Hannah Logasa (1878–1967) is considered a pioneer of

school libraries A school library (or a school media center) is a library within a school where students, and sometimes their parents and staff have access to borrow a variety of resources, often literary or digital. The goal of a school library or media cente ...

. Credited with identifying the necessity of libraries in school, Logasa worked to achieve strong interaction between the library, students, and teachers at the

University of Chicago Laboratory High School The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (also known as Lab, Lab Schools, or U-High, abbreviated UCLS) is a private, co-educational, day pre-school and K-12 school affiliated with the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Almost half o ...

Early life

Hannah Logasa was the daughter of Seth Moses Logasa, an immigrant to

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, from Ukraine and a

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Jew, and her mother Ida (née Wasserman). She was one of four siblings. She had an older sister, Bertha Glikbarg (née Logasa), a brother, artist

Charles Logasa Charles Logasa (July 14, 1883 – February 2, 1936) was an artist. Early life Charles Logasa was born in Davenport, Iowa, United States, on July 14, 1883, to Sephardic Jewish parents and Ukrainian immigrants. His father was Seth Moses Logasa. He ...

, and a sister named Jeanie Deana Bogen (née Logasa). She moved to Omaha from Ukraine when she was three years old.

Career

From 1904 to 1914 Logasa worked at the

Omaha Public Library Omaha Public Library is the public library system of the city of Omaha, Nebraska. A library association was founded in 1857, but the library board was not appointed until 1877. In 1895, the library became one of the first six in the nation to c ...

. By 1908, she was a head librarian, and in 1914 was head of the department of statistics and accounts. During this period she attended class in library science at the

State University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 colleges offer ...

University of Chicago Laboratory High School librarian

In 1909, education psychologist Charles Hubbard Judd arrived at the University of Chicago and in 1910, set up a

study hall Study hall, known as private study, SAS, structured study or free periods in the United Kingdom, is a term for a place to have a study time during the school day where students are assigned to study when they are not scheduled for an academic cl ...

in the school library of the University of Chicago Laboratory High School. The library and the study hall were established in September 1910. The first librarian hired to run the library resigned after a short time because she had not expected the extra work the study hall and formation of the library would take.Wheeler, Helen. "Characteristics of the successful library‐study hall." Peabody Journal of Education 32, no. 3 (1954): 151-159. In 1914, Logasa was appointed head librarian at

University of Chicago Laboratory School The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (also known as Lab, Lab Schools, or U-High, abbreviated UCLS) is a private, co-educational, day pre-school and K-12 school affiliated with the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Almost half o ...

. In the interim, without a librarian, the library room had become disorderly. Logasa was very successful in bringing Judd's vision to a reality, building up the library collection, improving student morale, and supervising study. In the late 1910s, Logasa was a member of the Commission on Library Organization and Equipment of the

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and the

North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It ...

chaired by Carl Casper Certain. The Commission published a preliminary report in 1917 and a final report, ''Standard Library Organization and Equipment for Secondary Schools of Different Sizes,'' in 1920, which set guidelines and standards for early school libraries. Her work in promoting school libraries, both at the Lab and nationally, earned her a position as an instructor of Education at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

in 1928. In 1929 she began teaching home study courses in library science. After retiring as a professor emeritus, she returned to Omaha., excerpting from McMorris, Robert. Omaha World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), Saturday, December 16, 1967, page 4 She left the University in 1939, although she remained on the roles of faculty until her death.

School libraries

Logasa's influence was magnified by her writing,Latrobe, Kathy Howard
The emerging school library media center: Historical issues and perspectives
Libraries Unlimited, 1998. p23, 32 and she is considered the pioneer "who professionalized children’s school libraries". Her textbook, ''The High School Library: Its Function in Education'' was among the first professional materials created for librarians serving teens. She is credited with identifying the necessity of libraries in school, and creating strong interactions between librarians, students, and teachers. She was a member of the

, the

National Council of Teachers of English The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a United States professional organization dedicated to "improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts English studies (or simply, English) is an academic discip ...

, and the

American Association of School Librarians The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA) that has more than 7,000 members and serves primary school and secondary school librarians in the U.S., Canada, and even internationally. P ...

. Logasa wrote a number of bibliographic indices that became known as definitive sources. They include indices to plays, poems, and non-fiction of the period. Logasa was a proponent of

progressive education Progressive education, or educational progressivism, is a pedagogical movement that began in the late 19th century and has persisted in various forms to the present. In Europe, progressive education took the form of the New Education Movement. T ...

, advocating scientific method, testing, and student feedback. She believed in the importance of adolescent psychology in succeeding as a librarian, and took a democratic approach to library use. She did not fully agree with progressive tenets, as she believed that textbooks were functionally valuable and should not be discarded.

Soybeans and Israel

During the late 1940s and early 1950s Logasa became interested in the fledgling nation of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. In order to help the new nation she decided to try to identify a potential staple crop, and after extensive research she determined that

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

s could help the Israeli government feed its people and sent her report to

David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary List of national founders, national founder and first Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency ...

