209:
294:
choose appropriate books for patients, Delaney would consult with the doctors and medical staff. She spoke of the value of having a librarian at medical meetings regarding patients. She also reviewed books, especially those that were written by or depicted
African Americans. When choosing books for the library collection, Delaney took patient interests into consideration. She also tried to maintain information on current events and reference materials.
122:
367:
returned and her membership was discontinued. The
Association suggested that she start an African American chapter, and Delaney balked at that idea. She cited examples of other professional organizations that had integrated, including library associations in other southern states. Delaney tried again to join the Alabama Library Association two years later, and was met with rejection again.
31:
313:
clubs. She tried diligently to get all of the veterans involved with clubs and library activities. She ran a book cart program so that patients confined to their beds still had access to reading material. For those unable to hold a book, Delaney arranged for the books to be projected on the wall.
293:
extensively in her work. She defined bibliotherapy as, “the treatment of patients through selected reading.” She was an advocate of giving the patients individual attention in order to learn their interests. She could use this knowledge to help pair them with books that would engage them. To help
272:
One of the first things
Delaney did in Tuskegee was make the library more welcoming. She moved it into a larger room and added plants, wall hangings, flowers and other inviting elements. She wanted to have a positive impact on the patients in the hospital. She also began acquiring books for both
337:
the library activities on the local radio station. The patients participated in book and art fairs, displaying their work and delivering talks about books. They were given numerous opportunities and choices for a creative outlet with the various activities available. Delaney also started the
280:
had risen to 1,000 books per month. By 1954, there were over 13,000 volumes in the patient library and over 3,000 volumes in the medical library. In addition to the chief librarian, there were six library assistants to help handle the demand for library resources. Delaney died in 1958 after
366:
Delaney worked to join the
Alabama Library Association, which did not allow African Americans into its membership at that time. She was eventually invited to join by the president of the Alabama Library Association; however, on April 15, 1951, when the next president took over, her dues were
580:
Powell RH How the U.S. Government Broke Faith with the Blacks and Whites of
Tuskegee. Birmingham Daily News, July , 1923. Clipping in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Records (Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.).
467:
In 2015, a non-profit organization by the name of Words Heal, Inc. was also named the Sadie
Peterson Delaney Literary Collaborative, in her honor. The organization promotes bibliotherapy as a complement to conventional therapies and treatments for mental
268:
from the New York Public
Library; however, she ended up staying in Tuskegee for the remainder of her career. When she arrived at the Veterans Administration Hospital in January 1924, there were just 200 books and a table in the library.
342:
magazine, which
Delaney occasionally wrote for, she explains her work with the patients in the hospital, “Here minds long imprisoned by lethargy are awakened…And once again he is alive with enthusiasm and joy derived from activity.”
453:
The Sadie
Peterson Delaney African Roots Branch Library reopened on April 9, 2022 as a fully circulating library of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District in the Mid-Hudson Library System to honor Delaney's legacy of
185:. She ran story hours, discussion groups, and other events for children. Some of the events were geared specifically toward juvenile delinquents, foreign-born children or blind children. Her interest in working with
329:
for the blind patients. Delaney taught more than 600 patients how to read
Braille. They were also encouraged to join the clubs and programs that were run, giving them the same opportunities as the other patients.
395:
and around the United States also came to observe Delaney and her use of bibliotherapy. Her library was used as a model for other Veterans Administration hospitals. She was invited to give speeches at
629:
Women's History in the Hudson Valley: Ten Stories from Columbia and Dutchess Counties." | Volume = 2022 | page = 14 | Poughkeepsie, NY: Office of Assemblymember Didi Barrett, District 106
156:
from 1920 to 1921. Delaney had one daughter named Grace with her first husband, Edward Louis Peterson. They divorced in 1924, and she married Rudicel A. Delaney in 1928. Delaney had a
524:
Cantrell CH. Sadie P. Delaney: Bibliotherapist and Librarian. Southeastern Librarian 1956 Fall; 6(3): 1105-109. (Reprinted, Congressional Record, Appendix 1957 Jan 17: A266-A267.)
