With a tribute to its founder, the late E. J. Josey, and children's library services advocate the late Effie Lee Morris, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) celebrated 40 years of service to African-American librarianship at a gala event at the Historical Society of Washington during Annual Conference.
W. Paul Coates, founder and editor of Black Classic Press, which specializes in republishing obscure and significant works by and about people of African descent, delivered the keynote address. He formerly served as African-American studies reference and acquisition librarian at Howard University's Moorland-Springarn Research Center.
Coates talked about BCALA's legacy and what the future holds for the organization—"a future that now lies in the hands of the younger generation."
Robert Wedgeworth, the first African-American executive director of the American Library Association (1972–1985), received the 2010 BCALA Trailblazer Award. According to the award committee, Wedgeworth, who was recently appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Museum and Library Services Board, is credited with "taking ALA—the oldest and largest library association in the world—into the modern age." He has also served as dean of Columbia University's School of Library Services, university librarian at the University of Illinois, president of ProLiteracy Worldwide, and president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
