NORFOLK, Va. — Neighborhood libraries do more than just house books. They preserve community stories and cultural heritage, serve as gathering spaces, and can provide a sense of belonging for generations.
On October 4 and 5, the City of Norfolk will celebrate one of its long-standing public libraries with a unique history of its own-- empowering voices in its surrounding communities for more than a century.
When it opened on July 19, 1921, the Blyden Branch of the Norfolk Public Library was the only public access to books for the city's roughly 43,000 Black residents.
"The residents, the businesses, [insisted] that we should have a library. And they made an appeal to the Norfolk Public Library Board, and they went back and forth. And so, by 1921, the Norfolk Public Library, they approved roughly, I think, around $1,700," said Charles Johnson, Norfolk Public Library Board of Trustees Vice Chair. "And that money was used to open up two rooms at the former Mission College, which was now the Booker T. Washington High School. And that became the Blyden Library, named after Edward Blyden, who was a minister, educator, diplomat, well known mostly outside of the United States, but known in Virginia and the United States because of his Pan-Africanism beliefs."
The Blyden Branch was the first library for African Americans supported by a municipality in Virginia, its history steeped in the societal norms of the time that shaped its path from the start.
"Keep in mind, we were still in segregation. Jim Crow laws were there," Johnson said. "There were no materials. They didn’t have the books. They were using old books, hand-me-down books. It was crowded, because there were many people who wanted to use the facility, but you only had two rooms to go to."
The library remained a two-room facility inside the high school until relocating to an old house on Johnson Avenue and Church Street in 1938.
"Still, old books, a few more rooms, kind of isolated, and not supported by the city, even though it was a public library," Johnson said.
Blyden moved to its current building on East Princess Anne Road on June 24, 1957, with an appropriation of $60,000 from the city. However, the library was set to encounter a new set of major challenges.
"As many people know, desegregation occurred," Johnson said. "Many of the middle-class people, many of the businesses that were there along Church Street and so forth, they started to move out. And then came redevelopment... Most of the housing was torn down. Most of the businesses were removed. And so, you had a library there, but you didn’t have the patrons... But the Blyden was there, and it served its purpose as a community center."
Johnson said the library and its staff became an integral part of the surrounding neighborhoods, like Barberton and Huntersville. They provided not only access to knowledge but also support, guidance, and engagement for residents. Eventually, new housing developments were built around the branch, giving it new life during the 1990s.
"It became a depository of books associated with Black Americans... People would come to the library, knowing that it was a place where they felt accepted," Johnson said. "It was a place where they could relate to the managers. It was a place where they could interact with people they know in their neighborhood."
After 103 years as a community cornerstone, he said that Blyden is still evolving to meet the needs of new generations-- implementing digital resources, adding collaborative spaces, completing building renovations through Norfolk's Neighbors Building Neighborhoods Initiative, and more.
"New books are being brought into the building," Johnson said. "The computer labs-- they are developing programming that will interact or affect the young people who are in the area who have a need for it... I know they are focusing on STEM right now... They are focusing on mental health programs... promoting community cleanups... So, the library is still the hub of the community."
This weekend's Come Home to Blyden Celebration will commemorate the library's commitment to the community for more than a century.
"If you have a strong neighborhood library, you have a strong library system," Johnson said. "And that’s why, being on the board, we have to support the Blyden, because the Blyden is part of the foundation of the library system."
There will be a Musical Celebration at the Attucks Theater on October 4 at 7 p.m. Admission is first come, first served, and the venue's maximum capacity is 550.
The Blyden Branch‘s history will be told through performances by Vincent Epps, Dawn Lindsey, Michael LeMelle and Sharon Williams-Mack. There will be special guest performances by pianist and music director, Lew Taylor, and Quiet Fire Band. Other performers include Boys Choir of Hampton Roads, Butts Family Gospel Choir, Dominic Carr, Joanna Meza and Joshua Williams, Norfolk State University Vocal Music Jazz Ensemble, Danny Simmons, Mr. Silver Strings, Chrystall Elliott-Smith, Virginia Children's Chorus and Elbert Watson Dance Company. Becky Livas will emcee the event.
A Neighborhood Community Day is happening on October 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of the library, at 879 East Princess Anne Road in Norfolk. There will be live entertainment, yard games, a gamer bus, food and various local vendors.
Both events are free and open to the public.