153:
141:
where she was recognized for her poetry and activities that ranged from being a Sabbath School teacher, to being a member of the sewing circle, to being President of the
325:
She continued her work with the blind by teaching Braille at the hospital. As blind patients learned how to read Braille, some of them taught others. Delaney acquired
527:
Dibble Eh. The Veterans' Administration Facility for Negro Beneficiaries, Tuskegee, Ala. Medical Bulletin of the Veterans' Administration 1940 Oct;17(2): 158-162.
359:(ALA), where she served on the Council from 1946 to 1951. Delaney was elected councilor of the ALA Hospital Library Division in 1947. She was also a member of the
911:
351:
Delaney was active in many professional associations. She served on the advisory board for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (
276:
Within one year of Delaney's arrival in Tuskegee, the library had 4,000 volumes available for patients and 85 volumes available in the medical library.
539:
Jones, VL. Delaney, Sadie Peterson (1889-1959) In: Dictionary of American Library Biography. Littleton, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1978:122-124.
427:
was bestowed upon her by Atlanta University. She was honored with a testimonial banquet at the 1950 American Library Association convention, and the
102:
574:
Matthews, CS. The Decline of the Tuskegee Machine, 1915-1925: the Abdication of Political Power South Atlantic Quarterly 1976; 74(4): 460-469.
495:
Delaney SP. Place of Bibliotherapy in a Hospital. Library Journal 1938 April;63: 305-308. (Reprinted from Opportunity Journal of Negro Life)
1077:
1082:
551:
Schneck JM A Bibliography on Bibliotherapy and Libraries in Mental Hospitals. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic 1945 Sept;9 (5): 170-174.
428:
257:
577:
Norrell, RJ, Perfect Quiet, Peace and Harmony: Another Look at the Founding of Tuskegee Institute. Alabama Review 1983.; 36(2): 110-128
1047:
125:
Sadie M. Peterson in a 1915 photo from The Quill, the Parish newsletter of the Smith Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Poughkeepsie, NY.
1042:
542:
McDougald EJ. The Task of Negro Womanhood. In: Locke A, ed. The New Negro. New York: Johnson Reprint Corporation, 1968: 369-384.
565:
Daniel P. Black Power in the 1920's: The Case of Tuskegee Veterans Hospital. Journal of Southern History 1970; 36(3): 368-388.
601:
Nelson, M (1996). "Seven Library Women Whose Humane Presence Enlightened Society in the Harlem Renaissance Iconoclastic Ethos".
1052:
530:
Favazza Ar. Bibliotherapy: A Critique of the Literature. Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 1966 Apr;54(2): 138-141.
297:
To complement her work with books and bibliotherapy, Delaney developed many special programs for the patients. She instituted
536:
Hospital Libraries: Veterans Administration Hospital, Tuskegee, Alabama. Book Trolley (England) 1938 April;17(1): 346-347.
1072:
498:
Delaney SP. Library Activities at Tuskegee. Medical Bulletin of the Veterans' Administration 1940 Oct;17 (2): 163-169.
480:
Peterson SM. U.S.V. Hospital Library No.91, Tuskegee, Ala. Crisis a Record of the Darker Races 1925 Jan;29 (3): 116-117.
489:
Delaney SP. Bibliotherapy as an Aid to Rehabilitation. Journal National Association College Women 1935; (12): 9-11.
1037:
138:
129:
Sadie Peterson Delaney, daughter of Julia Frances Hawkins Johnson and James Johnson, was born on February 26, 1889, in
492:
Delaney SP. The Place of Bibliotherapy in a Hospital. Opportunity Journal of Negro Life 1938 Feb;16 (2): 53-56.
545:
Oppenheim G. Bibliotherapy—A new work for your vocabulary. (Bloemfontein, South Africa) Cape Times 1938 Jan 15:3.
