Miriam Matthews was the first African American librarian in the Los Angeles Public Library system.  Hired in 1927, she served in the library until her retirement in 1960 where she was instrumental in preserving the history and cultural heritage of black Angelenos. Miriam Matthews was born on August 6, 1905 in Pensacola Florida to Reuben and Fannie Matthews.  Two years later the Matthews family moved to Los Angeles.  Miriam Matthews earning her B.A. degree and librarianship certificate from the University of California, Berkeley in 1926 and 1927, respectively, and her Master’s degree in library science from the University of Chicago in 1945. In 1927, Matthews was appointed to the Los Angeles Public Library system, the first black professional librarian to be hired by the city. She served as a branch librarian until 1949, when she became a regional librarian and served on numerous administrative committees. In addition to her professional work, Matthews was heavily involved in progressive and community-oriented civic life in Los Angeles, active in various civil rights, youth relations, education, history, and art organizations. From 1946 to 1948, she served as chair of the Committee for Intellectual Freedom for the California Library Association. Matthews, often called the “dean … Continue reading Miriam Matthews (1905–2003)