The article provides insight into the internal processes of the Oakland Public Library and its shifts to increase diversity in its leadership.
Following the Civil Rights Movement and the executive order for affirmative action by President Kennedy in the 1960s, the Bay Area Chapter of Women Library Workers campaigned for the appointment of a woman director in adherence to affirmative action guidelines. With their push for greater gender diversity, they aimed to shift Oakland’s library administration in a progressive direction.
This event follows the momentum of radical librarians that sought to uplift minority narratives and representation in libraries.
Leila White (also known as Lee White) the woman appointed as director, played a significant role in the development of the Asian Community Library, as she supported its growth and funding.
In an interview conducted by the Chinatown Oral History Project, Judy Yung praises Lee White for that support: “Lee White was the city librarian then and she was always so good to work under because she was very pro-Asian branch library and she was always giving us to 200% of her support.”