338:
Disabled Veterans’ Literary Society, which received acclaim from the Veterans Administration. In the February 1938
947:
Kniffel, L.; Sullivan, P.; McCormick, E. (1999). "100 of the Most Important Leaders we had in the 20th Century".
228:. Delaney often helped arrange artistic programs that included talks by scholars and community leaders such as
521:
Brown EF. Origins and Pioneers. In: Bibliotherapy and its Widening Applications. Metuchen: Sage 1975: 13-38.
507:
Delaney SP. Bibliotherapy for patients in Antabuse clinic. Hospital Book Guide 1955 Oct;16 (8); 141-143.
483:
Delaney SP. The Library—A Factor in Veterans' Bureau Hospitals. Medical Bulletin 1930 Apr;6 (4): 331-334.
148:
She attended college at the College of the City of New York, graduating in 1919. She went on to receive her
1032:
380:
356:
486:
Delaney SP. The Negro Veteran and His Books. Wilson Bulletin for Librarians 1932 Jun;6 (10): 684-686.
1002:
The Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Branch Library page of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District
533:
Gubert BK. Sadie Peterson Delaney: Pioneer Bibliotherapist. American Libraries 1993 Feb:12(2): 124-130.
554:
Sprague MD. Dr. Sadie Peterson Delaney "Great Humanitarian." Service 1951 June;15(11): 17-18, 25-26.
450:
Named in her honor, The Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Library opened in Poughkeepsie, New York.
387:
were sent to observe and learn from Delaney at the Veterans Administration Hospital. Librarians from
568:
Marable M. Tuskegee and the Politics of Illusion in the New South. Black Scholar 1977; 8(7): 13-24.
457:
The New York Public Library has acquired and archived a large quantity of Delaney's personal letters.
260:
Hospital in Tuskegee, Alabama. The hospital was home to physically disabled African American war
181:
through 1923. She worked diligently to increase the programs available for children of different
477:
Peterson SM. The Library; A Factor in Negro Education. The Messenger 1923 July;5 (7): 772-773.
174:
1067:
985:"Women's History in the Hudson Valley - Ten Stories from Columbia and Dutchess Counties - 2022"
376:
548:
Pomeroy E. U.S. Veterans' Hospital Library Service. Library Journal 1975 Mar;50(6): 253-256.
984:
420:
397:
1012:
748:
What a Woman Ought to Be and to Do: Black Professional Women Workers During the Jim Crow Era
1062:
1057:
571:
Marable M. Tuskegee Institute in the 1920's. Negro History Bulletin 1977; 40(6): 764-768.
233:
137:, and also spent one year at Miss McGovern's School of Social Work. She was active in the
501:
Delaney SP. Bibliography on Bibliotherapy. Bulletin of Bibliography 1951 Sep-Dec:135.
440:
After Delaney's death in 1958, the Atlanta University School of Library Science started a
8:
360:
302:
277:
130:
50:
817:
460:
Delaney was recognized as one of the 100 most important leaders of the 20th century by
384:
673:
648:
584:
Walton LA. Southern Opinion on the Tuskegee Hospital. Outlook 1923 Sept 5;85:14-16.
205:
of the library for the children that they worked with at home or in community groups.
197:, a system of reading and writing for blind people. She also worked with parents and
821:
660:
401:
355:) for five years. She was a member of the International Library Association and the
237:
142:
134:
106:
66:
515:
American Hospital Librarian Honoured. Book Trolley (England) 1950 Summer; 6:38-39.
216:
While at the New York Public Library, Delaney was integral in the development of an
809:
668:
306:
265:
217:
208:
264:
and veterans with mental or emotional issues. Delaney initially took a six-month
1006:
813:
504:
Delaney SP. Time's Telling. Wilson Library Bulletin 1955 Feb;29 (6): 461-463.
447:
Delaney was inducted into the Alabama Library Association's Hall of Fame in 1982.
