October 21, 2004

Black Cultural Center presents exhibit honoring library scholar

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University's Black Cultural Center will host an exhibit beginning Nov. 8 that depicts the life and legacy of library curator, writer and scholar Arthur (Arturo) Alfonso Schomburg, a Puerto Rican of African descent.

"The exhibit complements the Afro-Latin Diaspora focus of our cultural arts series," said Dorothy Washington, Black Cultural Center (BCC) librarian. "We will display black-and-white photos from the New York Public Library, which is the home of world-renowned Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture."

Schomburg, who died in 1938, was trained as a teacher but spent the bulk of his career as the head of the mailroom of the Bankers Trust Co. He dedicated his life to collecting books, papers and works of art documenting the experiences of peoples of African descent throughout the world and sold more than 5,000 pieces to the New York Public Library in 1925.

Today the center contains more than 5 million items and is the largest library in the world solely devoted to collecting and preserving the black experience, Washington said. Washington was previously the head cataloger for the general research and reference division of the Schomburg Center.

The exhibit is one of the several assignments by first-year students who have been volunteering for the Black Cultural Center Library. They are Nello Davy, from River Forest, Ill.; Rachel Em, from Vernon Hills, Ill.; Kristin Kirkdorffer from Nappanee, Ind.; Justene iLagan, from Schaumburg, Ill.; Brittany Phillabaum, from Indianapolis; and April Quarles from West Lafayette.

The students compiled a bibliography of selected resources of readings that is available at the exhibit and on the BCC Library website. The students have also assisted the library by staffing information booths and hosting the BCC Library/Faculty Book Talk.

"It has been very rewarding working with the students," said Washington. "It has been a joy getting to know them, and it has also been a pleasure to create learning activities that will equip them with the necessary library research skills to be successful at Purdue."

The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will be displayed through Dec. 10 in the Black Cultural Center formal lounge. The students will give a presentation about Schomburg and his legacy on Nov. 30 at 4:30 p.m.

Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, news.writer@purdue.edu

Source: Dorothy Ann Washington, (765) 494-3093, dwashin2@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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