Handbook of Black Librarianship - A Conversation with Tracie D. Hall

Please join us for a very special session in our series celebrating the Handbook of Black Librarianship. For our October webinar we are honored to share a conversation with Tracie D. Hall, former Executive Director of the American Library Association and lifelong library leader and advocate.

Tracie D. Hall is Distinguished Practitioner in Residence and Professor of Practice at the University of Washington Information School in Seattle. Hall previously served as Executive Director of the American Library Association (ALA), becoming the first Black woman to helm ALA in its nearly 150-year history. Hall has served in numerous library and arts leadership positions nationwide including Culture Program Director at The Joyce Foundation where she was recognized for creating programs in support of arts-based community and economic development; Deputy Commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events where she received the Mayor’s citations for her work to expand arts and fresh food access; Vice President of Strategy and Organizational Development at Queens Library where during her tenure she founded the NYC Early Learning Network; Community Investment Strategist and Community Investor for the Boeing Company’s Global Corporate Citizenship division; Assistant Dean of Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science; other library positions at the Hartford Public Library, New Haven Free Public Library, and Seattle Public Library and non-profit and public sector roles across the country.

Holding dual bachelor’s degrees from University of California at Santa Barbara, and master’s degrees from the Yale University School of International and Area Studies and the University of Washington Information School, Hall’s work in library and arts-based community development has focused on advancing early and adult literacy, expanding broadband access, and advocating for library and literacy services for people who are incarcerated, with her current research and writing centers on Black Information Futures.

In 2022, Hall was honored with a National Book Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. In April 2023, TIME Magazine named Hall to its annual TIME100 list of the most influential people in the world. In September 2023, Hall followed Rep. John Lewis and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones in receiving the medal for Freedom of Speech and Free Expression from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Institute. In 2023, Hall was honored with the Sojourner Truth Leadership Award for career-long commitment to equity and inclusion by the Metropolitan Chicago YWCA, and the Public Humanities Beacon Award for outstanding contributions to arts and letters by Illinois. Humanities. In 2025, Hall received an honorary doctorate from the University of London for her lifelong advocacy for information access and the freedom to read. Hall has delivered keynotes and lectures across the United States, Europe, Australia, and South America. Her writings have appeared in various publications including American Libraries, Journal of Library Administration, Obsidian, Maine Policy Review, Public Libraries, and TIME Magazine. She has been profiled by Association Forum, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Chicago Magazine, Forbes Magazine, Los Angeles Times, NBC Chicago, National Public Radio, and Publishers Weekly.

This conversation will be facilitated by Taina Evans, with participation from two of the editors of the Handbook of Black Librarianship,  Michele Felton and Andrew 'Sekou' Jackson.

This public program is made possible by federal Library Service and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which enable the New York State Library to champion lifelong learning.

The Handbook of Black Librarianship was first published in 1977, intended to “provide reference information on the relationship of Afro-Americans to various aspects of librarianship and libraries.” Compiled and edited by E.J. Josey during his time as Chief of the Bureau of Specialist Library Services for the New York State Library, this volume provided resources for developing African/Afro-American collections, program guidance for serving Black youth, directories of library school programs primarily attended by Black students, and essays from Black educators, writers, librarians, and more. A second edition was published in 2000, adding to and updating the first volume. 

A third edition has just been published, edited by Andrew "Sekou” Jackson, Marva L. Deloach, and Michele Fenton. Beyond updating previous volumes, the new edition adds over 70 new essays on Vital Issues, Service to Our Communities, Library Technology, Wisdom from Retirees, Global Issues, and Banned Books and Censorship. In this webinar, you will hear from the editors about their relationship to the Handbook, how this edition came to be, and how you can use it to engage with your library and its community.