▁St anton ▁Jones ▁( May ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 1 3   – ▁September ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 ) ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Library ▁Association , ▁serving ▁as ▁its ▁acting ▁president ▁from ▁April ▁ 1 1 ▁to ▁July ▁ 2 2 ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁and ▁then ▁its ▁president ▁from ▁July ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁She ▁was ▁also ▁appointed ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Detroit ▁Public ▁Library ▁( 1 9 7 0 – 1 9 7 8 ), ▁becoming ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁director ▁of ▁a ▁major ▁city ▁public ▁library ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁St anton ▁Jones ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri , ▁to ▁a ▁close - kn it , ▁Catholic ▁family . ▁Her ▁future ▁career ▁and ▁impact ▁in ▁library ▁science ▁almost ▁seemed ▁pred est ined ▁as ▁she ▁frequ ented ▁the ▁library ▁at ▁an ▁early ▁age . ▁Jones ▁rec alls ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁smallest ▁pat rons ▁at ▁the ▁public ▁library ▁near ▁her ▁grand m other ' s ▁house ; ▁she ▁was ▁also ▁among ▁very ▁few ▁black ▁children ▁at ▁that ▁local ▁library . ▁Although ▁Jones ▁had ▁very ▁little ▁interaction ▁with ▁li br ari ans ▁in ▁her ▁young ▁years , ▁she ▁read ▁what ▁interested ▁her ▁and ▁selected ▁her ▁own ▁materials . ▁Her ▁mother