Belle da Costa Greene (1879-1950) was a real person, and she was American financier J.P. Morgan's personal librarian. She passed herself off as white in order to get the job. Belle made a lot of sacrifices that went along with "passing," which the book The Personal Librarian (2021) explores. The book is authored by a pair of authors - one of whom is Black and the other White (Victoria Christopher Murray and Marie Benedict).

The library is sponsoring a discussion of The Personal Librarian on Wednesday, October 5 from 12-1:30pm. See our bathroom newsletter The Privy to scan the QR code and sign up. The first three people to sign up will get a free copy of the book!