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We sure have. That's why we

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Every morning will answer a commonly

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drop off line. So be sure

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Health. Streaming. Now. Hello!

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It's mix all of it from the

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past and the curious and I have

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great news to share with you. I'm

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gonna be once again at W B

0:39

you Ours podcast playdate in Boston, Massachusetts.

0:42

It's going to be. I'm going to

0:44

go on Saturday, April twentieth, But.

0:46

Twenty Twenty Four. I'm

0:48

going to go on at noon. I had

0:51

so much fun last year that I cannot

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wait to be back in Boston and

0:55

be of the city stage. That was a

0:57

great place to play. Everybody who came out

1:00

we had so much fun and I am

1:02

thrilled and I hope to see so

1:04

many faces they're So if you're in that

1:06

area, you're in Boston, or you're near Boston,

1:08

or you like to travel to historic

1:10

destinations during the spring time because that's an

1:13

awesome thing to do. Well, Saturday.

1:15

April twenty of at noon. I.

1:17

Will be there. You. Can find more

1:19

information on the past and the curious.com

1:22

but also wb you are. Like. That's

1:24

awesome. I. Hope to see you there. You're.

1:28

Listening to any airwave media

1:31

podcast. Well.

1:35

How do you y'all It's make

1:37

Sullivan in this as the past

1:39

and the curious and you know

1:41

look I was I was thinking

1:43

and you know what's great Libraries

1:45

Libraries are awesome. I'm telling you

1:47

this is the honest truth. I

1:50

couldn't do this show without my

1:52

library card. It is such an

1:54

amazing thing. Libraries are and have

1:56

always been such an amazing part

1:58

of our community and. Hope everybody

2:00

there listening on the other end of

2:02

this podcast uses their library. Go to

2:04

the library this weekend's go a book,

2:07

see what else they've got the gonna

2:09

sorta resources online too. So I wanted

2:11

to do a library episode because I

2:13

love him so much. That's what this

2:15

episode is about. The first stories about

2:17

an Carol More. You'll learn plenty about

2:19

her. There's a lot more to learn

2:21

if you want to dig into her

2:24

story though. You can find all sorts

2:26

of resources of and also know Western

2:28

Library which happens to be in. My

2:30

hometown of Louisville, Kentucky and as

2:32

a great story. But before we

2:34

start the show just wanna say I

2:36

hope to see you in Boston on

2:39

April twentieth, Twenty Twenty or the Wb

2:41

you are podcast festivals I'm pretty excited

2:43

Anyway, let's get started with the

2:45

show. No

2:51

one is perfect. You're

2:53

human. I'm human. Of

2:55

the grown in your life or human. So.

2:58

The garbage collector, the bank

3:00

teller, your teacher, even the

3:02

hair stylist. It's good to

3:04

accept that were all human. There's good, and

3:07

there's bad. And there's mistakes and successes. And

3:09

I'm not just talking about haircuts. And yet

3:11

through it all, we try to give each

3:13

other the grace that we deserve. The

3:16

woman in this story is most

3:18

certainly also human, but too many.

3:21

She brings up some really big

3:23

feelings. Some. People Lover:

3:25

some people love do not.

3:27

Some even consider her a

3:29

villain of sorts, but others

3:31

thank her for changing our

3:34

world. So.

3:37

Where she a politician? an

3:39

artist? A civil rights leader?

3:41

No, not exactly. She

3:43

was a children's librarian. Not just

3:46

any library, and mind you, and

3:48

Carol More is considered to be

3:50

the first truth, or at least

3:53

the most important early Children's librarian

3:55

and American History. From

3:58

her self made position of power,

4:00

she changed the way that Americans

4:03

thought about kids in libraries. But

4:05

she also used her power to

4:07

influence what was considered a good

4:10

children's book. And let's put it

4:12

this way. Is a

4:14

pretty good chance that she would have

4:16

rejected your favorite children's books and kept

4:18

it off the shelves. And

4:22

her day and age am yes

4:24

or no could make or break

4:26

a book. For. Decades her

4:28

opinion was the most powerful opinion

4:30

when it came to children's literature.

4:33

And he was the only opinion that mannered as

4:35

far as she was concerned. Which.

4:38

Is where a lot of people draw

4:40

the line and stop celebrating her legacy.

4:43

When an Carol More was born

4:46

and eighteen seventy one in Limerick

4:48

main kids were not allowed in

4:50

libraries. That wasn't just

4:52

a state of Maine, Things that was

4:55

and everywhere thing. Children. Were

4:57

not welcome in pretty much any library.

