Elizabeth Nesbitt

Elizabeth Nesbitt (April 15, 1897 – August 17, 1977), also known as Betty Nesbitt, was an American children's librarian and a library science educator.[1][2] She was known "internationally as an authority on children's literature",[3] and made "strong contributions" to children's librarianship.[4]

Early life and education

Elizabeth Nesbitt was born on April 15, 1897, in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, north of Harrisburg on the Susquehanna River, United States.[3] After completing her studies in a private school, she earned a A.B. degree from the Goucher College for women, Baltimore in 1918. She earned another bachelor's degree in library science from Carnegie Library School in 1931, and a master's degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh in 1935.[5]

Career

In 1919, her family moved from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. She briefly worked as a teacher in a private school in Pittsburgh. She later joined as an assistant at the Carnegie Library School of Pittsburgh.[3] In 1948, she was appointed as associate dean of the Carnegie Library School, and she held this position until her retirement in 1962.[6] She then became a lecturer of the Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences of the University of Pittsburgh.[7] During the summers she taught library sciences-related courses in a number of prominent higher educational institutions, including Columbia University and the University of Illinois. She was associated with a number of professional associations, such as the Pennsylvania Library Association and American Library Association.[8]

She was also known as a storyteller.[9]

Publications

Nesbitt co-authored A Critical History of Children's Literature, which remains "a landmark publication" in the field.[10]

Awards and honors

Nesbitt received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the field of library sciences and children's literature.[11][8] These include:

  • Pittsburgh's Ten Women of Talent (1955)
  • Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania (1958)
  • Distinguished Service Award (1962) by the Pennsylvania Library Association
  • Beta Phi Mu Award for Distinguished Service
  • Clarence Day Award (1965) by the American Library Association

In her honor, in 1976, the University of Pittsburgh named a room at the Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences the Elizabeth Nesbitt Room, which houses an important historical collection of children's books.[7]

Nesbitt died at the age of 80 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on August 17, 1977, of cancer.[8][7]

References

  1. ^ Lundin, Anne (October 15, 2004). Constructing the Canon of Children's Literature: Beyond Library Walls and Ivory Towers. Oxon: Routledge. p. 136. ISBN 978-1-135-57640-0. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  2. ^ Carpenter, Angelica Shirley (2006). In the Garden: Essays in Honor of Frances Hodgson Burnett. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-810-85288-4. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Miller, Marilyn Lea (2003). Pioneers and Leaders in Library Services to Youth: A Biographical Dictionary. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited. p. 173. ISBN 978-1-591-58028-7. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  4. ^ Kent, Allen (November 1, 1970). Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science: Volume 4 - Calligraphy to Church Libraries. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. p. 562. ISBN 978-0-824-72004-9. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  5. ^ Wiegand, Wayne A. (1990). Supplement to the Dictionary of American Library Biography, Volume 1. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-872-87586-9. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  6. ^ Greene, Ellin (January 30, 1996). Storytelling: Art and Technique: Art and Technique. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-313-07861-3. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "ELIZABETH NESBITT". The New York Times. August 20, 1977. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Wiegand 1990, p. 93.
  9. ^ Greene 1996, p. 78.
  10. ^ Wiegand 1990, p. 92.
  11. ^ Orden, Phyllis Van (2005). Library Service to Children: A Guide to the History, Planning, Policy, and Research Literature. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-810-85169-6. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
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