The council of the American Library Association is removing its founder, Melvil Dewey, from its creative leadership medal.
Dewey, inventor of the Dewey Decimal System for organizing library books, has a documented history of racism, anti-Semitism, and sexual misconduct.
“Whereas Melvil Dewey did not permit Jewish people, African Americans, or other minorities admittance to the resort owned by Dewey and his wife,” and “whereas Dewey made numerous inappropriate physical advances toward women he worked with and wielded professional power over,” the association voted to remove Dewey’s name from the award, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Dewey refused to admit black Americans, Jews, and others to his New York members-only resort, the Lake Placid Club, because of their race. Dewey also allegedly made inappropriate sexual advances toward colleagues, as well as his daughter-in-law.
Dewey earned a rebuke from the New York State Board of Regents for his anti-Semitism and eventually resigned as the New York state librarian over complaints from New York’s Jewish leaders.