5:00

In. Some cases there were stringent rules like.

5:03

Only. Boys over fourteen could enter, but

5:05

for decades it was believed that kids

5:07

couldn't be trusted to check out bucks.

5:09

And they didn't really need access to them

5:12

anyway. But. Even more so,

5:14

pretty much everywhere no one in

5:16

a library wanted noisy kids coming

5:18

in and disrupting their dignified patrons

5:20

with their loud requests for silly

5:22

fiction books for young people. Ah,

5:28

As an grew up in Maine, she

5:30

was the youngest child and her family

5:32

surrounded by her seven older brothers who

5:35

called her shrimp. If. That

5:37

was an unkind nickname or a

5:39

somewhat endearing nickname. I'm not sure,

5:41

but it wasn't all bad. She.

5:44

Had her own horse and she really

5:46

enjoyed hearing her father read to. She

5:48

grew very close to her father and

5:50

originally had hoped to follow in his

5:52

footsteps as a lawyer. This was a

5:54

very difficult field for a woman to

5:56

work him in the eighteen hundreds, and

5:58

sadly her study would group too difficult

6:00

to continue as a young woman after

6:02

both of her parents died just a

6:04

few days apart. But

6:07

around this time in America the eighteen

6:09

nineties to be clear. There.

6:11

Were tremendous developments and providing

6:13

education and other essential services

6:15

to Americans, especially kids. For

6:17

example, kindergarten was new and

6:19

growing in popularity, and there

6:21

seem to be libraries putting

6:23

up left and right. And

6:25

in a sense, there were

6:27

a really, really rich guy

6:29

named Andrew Carnegie had pledged

6:31

much of the fortune that

6:33

he made in the steel

6:35

industry to build libraries in

6:37

communities that needed them. between

6:39

Eighteen Eighty Nine and. Nineteen

6:41

Twenty Nine He bonded. Twenty

6:43

five hundred and nine libraries

6:45

around the world. Over.

6:48

Sixteen hundred of those were in America.

6:51

All. Of those libraries needed

6:53

Librarians. But. For the most

6:55

part, there was one thing they didn't need. Kids.

6:58

Hit the road kiddos, books for

7:01

grownups. Why don't you do play

7:03

in the street. Luckily around

7:05

this time things were starting to

7:07

change. In Eighteen

7:10

Ninety Four, at a meeting of

7:12

the American Library Association, a discussion

7:14

began. Here's a

7:16

wild idea. Just go with me for

7:18

a minute. What if we let kids?

7:21

Into. Library. Whatever.

7:23

Thing come crashing down. If

7:25

that doesn't sound that, maybe we could build

7:27

a separate room for the kids. Maybe

7:30

they can even enter through a side door. The back

7:32

the so. Patrons are terrorized by the

7:34

horrifying side of children in a

7:36

library. Or if

7:38

we did, Maybe. We could

7:40

also make an effort to. Understand

7:42

what kids like to read? Than.

7:45

What they might like to read. And.

7:47

Then we could put some of those books on

7:49

the shelves and this separate children's wing. else

7:51

of of And one last thought.

7:54

Maybe. We. Should find a

7:56

few librarians who. Oh

7:58

our know. Who. Maybe.

8:01

Actually like kids. In

8:03

fact, crazy if it seems farfetched. Yep, just

8:06

just say so. More. An loved

8:08

the idea. She had studied to

8:10

be a librarian to the Pratt Institute,

8:12

and an eighteen ninety six, she was

8:14

put in charge of the new Pratt

8:16

Children's Library in Brooklyn. She.

8:18

Will naturally good at her job and experimented

8:21

with a lot of new ideas. And

8:23

when the famous main branch of the New York

8:25

Public Library was being built you know the one

8:27

with the lions on the steps from all the

8:30

movies? And. Carol More was

8:32

asked to take charge of the

8:34

new children's section. Kids

8:37

really mattered to and and she

8:39

wanted them to feel welcome so

8:41

she installed said sized furniture. comfy

8:43

seats in the windows are natural

8:45

light and the room with colorful.

8:47

The walls were decorated for children.

8:49

she always had fresh flowers to

8:51

share. She. Felt that it

8:53

was important that kids in the city got

8:55

to be around the beauty of plants. so

8:58

kids what off and line up to take

9:00

a big whiff of her freshest bouquet. Perhaps.

