1206.
In the manuscript, the author provides clarifications about the history of Dunbar High School and the Dunbar Branch library that operated at the high school in the 1900s.
Scanned reproduction of an undated typewritten manuscript entitled "The Dunbar Story: An Examination of the School's Search for Excellence in a Segregated Society." A print version of the manuscript is held in the pamphlet files of Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, Virginia.
The manuscript does not include information about the author. No source is attributed.
The manuscript is marked and underlined in various places.
A paragraph on page five includes information about the Dunbar Branch of the Jones Memorial Library. The information is not attributed, cited, or verified.
Lynchburg Writers Collection Held At Jones Memorial Library In Lynchburg, Virginia. The Collection Includes Poems, Short Stories, Plays, Paper, Music, Prayers, Sermons And Speeches Written By City Residents.
