Below is a selection of bookplates, which you may notice in volumes in the Bank Street College Library. Select a collection below to view a bookplate image or description of the collection.
The Peni Golden Poetry Collection was established in 1987 in honor of Bank Street School for Children Teacher Peni Golden (1933-1985). Golden was a passionate lover of literature and poetry and as a way to remember Peni and as a means of continuing her ideas, a fund was initiated in order to support the Peni Golden Poetry Book Collection. More than 100 titles were purchased with the initial gift.
In 1980, the Bank Street College Library was presented with a large collection of books and records which constituted the Charity Bailey Collection. From 1970-1980, Bailey was an adjuncy faculty member at Bank Street. Before her tenure here, Bailey was a television personality, recording artist and music teacher in schools including, the Henry Street Settlement Music School, Little Red School House and the Harlem School of the Arts.
Each year the Children’s Book Committee reviews all newly published books and selects approximately 600 titles for inclusion in the The Best Children’s Books of the Year. When the process is complete, the Book Committee generously donates their selections to the Library. For one year, the books are on display and may be used for reference in the library. After that, those books which are incorporated into the permanent collection are denoted with a Children’s Book Committee bookplate.
Nancy Ray Smith (1930-1990) was a nationally known arts educator who championed the thoughtfulness of teachers and the place of artistic learning in children’s development. She had a wide career as a teacher, working for a number of innovative educational programs at the New Lincoln School, The Museum of Modern Art and Bank Street. The Nancy R. Smith Art Collection contains books and pamphlets from Smith’s personal collection selected by Lois Lord. The Bookplate was designed by David Franklin.
The Wesley Clair Mitchell Collection was established in 1962 to honor Lucy Sprague Mitchell’s husband and Bureau of Educational Experiments co-founder, Wesley Clair Mitchell. Begun with a gift from Dr. Harry Scherman and his wife, the fund was for the purchase of social science books for the College Library.
