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Schomburg : the man who built a library  Cover Image Book Book

Schomburg : the man who built a library

Summary: Traces legal clerk Arturo Schomburg's efforts to curate a collection of African books, letters, music, and art.

Record details

  • ISBN: 076368046X
  • ISBN: 9780763680466
  • Physical Description: 1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 31 cm
    print
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2017.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note: Includes bibliographical references.
Subject: Puerto Ricans Biography
Book collectors United States Biography
African American book collectors Biography
Historians United States Biography
African American historians Biography
Schomburg, Arthur Alfonso 1874-1938

Available copies

  • 2 of 2 copies available at Kenton County.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 2 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Covington Branch J B S369w (Text) 33126022194421 Display Available -
Independence Branch J B S369w (Text) 33126022194413 JBiography Available -

  • School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2017 August

    Gr 3–6—Born in 1874, Afro-Puerto Rican Arturo Schomburg's sense of wonder was stoked early on by listening to el lector, who read aloud from newspapers and novels to the cigar workers Schomburg kept company. When a teacher asserted that "Africa's sons and daughters" had no history or heroes worth noting, it sparked Schomburg's lifelong quest to uncover his people's stories, "correcting history for generations to come." He immigrated to New York in 1891, and though stymied in his hopes to pursue higher education, began amassing a collection of Africana books and art. Through text and art, Weatherford and Velasquez craft a winning portrait of both collector and his collection. Oversize oil-on-watercolor paintings accompany each page of text: one arresting image finds young Schomburg immersed in a book, with a portrait of Benjamin Bannecker hanging above his shoulder. Velasquez captures Schomburg's proud bearing and intent focus. His research led to writers and poets, including Frederick Douglass and poet Phillis Wheatley; revolutionaries like Toussaint Louverture; and luminaries whose "African heritage had been whitewashed," including John James Audubon and Ludwig van Beethoven. By day, Schomburg worked as a mailroom clerk, but his collecting and scholarship introduced him to members of the Harlem Renaissance, such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. Schomburg's collection was donated to the New York Public Library and now boasts over 10 million items. VERDICT This excellent work of history illuminates Schomburg and his legendary collection for a new generation—it belongs in all public and school libraries.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

    Copyright 2017 School Library Journal.

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