Patricia Glass Schuman (born 1943) is an American librarian and publisher who served as president of the American Library Association from 1991 to 1992. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and the Columbia University School of Library Service.

Career

Schuman worked at the

Brooklyn Public Library The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is the public library system of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is the sixteenth largest public library system in the United States by holding and the seventh by number of visitors. Like the two othe ...

, Brandeis High School and New York Technical College and served as senior acquisitions editor for the Book Division and editor of the Library/Education Book Program at

R.R. Bowker Company R. R. Bowker LLC (trading as Bowker) is an American limited liability company domiciled under Delaware Limited Liability Company Law and based in Chatham, New Jersey. Among other things, Bowker provides bibliographic information on publish ...

and associate editor at '' School Library Journal.'' ' In 1976, Schuman founded Neal-Schuman Publishers with John Vincent Neal. The company specialized in education resources for librarians, educators and information professionals. The company became part of ALA Publishing in 2011. She served the American Library Association as its first woman treasurer (1984-1988) and led efforts to endow a scholarship fund. Schuman was a founding member of the ALA’s Social Responsibilities Roundtable and the Feminist Task Force. Schuman was visiting lecturer at many programs of library and information science including

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

School of Information Studies,

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...

School of Library and Information Studies,

Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...

School of Library and Information Studies, Ecoles des Sciences de líInformation, Morocco, Columbia University School of Library Service, Rutgers University School of Library and Information Studies, and

St. John's University St John's University may refer to: *St. John's University (New York City) **St. John's University School of Law **St. John's University (Italy) - Overseas Campus *College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, St. Joseph, Minnesota and Col ...

School of Library Service.

Presidency of the American Library Association

As President of the American Library Association, Schuman launched a nationwide campaign to focus attention on the public's right to know including censorship and access to government information. She implemented media training for association leaders, established a speaker’s network, and founded the Library Advocacy Now! effort. "ALA President's Column." ''American Libraries'': *July/August, 1991 - "Passivity is not a Virtue" *September, 1991 - "The Right to Know: You Can Make It Happen!" *October, 1991 - "Power to the People - In Washington and Moscow" *November, 1991 - "Strategies for Surmounting Navel-Gazing" *December, 1991 - "Fighting for the Right to Know" *January, 1992 - "Inequalities Will Not Build the American Dream" *February, 1992 - "Cynicism, Euphemisms, and Seductive Hyperbole About Privatization" *March, 1992 - "The Same Old Song" *April, 1992 - "The Right to Know: Haves and Have-nots" *May, 1992 - "Librarians and Support Staff: We All Make It Happen" *June, 1992 - "The Adventure of Being ALA President" In a 2024 interview published in the journal, ''Florida Libraries'', Schuman reflected on the importance of advocacy to maintain support for libraries.

Awards

*2014. American Library Association Honorary Membership. *2007. Eileen Cooke Award. *2001. Joseph W. Lippincott Award in 2001. *1993

American Library Association Equality Award The American Library Association Equality Award has been given annually by the American Library Association since 1984 in recognition of achievement for outstanding contribution toward promoting equality in the library profession, either by a susta ...

.Patricia Glass Schuman named Equality Award recipient. American Library Association, (May 1993). *

Selected publications

* ''"Your Right to Know: The Call to Action"'' (American Library Association, 1992) *"Women, Power and Libraries." ''Library Journal'' (January, 1984) translated into Japanese and published in Toshokan-Kai/''The Library World'' (November, 1984) * '
Library and information services for meeting personal needs: a discussion guide
'' ( National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 1979) *Schuman, Patricia Glass, and Kathleen Weibel. “The Women Arisen.” ''American Libraries'' 10, no. 6 (1979): 322–26. *Schuman, Patricia. 1976. ''Social Responsibilities and Libraries : A Library Journal/School Library Journal Selection.'' New York: R.R. Bowker Co. * ''"Materials for occupational education: An annotated source guide"'' (R. R. Bowker, 1971)

References

1943 births Living people American librarians American women librarians Presidents of the American Library Association University of Cincinnati alumni Columbia University School of Library Service alumni 21st-century American women {{library-bio-stub