. The report was well received and Israel began planting soybeans. Ben-Guiron personally urged Logasa to visit him in Israel, which she did in 1961. She did not inform Ben-Guiron she had come but he had found out and sent flowers to her hotel along with an invitation to visit him in his home in Tel Aviv. When she declined, Ben-Guiron went to talk with her. Later in 1967, while visiting the US, Ben-Guiron invited Logasa to meet with him again in Chicago.

Later life, legacy and tributes

By 1940, she had moved to

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...

, and in the 1950s she lived in

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

. She continued to be active in school libraries and youth education during her later life. At the time of her death, she was again living in Omaha. She died on December 11, 1967, at a hospital in Omaha. Her funeral was at Temple Israel in Omaha and she was buried in Rock Island, Illinois."Funeral Wednesday for Hannah Logasa", ''

Omaha World-Herald The ''Omaha World-Herald'' is a daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, the primary newspaper of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It was locally owned from its founding in 1885 until 2020, when it was sold to the newspaper ...

'' (Omaha, Nebraska), December 11, 1967, page 34. Her will stipulated that "proceeds from her books were to go to the University

f Chicago F, or f, is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet and many modern alphabets influenced by it, including the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of all other modern western European languages. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounce ...

..", and she also left money for the Omaha Public Library "for the purchase of books". She entrusted most of her estate to David Ben-Gurion to support agricultural research in Israel. Near

Sde Boker Sde Boker () is a kibbutz in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Best known as the retirement home of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council. In it had a population of . ...

, Israel, a building used for agricultural experimentation bears a plaque with her name. Upon her death, columnist David McMorris of the World Herald wrote a tribute to Logasa: "...this modest lady was a nationally known bibliographer... a grateful Ben-Gurion credited her with helping save the newly founded state of Israel from starvation." McMorris continued, "She was a pioneer in expanding the library's role in schools, published bibliographies, earned a bachelor of philosophy degree and a

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

key, began a Chicago U. correspondence program for training librarians."

Selected publications

* Logasa, H. (1916). Some Phases of Library-Study-Room Management. ''The School Review'', ''24''(5), 352–358. * Logasa, H. (1926). ''The high school library: its function in education''. D. Appleton and company. * Logasa, H., & Wright, M. M. (1926). ''Tests for the Appreciation of Literature''. Public School Pub. * Logasa, H. (1934). An Appraisal of Current Periodicals in the High School Library. ''Wilson Bulletin for Librarians, IX (December, 1934)'', 177–80. * Logasa, H. (1934). ''Historical Fiction and Other Reading References for History Classes in Junior and Senior High Schools''. McKinley Publishing Company, 1934. * Logasa, H. (1938). The school library in the reading program. ''Peabody Journal of Education'', ''16''(3), 220–226. * Logasa, H. (1938). The Study Hall in Junior and Senior High Schools. * Logasa, H. (1938). The Study Hall. ''New York: Macmillan Co'', 22. * Logasa, H. (1940). The Library in the Unit Plan. ''The Phi Delta Kappan'', ''22''(6), 313–320. * Logasa, H. (1941). ''Biography in collections suitable for junior and senior high schools''. HW Wilson. * Logasa, H. (1942). Regional United States. * Logasa, H. (1946). The comic spirit and the comics. ''Wilson Library Bulletin'', ''21'', 238–239. * Logasa, H. (1947). Figures tell but half the story. ''Library Journal'', ''72''(13), 999-1000. * Logasa, H. (1953). ''Book Selection Handbook: For Elementary and Secondary School'' (No. 83). FW Faxon Company, Incorporated. * Logasa, H. (1953). Grow old along with me. ''Library Journal'', ''78''(19), 1887-1888. * Logasa, H. (1958). ''Historical fiction''. McKinley. * Logasa, H. (1960). ''Historical non-fiction''. * Logasa, H. (1963). ''World culture: a selected, annotated bibliography'' (Vol. 3). McKinley Pub. Co.. * Logasa, H. (1964). ''Historical fiction: guide for junior and senior high schools and colleges, also for general reader''. Vol. 1. McKinley Pub. Co. * Logasa, H. (1964). ''Historical non-fiction: an organized, annotated, supplementary reference book for the use of schools, libraries, general reader''. Vol. 2. McKinley Pub. Co. * Logasa, H. (1965). ''Book Selection in Education for Children and Young Adults'' (No. 93). FW Faxon Company. * Logasa, H. (1967). ''Science for Youth: an annotated bibliography for children and young adults'' (Vol. 6). McKinley Pub. Co. * Irwin, L. B., & Logasa, H. (1971). ''A guide to historical fiction for the use of schools, libraries, and the general reader'' (Vol. 1). McKinley Pub. Co. * Logasa, H. (2007). ''Historical fiction and other reading references for classes in junior and senior high schools''. Read Books. * Logasa, H. The Librarian's Contribution to the Educational Standards of the High School. ''Fifty-fourth Yearbook of the National Education Association of the United States.'' * Logasa, H. The Supervision of High School Library Service. ''Supervision of Secondary Subjects'', 607–51.

References

External links

Review of Logasa's 1928 book, ''The High School Library:Its Function in Education''
(pages 22–23) {{DEFAULTSORT:Logasa, Hannah 1878 births 1967 deaths American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent American women academics American women librarians Educators from Omaha, Nebraska Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States Librarians from Nebraska University of Chicago faculty