In conversation with Augusta Baker Endowed Chair Nicole A. Cooke, Vashti Harrison will discuss her books, her collaborations, inspirations and more during the 2025 Augusta Baker Lecture. A book signing and reception will follow.
This event is co-sponsored by Richland library and will be held at the main branch, 1431 Assembly St., from 6:30-9 p.m. on Friday, April 18. The Augusta Baker Lecture will also be live streamed. Please complete this form to receive access instructions.
Harrison is a celebrated writer, illustrator and filmmaker. Winner of the 2024 Caldecott Medal for her picture book “BIG,” she is the first Black woman to receive this esteemed award in its 85-year history. A powerful and emotional tale of self-love and instant New York Times bestseller, “BIG” was also selected for Coretta Scott King honors in both writing and illustration. Harrison is the creator of "Little Leaders, Little Dreamers, and Little Legends," the #1 New York Times bestselling children’s collection of biographies about trailblazing women and exceptional men in Black history.
Harrison’s artistic talent shines through in the numerous and notable collaborations she has illustrated, including Andrea Beaty’s "I Love You Like Yellow," Matthew Cherry’s "Hair Love," and Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic’s "Hello, Star." Harrison’s dedication and talent have been recognized with prestigious accolades, including a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Lupita Nyong’o’s "Sulwe," as well as two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Literary Work for Children.
Nicole A. Cooke, Ph.D., is the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and a professor in the School of Information Science at USC. Cooke’s research and teaching interests include human information behavior, fake news consumption and resistance, critical cultural information studies, LIS Education and diversity and social justice in librarianship.
Cooke was named a Mover & Shaker by Library Journal in 2007, awarded the 2016 ALA Equality Award, and earned the 2017 ALA Achievement in Library Diversity Research Award, presented by the Office for Diversity and Literacy Outreach Services. She has also been honored as the Illinois Library Association’s 2019 Intellectual Freedom Award winner in recognition of her work in combating online hate and bullying in LIS, and she was selected as the Association for Library and Information Science Education's 2019 Excellence in Teaching award winner. In 2021 she was presented with the Martin Luther King, Jr., Social Justice Award by the University of South Carolina. In 2022, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association granted her their Advocate Award, and in 2024, the American Library Association presented her with the Lippincott Award.
Now the founding editor of ALA Neal-Schuman's Critical Cultural Information Studies book series, Cooke has published numerous articles and book chapters. Her books include the second edition “Information Services to Diverse Populations” (ALA Editions, expected in 2024), “Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-truth Era" (ALA Editions, 2018), and “Foundations of Social Justice (ALA Editions, expected in 2025).
About the Lecture:
Each year's lecture features those in library, children's literature and storytelling professions who espouse Augusta Baker's advocacy for equity, social justice and diverse literature. The event is supported by the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair, Richland Library, the South Carolina Center for Community Literacy and the College of Information and Communications.