ABSTRACT
From its inception in 1869, Cleveland Public Library (CPL) solidified its mark in library history with the development of resources and practices that have been implemented by other library systems throughout the world. In 1940, when Louise Cornelia Ferguson Bolden made front-page news in the Cleveland Call and Post, the tide shifted for Black librarianship in Cleveland, Ohio. Her historic forty-six-year career in library science includes being the first Black student to graduate from Case Western Reserve University Library Science School and the first Black librarian at CPL. The Cleveland Call and Post, her personnel file, and annual reports provide a treasure trove of information about Bolden’s career as well as the state of the library and the city of Cleveland. Her career as a librarian not only expands the history of the library, but also tells the history and anthropology of the people in the community.
