In a special episode of the “How I Library” podcast commemorating the 150th anniversary of the American Library Association (ALA), which was founded on October 6, 1876, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with one of the key figures in the history of the Association and librarianship, Dr. Betty Turock.
Turock, who served as ALA President from 1995 to 1996, was a faculty member at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information for 22 years. She’s authored more than 100 books, articles, and reports, and was the founding editor of “The Bottom Line,” a journal dedicated to the study of library finances. And that just scratches the surface of her amazing life, one that includes being a champion of diversity in librarianship; an early proponent of the internet and equity of access to information for everyone; working with the Black Panther Party in the 1960s; speaking before Congress and the FCC on dozens of occasions; being profiled in the New York Times; and so much more.
Turock joins the podcast to discuss her incredible life and career, her legacy, her thoughts on the future of librarianship and ALA at 150 years, and more.
“How I Library” is available for download or streaming on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Or listen below.
Our conversation with Dr. Betty Turock is part of a series of bonus “How I Library” episodes on ALA history being released this year to commemorate ALA’s 150th anniversary. You can find the first episode in the series—with ALA and library historian Wayne Wiegand—here.
