For a complete interview with Kathryn Harris including transcripts, an abstract, and donated photos see the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Oral History Website at: http://goo.gl/IEkyOT
Kathryn Harris, the Director of Library Services at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, was born in Carbondale, Illinois on December 5, 1947 to William and Eurma Hayes. This interview covers Kathryn’s experiences growing up in Carbondale, Illinois, her college years at Southern Illinois University and graduate school at the University of Illinois’s Library Sciences program. Of particular interest are Kathryn’s memories of her childhood on the east side of Carbondale, Illinois, part of a vibrant AfricanAmerican community in the midst of a predominantly white community.