9:05

More important than the stuff and

9:07

the nice smelling with to be

9:09

had in the library where the

9:11

near constant story programs, puppet shows

9:13

and musical performances that am offered

9:15

to patrons. And

9:17

play and hundreds of a dense a

9:19

year. Most often kids would come to

9:21

hear storytellers and readers take them on

9:23

a journey around the world. And.

9:26

The world was also important to am. Just

9:30

as it is today, New York City,

9:32

in the early nineteen hundreds was a

9:35

melting pot of cultures of people and

9:37

languages. And she didn't want

9:39

any child the feel left out. Some

9:41

books were stock and several languages and

9:43

some of the line story programs were

9:45

in languages beyond English as well. She

9:47

believed it was important to help a

9:49

child be proud of the beautiful things

9:52

about the country that their parents had

9:54

come from. This kind

9:56

of thinking was ahead of its time. And

9:58

it was not a very com. An attitude.

10:01

Another thing that mattered to an was

10:04

respect. And. For her. Respect.

10:06

With a two way street, it

10:08

wasn't just kids respecting adults. when

10:11

she hired a new library and

10:13

they had to understand her guiding

10:15

principles. The for Respects number one:

10:18

Respect for children. Number

10:21

to respect for children's. Number

10:25

three. Respect. For

10:27

fellow workers and number for

10:30

respect for the professional standing

10:32

of Children's Librarian. Perhaps

10:36

her biggest early victory was convincing

10:38

the library to allow children to

10:40

check out bucks, which they did

10:42

by signing their names in her

10:44

gigantic ledger book along with the

10:47

pledge when. I write my name in this

10:49

box. I promise to take good care of the

10:51

books I use at home and. In the

10:53

library and to obey the rules are

10:55

the library. Within. Two years of

10:57

opening the children's departments, over thirty three

11:00

percent or one third of all of

11:02

the books checked out from the New

11:04

York Public Library were kids books. Clearly.

11:08

The demand was there. And. By

11:10

allowing kids to check out books, it

11:12

gave young people some control over their

11:14

lives, the opportunity to learn more. And.

11:17

A new responsibility. Speaking.

11:20

Of responsibility. And.

11:22

Carol More grew to feel responsible

11:24

for a lot of things. Particularly.

11:28

Books. As

11:31

the head Children's librarian of the

11:33

main branch of the New York

11:35

Public Library, she was in control

11:37

of what titles the other branches

11:39

kept on their shelves. Also.

11:42

As so many other libraries around

11:44

the country looked to the New

11:46

York Public Library for guidance, her

11:49

opinion essentially dictated what many other

11:51

libraries added to their collection each

11:53

year. She was sure to

11:55

publish a list so everyone knew which

11:58

books were and Carol more approved. Her.

12:00

Power grew. And. Maybe it went

12:02

to her head a little bit. There's. Certainly

12:04

people who would make that argument. But.

12:07

How could you not at least recognize your

12:09

power when publishers would stop by to show

12:11

you a new book before it was published

12:13

and they watch and hope with bated breath

12:15

that you'd reach the end and told him

12:17

it was terrific and if it wasn't perhaps

12:19

they go off to make the changes that

12:21

you recommend it. That's. What Happened to

12:24

and. Of course plenty of books

12:26

were beyond help or they never bother checking with

12:28

an and the first place. For

12:31

these books, the books that

12:33

did not meet our particular

12:35

and rigid tastes birch hydrant

12:37

literature. She had a terrible

12:39

gift or worse than the

12:41

Mayor. For any book. this

12:43

gift a big rubber stamp

12:45

would be eight and smacked

12:47

on the paper to leave

12:49

the book branded with the

12:51

most terrible of curses it

12:54

would read. Not. Recommended

12:56

by expert. And.

13:00

Carol More was the expert and

13:02

this was her final ruling. No.

13:05

Ifs ands or buts. Get.

13:08

That book outta my face and by

13:10

all means keep it away from any

13:12

children. You. See an liked

13:15

her stories. syrupy, sweet, Tales.

13:19

That took children away from reality.

13:22

She'd. Never sign off on a book

13:24

that centered around things kids would see in

13:26

their everyday lives. She'd ever go for a

13:28

book that focused on real world problems. She

13:31

probably never fall for a book with the

13:33

less than happy ending. Or at least an

13:35

ending that left the reader with big questions.

13:38

Straight. To the point She wanted children

13:40

to escape the world around them and

13:42

find another beautiful one in the pages

13:44

of a book. She'd. Also,

13:46

never go for a book the didn't

13:48

tell a traditional beginning, middle and end

13:51

type of story. Which. Is

13:53

exactly what put her at odds with

13:55

one very famous book. And.

