LHRT (Library History Round Table)

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The mission of the Library History Round Table (LHRT) is to encourage research and publication on library history and promote awareness and discussion of historical issues in librarianship.

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Margaret A. Edwards--Librarians We Have Lost, Sesquicentennial Memories -1976-2026

  • 1.  Margaret A. Edwards--Librarians We Have Lost, Sesquicentennial Memories -1976-2026

    Posted Sep 29, 2025 11:04 PM

    Margaret A. Edwards (1902-1988)

    "there was no magic on Edwards's part. Rather, there was hard work and good ideas driven by her steadfast belief in the importance of reading and its ability to transform lives. During her long career at Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library (EPFL), Edwards literally hauled books to teens in the city via a horse-drawn wagon."  --Joel Shoemaker, School Library Journal

    Find out more about Margaret A. Edwards--and how she came to be known as the Patron Saint of Young Adult Librarianship as noted by Patty Campbell--in the sources below:

    Carter, Betty.  "Margaret Alexander Edwards: Still Reaching Out to Young Adult Librarians."  The Library Connection, vol. 25, no. 1, 1997.

    https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/fall97/library.html

    "Margret A. Edwards," Wikipedia, Aug, 25, 2025.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_A._Edwards 

    Shoemaker, Joel. "The Legacy of Margaret A. Edwards and the Birth of an Award." School Library Journal, June 6, 2018.

    https://www.slj.com/story/legacy-margaret-edwards-birth-award

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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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