This book tells the story of Clara Stanton Jones, the first woman to direct a major public library system in the United States and the first African American president of the ALA. After being appointed as Director of the Detroit Public Library in 1944, Jones transformed libraries everywhere. She focused on community and worked to desegregate libraries, library services, and overall library culture by encouraging the American Library Association to pass the Resolution on Racism and Sexism Awareness. In addition to being the first Black to be president of the ALA, Jones was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. She was a member of the Public Library Association, American Civil Liberties Union, National Council of Negro Women, and more.

Renate L. Chancellor is Associate Professor of Library and Information Science (LIS) at the Catholic University of America where she teaches foundational courses in LIS as well as specialized courses on oral history, law librarianship and human information behavior. She received her master's and Ph.D. in Information Studies from the University California, Los Angeles. Chancellor's research focuses on human information behavior, diversity, and social justice in LIS. She has published in scholarly journals and have presented her research in national and international venues. She is recipient of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Leadership Award in 2012 and the ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014.