Tommie Dora Barker (Nov. 15, 1888 – Feb. 6, 1978) was an American librarian and founding dean of

Emory Emory may refer to: Places * Emory, Texas, U.S. * Emory (crater), on the moon * Emory Peak, in Texas, U.S. * Emory River, in Tennessee, U.S. Education * Emory and Henry College, or simply Emory, in Emory, Virginia, U.S. * Emory University ...

Library School in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. She also served as a regional field agent, representing southern libraries, for the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

Early life

Barker was born in

Rockmart, Georgia Rockmart is a town in Polk County, Georgia, United States. Its population was 4,732 at the 2020 census. It developed as a railroad depot town when the Southern Railway built a station in the area. The community was incorporated in 1872, and wa ...

to parents Thomas Nathaniel and Medora Elizabeth Lovejoy Barker. She attended Atlanta Girls' High School before pursuing higher education at

Agnes Scott College Agnes Scott College is a private women's liberal arts college in Decatur, Georgia. The college enrolls approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and is considered one of the ...

. In 1909, she graduated from Carnegie Library School of Atlanta.

Career

Barker was hired in 1909 by the

Alabama Department of Archives and History The Alabama Department of Archives and History is the official repository of archival records for the U.S. state of Alabama. Under the direction of Thomas M. Owen its founder, the agency received state funding by an act of the Alabama Legisla ...

as an assistant manager of Alabama's traveling libraries. This included reference work, maintaining the organizational structure of the department's library, overseeing a training course for library students, and serving as Secretary of the Alabama Library Association. Barker returned to Atlanta in 1911 to work as a reference assistant for the Carnegie Library School. In 1915, she became the Director of Carnegie Library and its training school. During these years, the library faced budget cuts, which caused a series of problems from overworked staff to lack of support from local government, and ultimately restricted expansion. A recommendation to the Board of Education for Librarianship (BEL) of the American Library Association (ALA), submitted by C.C. Williamson, advocated the shutting down of schools working with public libraries, specifically Atlanta. He argued the lack of demand for professional librarians in the South and believed Northern librarians could satisfy the needs of the South. In response to this challenge, Barker fought to improve the Carnegie Library School with the help of BEL. By 1925, the school had a loose partnership with Emory University, with a larger curriculum and staff. The school achieved junior undergraduate status by BEL in 1926, and graduate status in 1928. Along with promoting the Carnegie Library School, Barker advocated for the improvement of Southern libraries in general. She alongside

Charlotte Templeton Charlotte Templeton was a librarian and lecturer in the United States. She was a lecturer at the Carnegie Library School of Atlanta. She served as a secretary of the Georgia Library Commission. After resigning that position she worked as a libra ...

and Mary Utopia Rothrock co-formed an association in 1920 to be a regional voice in policy-making; this association was named the

Southeastern Library Association The Southeastern Library Association (SELA) is an organization that collaborates with different library associations within the Southeastern United States, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Caro ...

(SELA) in 1922. Barker served as the association's third president from 1926 to 1928. Among her other duties, Barker served as president of the

Georgia Library Association The Georgia Library Association (GLA) is a professional organization in the United States for Georgia's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Savannah, Georgia. It was founded as The Georgia Library Club by members of the Young Me ...

from 1920-1921. Barker became the first woman to receive an honorary doctorate by Emory in 1930 for her work in securing funding for the Carnegie Library School. She requested the

Carnegie Corporation The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world. Carnegie Corporation has endowed or otherwise helped to establis ...

and

Rosenwald Fund The Rosenwald Fund (also known as the Rosenwald Foundation, the Julius Rosenwald Fund, and the Julius Rosenwald Foundation) was established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family for "the well-being of mankind." Rosenwald became part-owner of S ...

to each donate $50,000 ($730,137.14 comparatively, after inflation) a year as it moved into Emory and became a professional library. In 1940, the Carnegie Foundation endowed the school with $100,000 ($1,825,342.86 after inflation). Barker opened the Auburn Avenue Branch Library, the first African-American branch library in Atlanta, in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood in 1921.

Membership and regional field agent for ALA

Barker began her membership with ALA in 1909, and served on its Membership Committee from 1921-1922. She also served on the ALA Council from 1923-1928. In 1927, she was nominated for honorary vice-president, but lost to Charles Rodan. The nomination was the second given to a southerner, and the loss "reflected the South's lack of voting strength in the ALA". Barker left the Carnegie Library School in 1930 to work as a regional field agent for the American Library Association, representing Southern libraries.

Personal life

Barker never married nor bore any children. She lived for many years with her mother and two of her sisters, including Mary Cornelia Barker.

Death

Barker died February 6, 1978, three months after suffering a stroke. She is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in

References

Selected bibliography

* * *
Papers
a
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Tommie Dora 1888 births 1978 deaths Agnes Scott College alumni American Library Association people Emory University faculty American women librarians American librarians American women academics