13:57

Carol More probably sealed the fake the

14:00

more books than we can count, but

14:02

one in particular stands out. And

14:05

Carol more as perhaps most famous

14:07

for refusing to allow the book

14:10

Goodnight Moon. On the library

14:12

shelves. In fact, the

14:14

New York Public Library didn't even put it

14:16

on the shelves until Nineteen seventy Five, which

14:18

was twenty five years after it was published.

14:22

Something. About a little rabbit slowly saying

14:24

goodnight to everything in it's bedroom just

14:26

didn't click with an. Ultimately,

14:28

though, her opinion didn't sway the

14:31

public. Over forty eight million copies

14:33

of Margaret Weis Brown book have

14:35

been purchased sense it's debut. People.

14:38

Have also loved other books that

14:40

and rejected including Charlotte's Web. But.

14:43

One has to wonder what works of art

14:46

kids missed out on simply because in the

14:48

don't like them. Unlike.

14:50

The books that she preferred her story

14:53

as long and complicated and actually and

14:55

also include a little wooden dog named

14:57

Nicholas Knickerbocker that she would use not

14:59

only to talk a chance. But.

15:01

She also forced adults to talk to.

15:04

As if he were a real person. That's.

15:06

Another matter, another story entirely, but

15:09

it's still part of her story.

15:12

Good or bad, and Carol more shaped

15:14

our idea of a children's library. today.

15:17

any time you go to a story

15:19

time or heck, even check out a

15:21

book, if you're under fourteen, you might

15:23

owe her a slight debt of gratitude.

15:26

I keep that in mind, and I

15:28

appreciate it, but I make sure to

15:30

read Goodnight Moon every so often, you

15:32

know, just to make a point for

15:35

my own. And.

15:39

Where They All Creatures Podcast Each week,

15:42

Easy and I explore and share amazing

15:44

details about the many animals we share

15:46

our world with. Plus Chris and I

15:48

are both Phd scientists and educators so

15:50

we do the deep dives in the

15:52

scientific research and then come back and

15:55

share what we learn in a fun

15:57

and casual way. The also speak with

15:59

other science. Animal experts, activists,

16:01

and many other conservation uzi

16:04

as from all. Over. The

16:06

Planet so you can find the All Creatures

16:08

Podcast wherever you get your podcast. So.

16:12

Families. Read

16:14

he says fairly new adventure

16:16

with could ticket purchase. Join

16:18

us as we unlock the

16:20

wonders of the world, embarking

16:23

on a journey through cultural

16:25

traditions and languages all while

16:27

having a blast with your

16:29

whole family. Switchover Different sects

16:31

like Defend Greens are hour

16:33

long. Time.

16:37

And. It

16:41

makes your yeah city brought in

16:43

horizons and inspire empathy in your

16:45

children with interviews from people all

16:48

over the world providing diverse perspectives

16:50

that you're full family can learn

16:52

from. To

16:57

a global at. Learning

17:00

and gone. And

17:04

best culture keep track of. he is

17:06

easier. If.

17:14

You. Have Thirty Seconds! This month

17:16

comes from Calgary, Canada. And

17:18

there's. No way. Hi.

17:21

My name is Anderson Calories Canada.

17:24

Check that boring. Get her senses

17:26

liking Twenty nice internet Canada Get hockey

17:28

to say thank you for using only

17:31

at and is hop dictation treated as

17:33

such because I pad. Good

17:35

at putting anything the nature of and go

17:37

for the litter of the been considering bones

17:39

and she's. A tourist in that he said

17:41

I said when they're learning ability on November

17:43

first time to i'm pretty nice to brother

17:46

says again nurses plant some of that. He

17:48

went on to win a single when they

17:50

stay on one family for for the first

17:52

time to the ugliest were. Face masks

17:54

Who hockey pucks to the

17:56

space Jacques Plante! Thanks for

17:58

given us the. His mask I'm

18:00

sure. Goalies everywhere thank you. And I

18:02

thank you Anders for sending that you

18:05

have thirty seconds. I also hear that

18:07

you got school credit for that because

18:09

you also translated it into the French

18:11

language. That's awesome. Glad I could help.

18:13

If you have a you have a

18:15

You have a You have a You

18:17

have a You have a thirty second.

