Eleanor W.
Hill was born in Tennessee and received a BA in English from Vanderbilt
University in 1927. She worked as a teacher
for several years.
In 1933, Hill
earned a BS in Library Science from Columbia University and began as a
substitute at NYPL. Although she was eligible
for a regular position, neither appointments nor promotions were common during
the Depression. Hill finally received
her Grade 2 appointment in 1938, and it took another seven years before she was
promoted to be an Assistant Branch Librarian.
She was finally promoted to Branch Librarian in 1948 and headed two
Bronx branches until her retirement in 1969.
Eleanor Hill
married Frederick Janssen sometime in the late 1930s, but the marriage ended in
divorce.
Eleanor Janssen’s
annual reports at the Westchester Square Branch reflect the fears that many
librarians had about the negative impact of television. In 1950 she noted “Watching television has
become a serious rival of the reading habits of our generation.” At the same time, however, she was
experimenting with film programs for young adult users.
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