Margaret A. Edwards was born in the small farming community of Childress, Texas. As a teenager, she attended Trinity University, in Waxahachie, Texas and become a Latin teacher after graduating in 1922. She moved to New York City and attended Columbia University where she earned a master's degree in Latin in 1928.
Beginning in the summer of 1943, Margaret Edwards endeavored to bring books to the masses by creating her own version of a book mobile. She packed up a horse-drawn cart with books from the library and drove the cart to the economically depressed areas of Baltimore. The book wagon was an instant success. Edwards continued running the book wagon during summers until 1945.
Along with her work at Enoch Pratt, Margaret Edwards was actively involved with the American Library Association. She took her first position as the Secretary of the Young People's Reading Roundtable of the ALA in 1935 and was named its chairperson in 1940. She also participated in several committees, including serving as chairperson to the BookList committee in 1938 and 1948 and becoming a member of the ALA Committee on Standards for Work with Young Adults in Public Libraries in 1960.
In 1969, Margaret Edwards' book, The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, was published. In its pages, she recounted important experiences from her life and career and how they pertained to shaping her world view. She also revealed many of her philosophies about young adults, including what their literary needs were, and how to approach them in the practice of librarianship. Reprints of the book were issued in 1974, in 1994, and in 2002 (Centennial Edition marking her date of birth).
In 1969, Margaret Edwards' book, The Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts, was published. In its pages, she recounted important experiences from her life and career and how they pertained to shaping her world view. She also revealed many of her philosophies about young adults, including what their literary needs were, and how to approach them in the practice of librarianship. Reprints of the book were issued in 1974, in 1994, and in 2002 (Centennial Edition marking her date of birth).
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Kathleen de la Peña McCook
Distinguished University Professor
School of Information
University of South Florida
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