18:19

All you need to do is send

18:21

it via audio message like on your

18:23

voice memo recorder to hello at the

18:25

Past and the curious. I'll take it

18:28

from their. Well.

18:30

Okay I guess now with.

18:43

Here. We are again cause I'm and

18:45

I've got some library questions that I'm

18:47

gonna throw at you. Question.

18:50

Number one: those to lion sculptures

18:52

that famously sit beside the staircase

18:54

outside of the New York Public

18:57

Library. They have names. And.

18:59

Idea what their names are?

19:08

The. Two beers feline figures

19:10

were originally named Leo

19:12

Astor and Leo Linux

19:15

after early library patrons

19:17

John Astor and James

19:19

Linux, but in the

19:21

nineteen thirties they were

19:23

renamed and they carry

19:25

these names today. Patients

19:27

and fortitude? Okay, question

19:29

number two. What

19:32

or were either answer will

19:34

do is the world's largest

19:37

library. If

19:43

you said something like Washington D, C,

19:45

you would be correct. and if you

19:47

said the Library of Congress you would

19:49

be specifically correct because that is the

19:51

largest library in the world. There are

19:54

over one hundred and seventy three million

19:56

items in the catalog, which is a

19:58

lot to keep up with. They've

20:01

actually made progress in their

20:03

collection because the original collection

20:05

about three thousand items was

20:07

actually destroyed by fire during

20:09

the war of a team

20:11

twelve. Oh

20:14

say, I guess that would mean we're

20:16

at question number three now. There

20:19

is a library in Portugal.

20:21

Were a few uninvited wild

20:23

animals, live mammals and fact

20:26

just out in the open

20:28

everybody's cool with it. Would

20:30

kind of mammal animal lives

20:32

in this Portuguese library. Well

20:41

if I would have said flying

20:43

mammal it might have given. The

20:45

answer awaits because it's bats. Bats

20:48

live in the Joint Nina Library.

20:50

I hope saying that correctly. just

20:52

out in about these bats are

20:54

librarians. Figure they eat bugs. that

20:56

might damage the book collection so

20:59

why not just let him be?

21:01

They do make it a point

21:03

to cover things with fabric each

21:05

night so that the bat droppings

21:08

don't damage anything. Could become. The.

21:22

Man in charge of Central High School

21:24

in Louisville, Kentucky was fed up with

21:26

a few resources that his students hand

21:28

in Nineteen o' three. The.

21:31

High school students made do with his

21:33

own personal collection of books for as

21:35

long as they could. But. They

21:37

needed more. That. Man Albert

21:40

Music. Wasn't. Just an educator

21:42

and school principal, he was a civil

21:44

rights leader whose grandfather had played a

21:46

role in the Underground Railroad, and Albert

21:49

was seeing to the education of a

21:51

group of African American students in Louisville,

21:53

a city that was highly segregated. White

21:57

citizens and black citizens were not given

21:59

the same a comedy and and resources

22:01

and music. and his black students were

22:03

barred from using the new libraries that

22:05

had just opened in the city. Music.

22:09

Found this to be unfair because,

22:11

well, it is unfair. For.

22:13

A short while, he negotiated to bring

22:16

his students to the main branch of

22:18

the public library anyway. They. Were

22:20

granted an hour and they had to use

22:22

the back door. And. Eventually enough

22:24

people got mad at the deal with cantaloupe

22:26

together. And music and his students

22:29

were once again not allowed. But.

22:32

He didn't. Along with

22:34

a few people in his neighborhood, he

22:36

agitated the city government, the library board,

22:38

and others and advocated for a library

22:40

branch of their own. And

22:43

in nineteen or five, Andrew Carnegie, the

22:45

millionaire doling out parts of the sports

22:47

and for libraries, agreed to fund a

22:49

new one in Louisville. The.

22:51

Western Library, as it is known,

22:53

was the first public library in

22:55

America for African Americans, and the

22:58

first to be run by African

23:00

American librarians. Of

23:04

course, at the time there were no

23:06

library training programs open to African Americans,

23:08

so the staff had to learn on

23:10

the job. As. It turns

23:12

out the leaders of that library

23:15

had amazingly brilliant revolutionary ideas which

23:17

eventually made them a destination for

23:19

other would be librarians from around

23:22

the country in search of a

23:24

library education. More. On

23:26

that later. But.

23:28

Now I must introduce you to

23:30

the man with a vision, intelligence

23:32

and diligence to change his world

23:35

from the steps of a library.

