Effie Lee Morris
April 20, 2921 - November 10, 2009
California Library Hall of Fame
https://www.cla-net.org/page/1033/California-Library-Hall-of-Fame-Effie-Lee-Morris.htm
"Effie Lee Morris was the first African-American president of the Public Library Association (1971) and was the first committee chair of American Library Association's (ALA) Coretta Scott King Award, for which she wrote the original selection criteria in 1970. After working as a public librarian in Cleveland (1946-1955) and the Bronx (1955-1963), Morris moved to San Francisco, where she became the first coordinator of children's services at San Francisco Public Library (SFPL). There she established a research collection of out-of-print children's books that depict the changing portrayals of ethnic and culturally diverse groups over time. That collection was renamed the Effie Lee Morris Historical and Research Collection in 1981, three years after she left SFPL. Morris also founded the San Francisco chapter of the Women's National Book Association and was an active member and chair of ALA's Social Responsibilities Round Table. From 1978 to 1979, she was editor of children's books for Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. During her lifetime, Morris received many honors for her work and contributions to children's literature, including the Silver Spur Award for enhancing the quality of life and economic vitality of San Francisco, the Women's National Book Association's Award for Extraordinary Contribution to the World of Books, and the Grolier Foundation Award. In 2008, ALA named Morris an honorary member in recognition of her "vision, advocacy and legacy to children's services in public libraries." Shortly after Effie Lee Morris's death in 2009, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi read a tribute into the congressional record, calling her "a visionary who recognized the power of literacy and education in overcoming racism, inequality and poverty."
Other sources:
American Libraries – Obituary
https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2009/11/16/childrens-champion-effie-lee-morris-dies/
Congressional Record – Remarks of Hon. Nancy Pelosi
https://www.congress.gov/111/crec/2010/06/10/CREC-2010-06-10-pt1-PgE1063-2.pdf
The History Makers – Also includes video interviews
https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/effie-lee-morris-41
BlackPast
https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/morris-effie-lee-1921/
Effie Lee Morris Collection – San Francisco Public Library
https://sfpl.org/locations/main-library/childrens-center/effie-lee-morris-collection/about-effie-lee-morris
Hornbook - "With a Salute to All Children's Librarians": Amplifying the Work of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
https://www.hbook.com/story/with-a-salute-to-all-childrens-librarians-amplifying-the-work-of-black-indigenous-and-people-of-color
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effie_Lee_Morris
Tribute submitted by June Garcia
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In honor of the Sesquicentennial (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. Kathleen 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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