Black Studies Librarian finds more than a community

Yujay Masah learned about the power of librarians when her elementary school librarian arranged a visit from Kansas City Zoo staff. Animal handlers brought “a big lizard,” she said, and everyone lost their minds with excitement—all because the librarian had fostered a sense of wonderment.

“An important part of librarianship is sparking people’s curiosity and giving them these angles to discover new things,” Masah said. “Librarians should be bringing that kind of energy to everybody at every level.”

Masah joined Northwestern last fall as the Libraries’ liaison to the Department of Black Studies. She filled the role previously held by Kathleen Bethel, who retired in 2023 after serving in that position since 1982. Despite her two master’s degrees, in public history and library science, Masah said she felt a little nervous to follow Bethel, who is something of a legend in the Northwestern community.

“Stepping into the space where Kathleen had spent 41 years building relationships was daunting but really exciting,” she said. “You can see the path she’s taken here that is so rich, not only in the materials she curated but also in the partnerships and friendships she built. I am excited to be in a position where there’s precedent to make both those things a priority.”

The more she learned about the Black studies department at Northwestern—born from the demands of student protesters at the 1968 takeover of the bursar’s office—the more Masah knew she couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“The Black studies department has always had a vision, not only as a study of the Black experience but as an advocate for a community,” she said. “My personal brand of librarianship has a social responsibility angle to it. I was really drawn to the idea that my role as a librarian would be to support the department’s mission.”

In her first year, Masah has observed with amazement the dynamic of a Black studies department that is ambitious and active.

“‘Community’ is not a strong enough word for what is there,” she said. “There’s a familial kind of connection in these spaces, where people are having very open and candid discussions about their work and about Black studies writ large. They’re not conversations you would see in just any department.”

Masah builds her own relationships with her community one at a time, whether through consulting with a student about a term paper or assisting a faculty member with a months long book project. She recently began supporting the Caribbean studies program, giving her new things to learn and connections to make among library collections.

“What drew me to this role was how big the possibilities are,” she said. “There is a type of community-building unique to this position, and a chance to foster scholarship. You can’t do this anywhere but in an academic research library.”