23:37

His name was Reverend Thomas Fountain

23:39

Blue. Which is a name

23:41

that is high in the running for

23:43

my unofficial coolest names and history contests.

23:46

Blue. Was born in Virginia and eighteen

23:48

sixty six were both of his parents

23:50

had been enslaved. Actually,

23:52

his birthplace of Farmville is thirty

23:55

one miles away from Apple Maddox

23:57

Courthouse. It was their eleven months

23:59

before the arrival of Baby Blue

24:01

that Confederate General Leave surrendered to

24:03

General Grant, which effectively ended the

24:06

Civil War and brought a legal

24:08

end to slavery and the United

24:10

States. Growing. Up after

24:12

the war, Thomas Fountain Blue was well

24:14

educated. He attended a technical college and

24:16

seminary which let him as an adult

24:18

to Louisville to run a branch of

24:20

the Y M C A and the

24:22

largely black neighborhood known as Russell. The

24:25

same neighborhood where Albert Music was

24:27

working to get his students access

24:29

to library books. It

24:35

takes a while to build the library

24:38

or when it came to educating a

24:40

community, there was no time to lives.

24:42

So while they waited on construction, the

24:45

library existed in three rented rooms of

24:47

someone's home. The big moment would come

24:49

in nineteen. Oh wait, no. The Western

24:51

Library opened it's doors and the people

24:54

who walked in found more than books.

24:56

They found community. From

24:59

the moment Western Library unlocked the

25:01

door. It. Was a revolutionary place.

25:03

The shelves were stocked with books

25:05

of all sorts. Including a

25:08

complete collection of black authors and

25:10

boat the librarians and patrons found

25:12

inside the walls. a place for

25:14

people. There

25:18

was a saying in America at this

25:20

time it had come from a legal

25:23

ruling, an actual law separate but equal.

25:26

This meant Black Americans and White

25:28

Americans were not allowed to use

25:30

the same spaces like schools, hospitals,

25:32

or libraries. They were separated. But

25:35

the law said these resources still

25:37

had to be equal. In reality,

25:40

they were not equal. Facilities Funding

25:42

nearly everything was very different. Facilities

25:44

for African Americans were typically not

25:46

as nice nor as well furnished.

25:48

But in many ways the Western

25:51

Library was an exception to the

25:53

rule. The

25:57

Western Library stood out as not just being set.

26:00

And equal. In many ways. it was

26:02

better than anything else in the city.

26:04

And. That because of the work of

26:07

people like Thomas Mountain Blue and his

26:09

assistant Rachel Harris. They. Believed

26:11

libraries are for more than just

26:13

books filled with facts. Libraries.

26:16

Were a place that people could come together

26:18

and build a better life, forge deeper ties

26:20

to one another, and begin to make their

26:22

world a better place. So.

26:26

Together Harris and Blue built a

26:28

schedule of programs for the communities.

26:30

They offered space for meetings and

26:32

hosted debate nights, lectures, and more.

26:34

These things might not sound thrilling

26:36

to our ears now, but when

26:38

you consider that in the Nineteen

26:40

Tens, we were decades away from

26:42

mass media like Tv and the

26:44

Internet, you might begin to see

26:46

why this was so valuable to

26:48

people eager to learn more about

26:50

anything and everything. The

26:53

building became the center point

26:55

of a community place to

26:57

discuss, share, learn when you

26:59

read. And

27:03

from the very beginning, Blue and Harris

27:05

new that kids should get attention and

27:07

opportunity ritual. Harris worked as the children's

27:10

librarian and just like an Terrell more

27:12

a New York, she planned plenty of

27:14

entertainment and education, music performances, and of

27:16

course more story readings than you could

27:19

shake a stick at. Even

27:21

for a kid who wasn't yet reading, A

27:23

library was a place that dive into a

27:25

book. Another man, Joseph Seem

27:27

and Cotter was the principle of a

27:30

nearby elementary school, and he also happens

27:32

to be a writer, poet, and playwright

27:34

who enjoyed some creative success and even

27:36

hung out with people like Paul Lawrence

27:39

Dunbar. Well. Cutter

27:41

loved a good story, which seems

27:43

natural for another, but he also

27:45

wanted to share that love. So he

27:47

began an annual event called the Cotter

27:50

Cup. A competition of sorts

27:52

that centered around the libraries regular

27:54

story times. Only. For

27:56

the Cotter cup, the tables were

27:58

turned. The kids. The Story: the

28:00

idea to give kids this opportunity and

28:03

power was pretty out of the box

28:05

thinking in the nineteen tens. Of

28:08

Conor figured it, children who attended multiple

28:10

story readings would have heard a whole

28:13

bunch of different stories and Cotter wondered

28:15

how much they remembered of those stories.

