Fiery Lady of Books
A bygone post dated 17 September 2014 from a visit to New York
In 1900 Anne Caroll Moore became the first children's librarian at the New York Public Library. She was a literary missionary. That's her on the far right of the photo below.
From her annual best books lists, reviews to her fiery opinions in the New York Herald Tribune, she turned the library from a NO DOGS OR CHILDREN ALLOWED zone into a haven of enrichment for the youth of the day.
She purchased foreign language books for the library and hired a multi-racial, multi-lingual staff [ouch! if you are reading in 2025].
She toured the libraries of England and France and met some of her idols, including Beatrix Potter. The New York Public Library now holds original drawings by Beatrix Potter plus the original plushies which inspired A.A. Milne to create Winnie the Pooh for his son Christopher.
As a result of her work, libraries around the world introduced similar reforms to open the world of books to small children. Yet Anne Caroll Moore isn't a total hero. She took issue with the work of journalist and author E.B. White. You can read about that here.
E.B. White is one of my favourite authors! Charlotte's Web is a gem. Each reading reveals something new. The language remains contemporary and the story plainly beautiful. E.B. White also wrote a great little book on grammar, The Elements of Style AKA Strunk and White, as we called it at uni.
Despite the minor point of contention I'm grateful to Anne Caroll Moore for her work. I loved learning about here during this visit. I always find solace in a library. The NYPL doesn't disappoint.
