E. J. Josey: Transformational Leader of the Modern Library Profession

Within the broader social and political landscape of civil rights, this book examines the life and career of librarian, educator and activist E.J Josey. During Josey’s professional life, which spanned fifty-five years, he worked as a librarian (1953-1966), an administrator of library services (1966-1986), and as a professor of library science (1986-1995). He also served as President of the American Library Association and is attributed for successfully drafting a resolution preventing state library associations from discriminating against librarians of color. This act is considered by many to have desegregated the American Library Association. Using interviews with Josey and his contemporaries, as well as documentary evidence, this book will discuss Josey’s leadership, particularly within modern day social currents. One question the book will seek to answer is: In what ways did Josey transform the Library and Information Science profession?

The publication will provide much interest and value to undergraduate and graduate Library and Information Science (LIS) students. It documents for the historical record a significant period of history that is underexplored in the scholarly literature. The target audience for this book are researchers, historians, LIS educators and students interested in understanding the complex struggle for civil and human rights in professional organizations.