424:
412:
310:
241:
1001:
314:
The patient could turn the pages with a single button. She also sang familiar
245:
202:
1026:
1018:
Dutchess County Historical Society's recording program about Sadie P. Delaney
664:
518:
Bauer HC. Seasoned to Taste. Wilson Library Bulletin 1955 Feb; 29 (6): 404.
416:
290:
229:
110:
86:
177:
after she completed her training. She worked at the 135th Street Branch in
800:
McCullis, D (2012). "Bibliotherapy: Historical and research perspectives".
622:
The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges
392:
334:
182:
157:
889:
441:
30:
305:. She could share her own interests in some of the groups, such as the
1007:
original website for The Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Library
121:
925:
705:
326:
298:
225:
212:
The New York Public Library: where Delaney started her library career
198:
194:
186:
98:
76:
1017:
244:, and Fred Moore. She also established the first African American
109:, for 34 years. She is well known as a pioneer for her work with
261:
190:
149:
301:, monthly program meetings, a story hour and a variety of other
966:
388:
319:
221:
178:
352:
415:
sorority. She received the same honor again in 1949 by the
912:"African Roots Library reopening its doors in Poughkeepsie"
405:
315:
1013:
New York Public Library -- Sadie Peterson Delaney Letters
727:
Parish Publication of the Smith Street A.M.E. Zion Church
946:
220:
collection. She routinely met with African American
597:
Indianapolis, IN: Little Black Librarian Facts, Inc.
557:
Roosevelt, E. My Day. New York Post 1957 Jan 18:3.
431:
awarded her their top award for excellence in 1956.
251:
890:"The Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Library"
256:Delaney was approached to head the library at the
224:, helping them to connect with other authors and
1024:
411:In 1948, she was named Woman of the Year by the
97:(February 26, 1889 – May 4, 1958) was the chief
875:Josey, E.J. & DeLoach, M.L. (Ed.). (2000).
706:Sadie Peterson Delaney: Pioneer Bibliotherapist
160:and died in Tuskegee, Alabama, on May 4, 1958.
624:. Durham, NC: NCCU School of Library Science.
346:
940:
653:Bulletin of the Medical Library Association
615:Bulletin of the Medical Library Association
595:Little Known Black Librarian Facts, 4th ed.
560:
871:
869:
168:
29:
838:Delaney, S. P. (1955). "Time's Telling".
672:
833:
831:
799:
788:Dictionary of American Library Biography
700:
698:
696:
694:
692:
690:
688:
686:
684:
333:In 1927, Delaney and the patients began
322:to help the patients feel more relaxed.
207:
120:
866:
837:
782:
780:
778:
776:
750:. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
742:
740:
1025:
774:
772:
770:
768:
766:
764:
762:
760:
758:
756:
600:
855:
853:
828:
790:. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
681:
627:Barrett, Didi (distributor). (2022).
248:held in the New York Public Library.
1078:20th-century African-American people
914:. Spectrum News 1. February 2, 2022.
737:
603:Dissertation Abstracts International
510:
472:
370:
273:the patients and the medical staff.
1083:20th-century African-American women
879:. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc.
753:
363:Committee for Work with the Blind.
13:
1048:People from Poughkeepsie, New York
859:Hospital Councilor Named. (1947).
850:
587:
419:sorority, and then in 1950 by the
281:working 34 years at the hospital.
173:Delaney continued her work at the
139:Smith Metropolitan AME Zion Church
14:
1094:
995:
284:
252:Veterans Administration Hospital
201:elders, helping them to see the
103:Veterans Administration Hospital
1043:People from Rochester, New York
977:
959:
918:
904:
882:
877:Handbook of Black Librarianship
620:Phinazee, A. L. (Ed.). (1980).
133:. She attended high school in
793:
718:
641:
154:New York Public Library School
16:American librarian (1889–1958)
1:
1053:People from Tuskegee, Alabama
634:
814:10.1080/08893675.2012.654944
786:Wynar, B. S. (Ed.). (1978).
