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Lillian Childress Hall

Indiana's first Black librarian

As we commemorate 150 years of service to Indianapolis, join us at Central Library for an in-person presentation highlighting Lillian Haydon Childress Hall, Indiana's first Black librarian.

Lillian Haydon Childress Hall (1889 - 1958) was hired in the 1920s to create library services for Black patrons. Hall's work made national headlines as she promoted literacy programs and created a special collection that has since gone missing. Hall was hired amid a rising tide of Klan activity in Indiana, yet she was able to move the library forward through her contributions to The Indianapolis Public Library. Made possible by the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. 

Presenter: Stephen Lane obtained his Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and Master of Arts in Public History from IUPUI, and currently works at the University Library at IUI. Lane was formerly an Activity Guide in the Learning Curve at Central Library before becoming the Special Collections Librarian working to diversify the materials in the Indianapolis Special Collection Room (ISCR) to expand our understanding of Indianapolis history.

Reading List
Lillian Haydon Childress Hall - Encyclopedia of Indianapolis 
The Legacy of Lillian Childress Hall - CBLC 
Staff-Created List - IndyPL  

Age Group: Adults

Location: Held in the Indianapolis Special Collections Room (ISCR) on the 6th floor within Central Library located at 40 East Saint Clair Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Parking: The Central Library has a parking garage available to patrons during their time at the Library. Garage pricing information can be found here. The garage can be accessed on Pennsylvania Street.

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