Hypatia was a Greek woman who served as the last leader of the Platonist school in Alexandria, Egypt, where she taught philosophy, mathematics and astronomy before she was killed by a mob of anti-pagan Christians. Carl Sagan speculated in his television show "Cosmos" that her death is linked to the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, as "he last remains of the library were destroyed within a year of Hypatia’s death.”
Sagan, Carl. Cosmos. New York: Random House, 1980. Print. |
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Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihri Al-Quraysh
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Sarah Mapps Douglass was not a librarian, but she was an artist, abolitionist, and writer. She created Female Literary Society, which was the first social libraries that was specifically for African American women. She encouraged those who were literate and illiterate to share their stories with each other to preserve their history through written and spoken word. In addition to helping open a school for African American children, she also became the first African American student at the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania.
Lindhorst, Marie (Summer 1998). "Politics in a Box: Sarah Mapps Douglass and the Female Literary Association, 1831-1833". Pennsylvania History. 65: 263. McHenry, Elizabeth (2002). Forgotten Readers: Recovering the Lost History of African American Literacy Societies. Durham, London: Duke University Press. p. 23 |
Doctor Carla Hayden became the first woman and the first African-American to hold the position of Librarian of Congress. She is also the first professional librarian to hold the post in 60 years. Before being elected as the Librarian of Congress, she worked in a variety of library positions throughout the country, including being the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Librarian at the Chicago Public Library, associate professor of the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, the Director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, and as the President of the American Library Association.
Hines, Shawnda (16 July 2016). "Dr. Carla Hayden to serve as the next Librarian of Congress" (Press release). American Library Association. |