Margaret Clara Scoggin

1905 - 1968

Librarian


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Margaret Clara Scoggin
 Born April 14, 1905, Margaret Clara Scoggin is one of the four women who impacted the development of library service for young adults.  After graduating from Radcliffe College in 1926, she applied for a summer job at the New York Public Library (NYPL). The temporary job led to a career that was strongly influenced by her mentor and director -  Mabel Williams.  In 1929, Scoggin took a one year sabbatical to return to school for training in librarianship.  Upon her return from the School of Librarianship at the University of London, she was appointed the librarian in charge of school and reference work at one of the branches of the NYPL.  In 1938 she began a Master's Degree program in library science at Columbia University but she never submitted the final coursework to obtain her degree.  She was assigned to organize and direct the new Nathan Straus Branch for Children and Young People in 1940.  While there she instituted a teenage book reviewers' group that published a monthly newsletter. Then in 1946 she began moderating a weekly radio program of the same nature.  In 1952, she succeeded Mabel Williams as superintendent of Work with Schools and Young People.  

Photograph from Top of the News (Atkinson, 1986, p. 33).

Awards
  • Received Constance Lindsay Skinner Award, Women's National Book Association, 1952
  • Received Lane Bryant Award, 1956
  • Received Marshal Field Award, 1956
  • Received Grolier Award, American Library Association, 1960
Selected Works
  • Chucklebait, 1945
  • Love of Danger, 1947
  • More Chucklebait, 1949
  • The Edge of Danger, 1951
  • Battle Stations, 1953
  • Escapes and Rescues, 1960
Bibliography
  • Atkinson, J. (1986, Fall). Pioneers in public library service to young adults. Top of the News, 43 (1), 27-44.
  • Hannigan, J.A. (1996, Spring). A feminist analysis of the voices for advocacy in young adult services. Library Trends, 44 (4), 851-874.
  • Lowy, B. (1978). Scoggin, M. C. In B. S. Wynar (Ed.), Dictionary of American library biography (pp. 465-467). Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
  • 100 of the most important leaders we had in the 20th century. (1999, December). American Libraries, 30 (11), 38-48.

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Last Modified: May 5, 2002