Saturday, March 12, 2011

KATHERINE (KATE) KAUFMAN (1861-1933)

Kate Kaufman was born on this day 150 years ago.

Kate Kaufman had no formal training in librarianship, but she served the library needs of the neighborhood around the West 60s of Manhattan for nearly 35 years, under the auspices of three different institutions.

She came to the profession thorough the social settlement movement.   In the mid-1890s she became the librarian for the Riverside Association a settlement house on the West Side of Manhattan.  When that Library consolidated with the New York Free Circulating Library in 1897, Kaufman stayed in the new arrangement.  Similarly, when the NYFCL consolidated with NYPL in 1901, Kaufman stayed as the Branch Librarian of the Riverside Branch of NYPL.  She officially held that position until her death in 1933 but had been on sick leave since 1929. 

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