Freedom Libraries: The Untold Story of Libraries for African Americans in the South

This book delves into how Freedom Libraries were at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, and the remarkable courage of the people who used them. As the Civil Rights Movement exploded across the United States, numerous libraries were desegregated on paper only, and there was another virtually unheard of struggle-- the right to read.

Born and raised in the shadow of the British Columbia Rocky Mountains, Mike Selby is a professional librarian. He received his MLIS from the University of Alabama, which is where he first unearthed the story of the Freedom Libraries. He is also a newspaper columnist, having published over 900 articles about libraries, reading, and print culture--much of it covering libraries during the Civil Rights Movement. He has also had two peer-reviewed academic pieces published, both on this topic.