649:"Dr. Sadie Peterson Delaney"
381:University of North Carolina
357:American Library Association
116:
7:
1073:African-American librarians
892:. Family Partnership Center
10:
1099:
429:US Veterans Administration
189:children led her to learn
1038:American women librarians
928:. New York Public Library
926:"Sadie P. Delaney papers"
802:Journal of Poetry Therapy
434:
347:Professional associations
163:
82:
72:
56:
37:
28:
21:
561:The Tuskegee Controversy
240:, George Edmund Haynes,
840:Wilson Library Bulletin
714:(subscription required)
258:Veterans Administration
175:New York Public Library
169:New York Public Library
733:(1). October 31, 1915.
704:Gubert, B. K. (1993).
377:University of Illinois
213:
135:Poughkeepsie, New York
126:
95:Sadie Peterson Delaney
23:Sadie Peterson Delaney
593:Fenton, M.T. (2013).
421:National Urban League
398:American universities
211:
124:
971:www.wordshealinc.org
746:Shaw, S. J. (1996).
423:. Also in 1950, an
404:and a conference in
234:James Weldon Johnson
1033:American librarians
361:Library of Congress
278:Library circulation
131:Rochester, New York
51:Rochester, New York
967:"WORDSHEALINC.ORG"
949:American Libraries
712:, 24(2), 124-125.
710:American Libraries
613:Obituary. (1958).
462:American Libraries
425:honorary doctorate
385:Atlanta University
214:
183:ethnic backgrounds
145:Literary Society.
127:
511:Featured Articles
473:Authored Articles
371:Awards and honors
238:William H. Ferris
107:Tuskegee, Alabama
92:
91:
67:Tuskegee, Alabama
48:February 26, 1889
1090:
989:
988:
981:
975:
974:
963:
957:
956:
944:
938:
937:
935:
933:
922:
916:
915:
908:
902:
901:
899:
897:
886:
880:
873:
864:
857:
848:
847:
835:
826:
825:
797:
791:
784:
751:
744:
735:
734:
722:
716:
715:
702:
679:
678:
676:
659:(3): 495. 1958.
645:
610:
266:leave of absence
218:African American
152:training at the
63:
47:
45:
33:
19:
18:
1098:
1097:
1093:
1092:
1091:
1089:
1088:
1087:
1023:
1022:
998:
993:
992:
983:
982:
978:
965:
964:
960:
945:
941:
931:
929:
924:
923:
919:
910:
909:
905:
895:
893:
888:
887:
883:
874:
867:
863:, 72(15), 1175.
861:Library Journal
858:
851:
836:
829:
798:
794:
785:
754:
745:
738:
724:
723:
719:
713:
703:
682:
647:
646:
642:
637:
590:
588:Further reading
563:
513:
475:
437:
413:Iota Phi Lambda
373:
349:
311:coin collecting
287:
254:
242:Hubert Harrison
171:
166:
119:
65:
61:
49:
43:
41:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1096:
1086:
1085:
1080:
1075:
1070:
1065:
1060:
1055:
1050:
1045:
1040:
1035:
1021:
1020:
1015:
1010:
1004:
997:
996:External links
994:
991:
990:
976:
958:
939:
917:
903:
881:
865:
849:
827:
792:
752:
736:
717:
680:
639:
638:
636:
633:
632:
631:
625:
618:
611:
598:
589:
586:
562:
559:
512:
509:
474:
471:
470:
469:
465:
458:
455:
451:
448:
445:
436:
433:
375:Students from
372:
369:
348:
345:
286:
283:
253:
250:
246:exhibit of art
170:
167:
165:
162:
118:
115:
90:
89:
84:
80:
79:
74:
70:
69:
64:(aged 69)
58:
54:
53:
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1095:
1084:
1081:
1079:
1076:
1074:
1071:
1069:
1068:Bibliotherapy
1066:
1064:
1061:
1059:
1056:
1054:
1051:
1049:
1046:
1044:
1041:
1039:
1036:
1034:
1031:
1030:
1028:
1019:
1016:
1014:
1011:
1008:
1005:
1003:
1000:
999:
986:
980:
972:
968:
962:
954:
950:
943:
927:
921:
913:
907:
891:
885:
878:
872:
870:
862:
856:
854:
846:(6): 461–463.