28:18

The. Also wondered how well they would do

28:20

telling them themselves. and he also wondered

28:22

how a kid might tell a story

28:24

in a unique way and still include

28:26

all of the details correctly. As

28:29

much as he wondered, he and

28:31

the library staff didn't wonder about

28:33

one day. They knew that

28:35

it would be good for the children. And

28:38

before long the excitement of the competition group,

28:40

and not just because of the cool trophy

28:42

and cash prize that Mr. Carter ponied up

28:44

each year for the winners. It.

28:47

Was a new way to engage

28:49

kids, instill confidence and build a

28:51

love of storytelling. So.

28:53

Naturally, other libraries adapted to

28:55

this original idea. The

28:58

Western Library was so successful that Thomas

29:00

Fountain Billie was put in charge of

29:02

a second branch and the eastern side

29:05

of town. Which open up

29:07

the need for more librarians. Meanwhile.

29:09

With help from Carnegie's money,

29:11

other libraries open up across the

29:14

country, similarly offering services to

29:16

the African American communities in

29:18

these other cities. And

29:20

when they needed training or ideas.

29:23

They. Looked to Thomas Fountain Blue and

29:25

The Western Library. It

29:28

became a training ground for black librarians

29:30

around the country. Where. There had

29:32

once been no education training option.

29:34

Thomas Fountain Blue and his team

29:36

fill that need and trained dozens

29:38

if not hundreds of people for

29:41

jobs across the country. And

29:43

in Nineteen Twenty Two, he spoke

29:45

about this training program at the

29:47

American Library Association Conference, making him

29:49

the first African American to present

29:52

at the A L A Conference.

29:55

Thomas Fontainebleau remained in charge of the

29:57

branches until his death. And Nineteen Thirty

29:59

Five. At which time his friend

30:01

Rachel Harris took on the role. And.

30:04

Nineteen Fifty to Louisville integrated

30:07

all the libraries, making each

30:09

one open to anyone. This

30:12

was twelve years before the Civil Rights

30:14

Act, which would outlaw discrimination of that

30:17

sort in all of America. Through it

30:19

off The Western Library has remained a

30:21

vital part of the community. However,

30:23

in two thousand and one money was

30:26

tight for the city and the library

30:28

system. And. As a result there with

30:30

a plan to close the Western Library. No.

30:33

Pun intended, but out of the blue.

30:36

Or pun intended. Maybe I should say out

30:38

of the purple. A check

30:40

for a lot of money showed up

30:42

unexpectedly at the library. It

30:47

was from the world famous musician

30:49

Prince. Some. People call him the

30:51

purple and. He

30:55

had no ties to the community.

30:57

Wonder why Prince has the money?

31:03

But. Dig if you will. Maybe

31:05

Prince understood the dearly beloved history

31:08

of this institution and what it

31:10

meant for the past, present, and

31:12

future of the community. Someone

31:18

who understands the history and importance

31:20

of the library today is Natalie

31:22

Woods. She is the branch manager

31:24

of the Western Library Today. And

31:26

Natalie was a huge help and creating the story.

31:29

I've been very fortunate to spend time with her

31:31

over the years. As. You might

31:33

imagine serving as the manager of this

31:35

particular branch means a lot of things.

31:38

Natalie. See as to the library day to

31:40

day matters. But. She's also the

31:42

keeper of the archives in the

31:44

history of the wildly historic space.

31:47

And. It's not something she takes lightly.

31:49

It all amas as a lot of has

31:51

has a second about. The

31:55

late all ah the is

31:57

saying. That are I am now

31:59

in charge and the legacy that I

32:01

am protected and making sure that other

32:03

people know about it. You know. The

32:06

history of hotter. You know the things

32:08

that Mathieson, blue and Rachel and all those kinds

32:10

of things I mean opposition for of afford

32:13

half years to get ahead so probably because he

32:15

didn't have one you know and now he has

32:17

one is a cemetery not for that with

32:19

most terrible thing ever of I have never. Have

32:21

her phone. And now they do.

32:24

It's. Hard to understand why Reverend Thomas

32:26

Out and Blues final resting place was

32:29

unmarked for nearly nine years. And

32:31

it's certainly a shame that it happened. But.

32:34

The celebration around a new headstone. Which.

