iSchool Doc student returns to Florida

Posted by Kate Blosser on

Aisha Johnson is a career Seminole with two degrees under her belt and another in the works. She earned her B.S. in Political Science, M.S. in Library & Information Studies from Florida State University and is working towards her Doctorate in Information Studies.

The faithful Seminole took to Nashville, Tennessee in 2013 to begin work at Fisk University, taking a position as a Special Collections Librarian. Her hard work at the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library has paid off and Aisha is returning to the Sunshine State.

Her new position will be at University of North Florida as a Special Collections Librarian.

image“I am happy to return to Florida; it is my home. I am equally excited to take on the Special Collections Librarian position at the University of North Florida. The institution has done great work in collecting significant archival collections. I am happy to join the team and expand the overall collection and services. It is a great opportunity for me to continue my work collecting and preserving America’s history.”

At UNF, Johnson will be responsible for:

  • Leading and managing the Special Collections of the library
  • Collaborating to develop, maintain and increase accessibility to collections
  • Expanding Special Collections
  • Providing public service and promoting use and awareness of collections
  • Providing instructional services

Larry Dennis, Dean of Communication and Information: “It is great to see Ms. Johnson being recognized for their academic excellence and also have such a positive impact on the State of Florida. We are very proud of her.”

Her dissertation title packs a punch: “Access Denied: The Negro Struggle for Library Equality” which will explore the contributions of the Julius Rosenwald Fund to the development of libraries in the South.

“Aisha is performing groundbreaking research in the area of African Americans and southern public library history,” says Paul Marty, Johnson’s major professor. “Her analysis of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library program will greatly inform our understanding of library services and practices in African American libraries in the early 20th century.”

Recently, Johnson was awarded the Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. It is given through Beta Phi Mu, an international Library & Information Studies Honor Society.  If the $3,000 award is a harbinger of things to come for Johnson, the future seems very, very bright.