About
Augusta Baker was born in 1911 in Baltimore, Maryland, and would go on to become one of the country’s most well-known and widely celebrated storyteller, librarian and author. Her education background includes attendance at the University of Pittsburgh from 1927 to 1929. Following this, she attended the State University of New York, Albany where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1933 and a Library Science degree in 1934. Baker became a children’s librarian for the New York Public Library (NYPL) in 1937, working primarily at the Countee Cullen Regional Branch in Harlem until 1953 when she was promoted to Assistant Coordinator of Children’s Services and Storytelling Specialist. From 1961-1974, Baker held the position of Coordinator of Children’s Services at the NYPL. She was the first African-American woman to hold the position. In addition to her librarianship, she was a summer instructor at Columbia University where her courses focused in storytelling and library sciences.