Breaking Glass Ceilings: Clara Stanton Jones and the Detroit Public Library (PB) (2026)

Discover the story of the first woman to direct a major public library system in the United States and the first African American president of the American Library Association.

Jones's appointment to Director of the Detroit Public Library in 1970 resulted in a public backlash against her hiring. Two members of the library board resigned in protest and library commissioners refused to honor the supplemental salary that was to be paid to the incoming director. Despite it all, Jones rose to the top of her profession, focusing on community outreach with her signature achievement, The Information Place (TIP), a service designed to provide guidance to users seeking legal, social, and government information. Jones advocated for the American Library Association's Resolution on Racism and Sexism Awareness. She was appointed by Jimmy Carter to the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science following her retirement from the Detroit Public Library. She was a member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, the Public Library Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Council of Negro Women, and many more.