Augusta baker biography

Early life and education Augusta Braxton Baker was.
Augusta Braxton Baker was an American librarian and storyteller.
Augusta Braxton Baker was an American librarian and storyteller who worked long and prolifically in the field of children's literature.

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College of Information and Communications

About the Augusta Baker Chair

Part of a Children, Libraries and Literacy Initiative of the University of South Carolina School of Information Science, the chair honors Augusta Braxton Baker, a legendary and beloved children’s librarian, and storyteller who made South Carolina her home after a 37-year career at the New York Public Library.

A trailblazer for black librarianship, she was the first black person to earn a B.S. in library and information studies from SUNY Albany; she wrote "Books about Negro Life for Children" (later renamed "The Black Experience in Children's Books"), the first extensive bibliography of children’s books that featured positive black role models; and, she was the first African American Coordinator of Children’s Services for all 82 libraries within the NY Public Library system, where she worked tirelessly throughout her career to diversify the genre of children’s literature and to make books for children and young adults more reflective of the young people who read them.

Baker serve

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Celebrating the Legacy of Augusta Baker

The Inspired Legacy of Augusta Baker

View Robinson's work in IUCAT

Christian Robinson

Illustrator

Christian Robinson (1986) is an award winning illustrator, best known for "Last Stop on Market Street" which won a Coretta Scott King and Newbery Award. His 16 other works garnered more awards including the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award and IRA Teachers’ Choice.

Photo Credit: John Kwiatkowski

View Bryan's work in IUCAT

Ashley Bryan

Author & Illustrator

Ashley Bryan (1923) Throughout a sweeping career, Bryan has sought to preserve African-American spirituals, folk tales, and literary and oral traditions through art. Bryan has published over 50 books, received more than 24 honors and awards, as well as 11 honorary degrees.

View the Dillons' work in IUCAT

Diane & Leo Dillon

Illustrators

Leo and Diane Dillon (1933) were American book illustrators, their work including children's books, magazine covers and adult books. Over the course of 50 year

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(1911-1998) Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Augusta was the only child of educators Winfort and Mabel Braxston. At age 16, she finished high school and attended the University of Pittsburgh and graduated from Albany (New York) State Teacher's College with a degree in Library Science.

Baker became the first black librarian to serve as Coordinator of Children Services, a children's librarian at the New York Public Library. Baker amassed a collection of books that would provide inspiring Black role models that presented an accurate view of African American life to young people. She advocated for diversity in children's books, curating a list of books that accurately depicted African American life and encouraging authors, illustrators and publishers to create books for and about ALL children. Baker's dedication to this cause helped produce the children's authors she was looking for and publishers eager to circulate them. She also served as a consultant to the public television program Sesame Street.

After her retirement from the New York Public Library, Baker moved to Columbia, Sou