32:37

Even brought one of his descendants all the way

32:39

from California. Did. Give people

32:41

an opportunity to revisit is

32:43

important and legacy. It.

32:45

Gave everybody a chance to talk and learn

32:48

about him once again. And

32:50

recently Natalie has also brought back

32:52

be Cotter Cup in the form

32:54

of an annual poetry contest. So.

32:59

It's easy to see that the past

33:01

is not that far behind and it's

33:03

still impacts so much of our lives

33:05

today. It's important

33:07

that we remember people like Cotter and

33:10

Muzzy In Blue and Rachel Harris if

33:12

for no other reason than because

33:14

they worked hard for their community and

33:16

through that the impacted communities far

33:18

beyond their own. They

33:21

are a good reminder that you never know

33:23

what will happen. If you just

33:25

show up and do the work that needs

33:27

to be done, We'll.

33:35

All right, Thank. You so much

33:37

for listening to Episode Ninety One of the

33:39

Past and the curious when he does make

33:41

Sullivan same as it was as the beginning

33:43

of the episode, same as it will be

33:45

as beginning of the next episode. So you

33:47

know I've got some people to think and

33:49

I have a song for someone. but before

33:52

we do that I just wanna bring up

33:54

Boston again. If you are anywhere in the

33:56

Northeast, a near going to be in Boston

33:58

in in April April Two thousand. If which

34:00

is Spring Break and boss that it's one

34:02

of the weekends of spring break. Anyway, I'm

34:04

super excited I'm gonna be at Wb you

34:07

are and I had so much fun last

34:09

year and I hope see you! I'm really

34:11

excited to be back. I'm gonna have a

34:13

fun time in the city see the friends

34:15

I am really looking forward to it's are

34:17

hope hope you can make it and if

34:20

not there are virtual tickets. Their digital tickets

34:22

that you can find and of you be

34:24

ours web sites, the super awesome podcast playdates

34:26

it would. The links are on my website

34:28

you can find that. Anyway, let's

34:30

get on with the thank yous. First

34:33

off, Tc Curtis Markowitz in Portland, Oregon

34:35

Hello to you and thank you for

34:37

your support. I really really appreciate it

34:40

and means a lot And I have

34:42

to say hello and thank you to

34:44

Gilad Show Harm in New Jersey. Hey

34:47

up Gilad I'm so glad that you

34:49

enjoy the show to and you know

34:51

maybe will bump into each other sometimes

34:54

the make it to New Jersey. who

34:56

knows, maybe we'll make it to Kentucky?

34:58

I don't know, I'm. Oh and

35:00

Patricia and Cleary the L B

35:03

C. Long Beach,

35:05

California. so thank you for your support

35:07

and with any of those people. If

35:09

there's anything anyone than I should think

35:11

besides you to send me a message

35:13

should move to the next episode of

35:15

someone Wants to Hear The Name You

35:17

to send me a patriot message organ

35:19

The Taken Cats. Speaking of their the

35:21

song that I haven't for the A

35:23

Gucci Gang. Whole

35:26

family. For like

35:28

to call themselves the Gucci gang. Cuties!

35:30

Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy

35:32

your son and I hope everyone else

35:35

enjoys the spring and I will talk

35:37

to you very soon. Thank you for

35:39

listening. When was Mcclellan? Here comes the

35:41

due to gang. In

35:46

a. While.

36:03

Made. In

36:08

the. Casper.

36:26

I refer to as. And

36:29

make. C.

36:48

D. C. Made

36:52

me pay and Katie. Are

36:56

you looking for a podcast that your

36:59

whole family can enjoy That as the

37:01

deep philosophical questions like do Trees for.

37:04

It, you are it. Then you'll

37:06

love Tumbled Science podcast for kids.

37:09

I'm Lindsay and I Marshall. Join

37:11

us as we explore stories of

37:13

faith, discovery from but to animals,

37:16

dinosaurs, astronomy and everything in between.

37:18

You'll. Love these stories and

37:20

learn something new. Find in

37:22

follow Tumble Science a cast for kids wherever

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you get your podcast or at Science Podcast

37:27

for Kids. Are

37:34

you looking for a podcast that your

37:36

whole family can enjoy That as the

37:39

deep philosophical questions like do Trees for.

37:42

If you are it, then you'll

37:44

love Tumbles Explains podcast for kids.

37:46

I'm Lindsay and I Marshall. Join

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us as we explore stories of

37:51

science discovery from but the animals,

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You'll. Love these stories and you'll

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