Libraries

Introduction

Information on libraries (Box 10 in the Edwin Washington Archives) is held within a variety of reports. For example, Term reports and other documents often discuss the use of libraries in a specific school. This was especially true for white high schools, so researchers should also also review the individual pages we have set up for schools, to see if library reports are reported there.

Library Statistics 1925-1937 See Sheet 7 for the relevant year in EWP 3.3 Annual School Reports: 1926 to 1934. See sheet 6 for 1932/33-1936/37.

For 1919-1925, see 3.3 Annual School Reports, 1919-1925. While statistics are provided on a number of schools in a District with libraries, no distinction is made about race.

Year Schools With Libraries Volumes in Library  
  White Negro Total White W Avg Negro N Avg
1925/26 55 11   10,800 196 765 70
1926/27 55 9 64 10,403   416  
1927/28 55 10 65 12,192   641  
1928/29 55 10 65 13,244   614  
1929/30 52 12 64 13,028   708  
1930/31 52 12 64 14,172   887  
1931/32 50 15 65 15,231   1,048  
1932/33 46 13 59 16,069   1,041  
1933/34 48 15 63 16,000   950  
1934/35 40 13 53 17,694   1281  
1935/36 35 13 48 19,739   1,454  
1936/37 32 13 45 20,984   1,219  

School-by-school library statistics for 1938-1951 are in Virginia Teacher’s Term Reports (EWP: 6.3.2) for room libraries, central libraries, and room and central libraries.

See also in EWP: 13.1 Annual Library Report for High And Elementary Schools Provides invaluable information on the equipment provided as well as information on shelving, numbers of volumes, how the library was financed, whether the school had a librarian, and if improvements were needed. These are incorporated in the school folders.

Other Reporting on Libraries

  • 1927/28. Mountain Gap Colored did not have a library until 1927/28[1]
  • September 8, 1931: White Teacher Institute discussed “possible benefits of a County School Library.” See EWP: 4.2.
  • Meeting of the Loudoun County Library Committee, November 1931. General Billy Mitchell and others made donations, probably to white school libraries.[2]
  • Feb 16, 1934. An evening of entertainment sponsored by the Loudoun County Educational Association for the benefit of Loudoun County School Library, Leesburg High School Auditorium. The program was well advertised. No indication of library support for Blacks. The library committee was made up of J.F. Harrison (Chair), Mrs. Emile Windle, Miss Alice Kerr, and Miss Cora Osborn.
  • 1937: This is an undated list of books that could be borrowed at the School Board office in Leesburg for classroom use without charge. Books were for “pre-premier[3]” to grade 7. We don’t know when the list was actually generated, but one of the books, Man at Work: His Arts and Crafts, was published in 1937, so we chose that as the notional publication date for the list.
  • 1940/41. Aldie High School had the benefit of a trained librarian who cataloged the collection. They also set as a goal the expansion of library space.[4] In the same year, the Lovettesville HS library was managed by the County Librarian.[5]
  • 1943: Rosenwald Fund.[6] Twelve Loudoun “colored “ schools benefited from Rosenwald Library units. We are researching if this assistance occurred in other years (Vaughan 1943, May 26). This will require a Society Expedition to Fisk University.
  • 1946 Library unit purchases could also be split, as we learned from a memo written by instructor Flossie Furr in 1946. Her unit was split with Ashburn and “one other school[7].”
  • Statistics of Virginia Public Libraries, 1950-51. Mentions that Loudoun’s county library, managed by Mrs. Barbara D. Graham, was in Purcellville. In Leesburg, the Balch Library was also mentioned (no report was obtained).
  • 1951 Peabody Bequest for books. (see also scholarships)
  • Receipts for Libraries: 1955
  • Feb 1, 1956: Memo from Paul Hounshell, Division Superintendent of Schools to Superintendents, Region 4. Discusses funds that were made available to school libraries.
  • 1956 Various Memos: Contains a memo of June 1, 1956, asking to place a library at Carver School (colored) “since there was adequate storage space on the shelves in the office and since the location was convenient.” Mr. Fred Drummond, Mr. Curtis Ewing and Mrs. Ruth Schulke were tasked with distributing the books as needed to various schools. Funds of between $400 and $800 were also provided for the project, which would impact Carver, Douglass Elementary, and Banneker. Middleburg Community Center Educational Project also contributed $100, and more was expected in order to help the various grades. Colored teachers were cited to be in charge of distributions. Other memos are also in the file regarding school library orders. One of those presents a school-by-school breakdown of orders and costs and shows the following colored schools: Banneker, Carver, Douglass High, Douglass Elementary, Ashburn, Mountain Gap and Waterford, as well as Bull Run and Willisville. Three other memoranda list what acceptable books are.
  • 1957. September. Supplementary Library, Carver School. See 4.1 Mixed Circulars, 1957/58
  • 1958. Library orders for Banneker, Carver, Douglass High School and Douglass Elementary. See memo of May 20, 1958 in EWP: 4.1 Mixed Circulars 1957/58.
  • Stefferud Memorial Book Fund 58-1961. When this teacher died, a fund was set up to buy books for Leesburg High School’s library.
  • Library Annual Reports.
  • 1960 Book Fair, Douglass High School, Report and Essay.
  • 1962/63 Library Orders. Includes Banneker, Carver and Douglass Elementary and High Schools.
  • Annual Library Report for Douglas High 1948/49, 52-54 and 62/63. Includes a memo on the philosophy of the Douglass High School library.
  • Binder Accession (Library not listed) 1968-82).
  • See also Preliminary annual high school reports.

The Virginia Teacher’s Term Report (1951-1965) Filed under 6.3.2. Contains a great deal of information on libraries.

  • 10.. Accessions. Douglass Elementary School. 1968 to 1981. The date range is outside the study period, so was not scanned. Hard copy is in Box 10.

[1] See 13.2 Table of Dedicated Files. Term Reports for Mountain Gap.

[2] See 10 Report of Loudoun County LibraryCommittee, November, 1931.

[3] Term used by LCPS. Probably related to kindergarten

[4] See 1940/42 Preliminary Annual HS Report for Aldie HS in 13.

[5] See 1940/42 Preliminary Annual HS Report for Lovettsville HS in 13.

[6] See 9.4.3 The Rosenwald Fund.

[7] See 10, Furr Library Question, Jan 19, 1946.

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