Published: February 5, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

Come and join the SJSU iSchool as we honor Black History Month while also celebrating the achievements of our Black community members in the Library and Information Science field. 

While Black History Month was first federally recognized in 1976, its precursor extends further back to the early 1920s when Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard-trained historian, created Negro History Week in 1925. After its celebration in February of 1926, an overwhelming number of Black educators, scholars, artists, and communities demanded for more materials. By the 1950s, Negro History Week became an integral part of Black communities, leading to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and the first celebration of Black History Month at Kent State University in 1970. (source: Black History Month)

Join us on Thursday, February 23, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time, for our EDI symposium, “A Celebration of Black History Month: Equity in Libraries, 2023 and Beyond,” as we talk about how to make a successful entry into the LIS profession.

Register here for this free event.

Keynote speaker Elaina Norlin is the Professional Development DEI Coordinator for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries. She is an accomplished teacher, technology and leadership development trainer, and writer with extensive leadership experience and a flair for public relations, organizational development, marketing, persuasion and communications. Author of two books, she has delivered over 70 workshops, training sessions, presentations, and institutes both nationally and internationally on marketing, web usability design, facilitation, strategic influence, and conflict management. Self-motivated and results-oriented, she is well known for her ability to juggle many projects at once.