845:
841:
834:
832:
823:
819:
815:
811:
807:
803:
796:
789:
783:
781:
779:
777:
775:
773:
771:
769:
767:
765:
763:
761:
759:
757:
749:
743:
741:
732:
728:
725:"The Quill".
721:
711:
707:
701:
699:
697:
695:
693:
691:
689:
687:
685:
675:
670:
666:
662:
658:
654:
650:
644:
640:
630:
626:
623:
619:
617:, 46(3), 495.
616:
612:
608:
604:
599:
596:
592:
591:
585:
582:
578:
575:
572:
569:
566:
558:
555:
552:
549:
546:
543:
540:
537:
534:
531:
528:
525:
522:
519:
516:
508:
505:
502:
499:
496:
493:
490:
487:
484:
481:
478:
466:
463:
459:
456:
452:
449:
446:
443:
439:
438:
432:
430:
426:
422:
418:
417:Zeta Phi Beta
414:
409:
407:
403:
399:
394:
390:
386:
382:
378:
368:
364:
362:
358:
354:
344:
341:
336:
331:
328:
327:talking books
323:
321:
317:
312:
308:
304:
300:
295:
292:
291:bibliotherapy
289:Delaney used
285:Bibliotherapy
282:
279:
274:
270:
267:
263:
259:
249:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
230:W.E.B Du Bois
227:
223:
219:
210:
206:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
161:
159:
155:
151:
146:
144:
140:
136:
132:
123:
114:
112:
111:bibliotherapy
108:
104:
100:
96:
88:
85:
81:
78:
75:
71:
68:
59:
55:
52:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
979:
970:
961:
955:(11): 38–47.
952:
948:
942:
930:. Retrieved
920:
906:
894:. Retrieved
884:
876:
860:
843:
839:
805:
801:
795:
787:
747:
730:
726:
720:
709:
656:
652:
643:
628:
621:
614:
606:
602:
594:
583:
579:
576:
573:
570:
567:
564:
556:
553:
550:
547:
544:
541:
538:
535:
532:
529:
526:
523:
520:
517:
514:
506:
503:
500:
497:
494:
491:
488:
485:
482:
479:
476:
461:
444:in her name.
410:
400:, community
393:South Africa
374:
365:
350:
339:
335:broadcasting
332:
324:
296:
288:
275:
271:
255:
215:
172:
158:heart attack
147:
128:
94:
93:
62:(1958-05-04)
1063:1958 deaths
1058:1889 births
442:scholarship
340:Opportunity
83:Nationality
60:May 4, 1958
1027:Categories
1009:(archived)
635:References
609:(6): 2705.
299:book talks
226:publishers
143:J. W. Hood
73:Occupation
44:1889-02-26
822:145239329
808:: 23–28.
665:0025-7338
468:wellness.
454:literacy.
408:in 1934.
318:and read
199:community
195:Moon Code
117:Biography
99:librarian
77:Librarian
932:27 March
896:27 March
402:churches
262:veterans
87:American
222:authors
191:Braille
150:library
101:of the
820:
674:200297
671:
663:
435:Legacy
389:Europe
320:poetry
179:Harlem
164:Career
818:S2CID
353:NAACP
316:songs
307:stamp
303:clubs
203:value
187:blind
934:2016
898:2016
661:ISSN
406:Rome
383:and
309:and
193:and
57:Died
38:Born
810:doi
669:PMC
105:in
1029::
969:.
953:30
951:.
868:^
852:^
844:29
842:.
830:^
816:.
806:25
804:.
755:^
739:^
729:.
708:.
683:^
667:.
657:46
655:.
651:.
607:57
605:.
391:,
379:,
236:,
232:,
113:.
987:.
973:.
936:.
900:.
824:.
812::
731:6
677:.
464:.
46:)
42:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
