Dr. Lucille Cole Thomas
Dr. Lucille Cole Thomas was a pioneering force in American librarianship and broke barriers as the first African American to serve as president of both the New York Library Association and the New York City School Librarians Association.
Dr. Thomas also served as president of the International Association of School Librarianship and the New York Library Club. A longtime member of the American Library Association council and executive board, she was awarded the organization's highest distinction, Honorary Membership, for her exceptional contributions. She was one of the most respected and beloved figures in the profession, known for her warmth, vision, and commitment to public service.
Dr. Thomas dedicated nearly 30 years to Brooklyn Public Library – where she began her career – serving on the BPL Board of Trustees, including as chair from 2003 to 2006. Her impact is honored annually through the Dr. Lucille C. Thomas Award for Excellence in Librarianship, Brooklyn Public Library's highest award for librarians. This award is presented to staff who embody her values of service, curiosity, and compassion.
Throughout her long and active life, Dr. Thomas remained a steadfast advocate for libraries through authoring reports, mentoring students, and representing librarianship at conferences across the world even after her official retirement in 1985. She believed that "libraries don't just work with books, but with communities."
Dr. Thomas was also a dedicated member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, joining as a graduate member in 1988 and later serving as president of the Pi Phi Omega chapter from 1994 to 1998 before transferring to Eta Omega Omega. Her passion for scholarship and youth development was evident through her support of the AKAteens Rites of Passage scholarship program.
In 2023, a portrait of Dr. Thomas by artist Charles Edward Williams was unveiled and now hangs in the trustee room at Brooklyn Public Library's Central branch, a tribute to her lifelong service.
Dr. Thomas exemplified the very best of librarianship: intellectual rigor, boundless dedication, and a deep love for her community. Her legacy lives on in the many librarians she mentored, the organizations she shaped, and the countless lives she touched.
Angela Phuong Communication Office, Brooklyn Public Library
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In honor of the Sesquicentennial next year (150th Anniversary of ALA) in 2026, the Library History Round Table is hosting Librarians We Have Lost, Sesquicentennial Memories -1976-2026. This collage of tributes seeks to honor librarians who died between 1976-2026. The tributes are published to ALA Connect and a digital memorial on LHRT News & Notes.
We invite tributes from anyone about any library worker who passed away between 1976-2026. To submit a tribute, please use the form at https://lhrt.news/librarians-we-have-lost-sesquicentennial-memories-1976-2026-2/
For questions or comments, please reach out to Dr. McCook (kmccook@usf.edu) or Brett Spencer (dbs21@psu.edu).
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Brett Spencer
Reference Librarian
Thun Library, Penn State Berks
He/Him/His
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