School Library Month is quickly approaching and this year AASL is celebrating 40 years of celebrating school librarians and school libraries. As we recognize the 40th Anniversary of School Library Month, let’s look back at the incredible leader who spearheaded the creation of this event.

Lucille Cole Thomas was appointed chair the of the School Library Media Month Committee by AASL President Judy King in 1983. She and her committee gathered ideas from previous state and local celebrations for school libraries, and compiled a fifty-two-page handbook for the first national observance which was kicked off April 1, 1985 with a ceremony on the west steps of the U.S. Capitol. Prior to launching the national celebration, Thomas established School Library Media Day in the State of New York as April 30th, 1974. It continues on today as School Library Month and School Library Day.

Beginning her career as a librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, she went on to serve with the New York City Board of Education as librarian (1956-1968), supervisor of library services (1968-1977), and as assistant director of the office of library, media and telecommunications (1977-1983). In 1993, the Mayor of New York City appointed her to the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Public Library, where she served as president and vice president.

Thomas was the president of the New York Library Association (NYLA) and the New York City School Librarians Association. As an active member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), she served as president of the International Association of School Librarianship (1989-1995), was a delegate to conferences in Thailand, Singapore and Australia and was one of five educators from the United States to participate in the 1982 French Ministry Cultural Exchange Program. In recognition of her significant contributions to international librarianship, she was awarded the John Ames Humphrey/OCLC/Forest Press Award in 1995.

Thomas is the recipient of many honors and awards, including the Silver Award (1996) presented by the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science for “noteworthy and sustained contributions to libraries at the national, state and local levels,” and the Grolier Foundation Award (1988) presented for “unusual contribution to the stimulation and guidance of reading by children and young people.” In 1994, she was awarded the AASL Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes an individual member of the library profession who has, over a significant period of time, made an outstanding national contribution to school librarianship and school library development.

In 2003, Thomas was nominated as an honorary member of the American Library Association “for her notable contributions to the profession as a librarian, educator and library trustee, her leadership role at the local, state, national and international levels, and her unstinting contributions to the education of children and young adults.”

In 2007, the year that marked her 50th year of membership in the American Library Association, she was the recipient of the 2007 Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) Roll of Honor Award. A member and former liaison to the FTRF Board, Thomas was a longtime advocate of the principles of intellectual freedom and equity of access to information in public and school libraries. Among her many other activities, she was a member of the ALA Executive Board, president of the International Association of School Librarianship, chair of the ALA Committee on Professional Ethics, chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Association of Library Trustees and Advocates, and served on the Board of the Black Caucus of ALA. She also served as a trustee of the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund, which provides financial assistance to librarians facing job loss or retaliation due to their defense of intellectual freedom or because of discrimination.

“We are thrilled to be able to add Lucille’s name to the FTRF Roll of Honor,” said FTRF Executive Director Judith Krug. “She is a legendary figure in librarianship, and a staunch champion of this organization and its ideals. Her entire career has been centered on increasing access—without restriction—to the wealth of information in libraries. On the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Roll of Honor, it is fitting to have such a distinguished colleague accept this award.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of School Library Media Month/Day, the students and teachers of Juan Morel Campos Intermediate School, I.S.71, in Brooklyn, NY honored Mrs. Thomas with a school wide celebration and a song written in her honor by music teacher, Danny Dalelio. It was accompanied by the slideshow below.