The first publicly-funded African American library in Virginia recently celebrated its 103rd anniversary of providing support and resources for Norfolk residents.
Blyden Public Library started in a room in Booker T. Washington High School for Black residents.
Part of that was because of the legacy of Virginia’s anti-literacy laws, which criminalized Black peoples’ attempts to learn to read and write, said Vincent Greer, director at Blyden.
Those laws were repealed shortly after the end of the Civil War and in 1921. Norfolk city leaders put money toward the Blyden Library branch, which became the first publicly funded library in the state open to Black people.
Greer said that, in providing a place where African Americans had access to the power of information, the role Blyden has played over its lifespan has been “very critical not just to this community, not just for the city of Norfolk, but to the state of Virginia.”
“Preserving Blyden is really a testament to preservation of Black culture within the United States,” Greer said.
These basic values, accessibility, preservation, and community education, are still integral to the mission of Blyden Public Library. It plans on continuing to support residents with traditional information-finding, but the library has also taken on an expanded role with the developing culture. Greer calls the library a “diversified space.”
Greer said he often has residents come in for assistance with filling out government documents, creating resumes, and filtering through the mass amount of digital information. The library acts as a free resource to equip residents with the knowledge and tools needed for autonomy in the modern day.
Greer also notes the responsibility he feels to educate residents of all ages and backgrounds on a wide variety of topics, including environmental and information literacy. The staff at Blyden pay special attention to educating the youth and shaping the next generation.
“I always tell the children–the world is more than this neighborhood, the world is more than Norfolk, just pick up a book and you’ll see that for yourself,” Greer said.
Programs include fun activities mixed with educational information like a neighborhood cleanup with environmental lessons, rewarding good grades with chicken wings and snacks and mixing video games with live readings of manuscripts and books that relate to the history of Norfolk and Blyden Public Library.
Greer says, at the very least, he wants the local children to have a sense of community in their neighborhood. “A library is more than a place to get information. It’s a social place,” he said, “We all need community…you don’t want to live next door to a stranger.”
Nearly 200 community members attended the library’s 103rd anniversary celebration. It included live performances, dancing, bounce houses, and free food and clothing.
Blyden Public Library works closely with local churches, schools, and organizations like the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughter to strengthen its community ties.
“This is a place where people feel safe. This is a place where people make connections,” Greer said.
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
