How he left a legacy of African American contributions for Macon library patrons

Thirty years ago, Herbert Tuggle was recognized as the keeper of African American history in Macon when city and county officials declared Feb. 19 as Herbert Tuggle Day.

When Telegraph reporter Deb Evans asked Tuggle in 1998 how he observed the proclaimed day in his honor, his humble response was, “I was at the library saying, ‘Reference. May I help you please?’”

As part of its ongoing centennial celebration, the Washington Memorial Library on Wednesday hosted a ceremony to honor Tuggle’s contributions to African American literature and representation in Macon by dedicating its African American book collection to him.

“This collection is much more than a mere assemblage of books. It represents decades of meticulous work on behalf of Mr. Tuggle,” said Dr. Shaundra Walker, president of the Middle Georgia Regional Library Board of Trustees. “As we continue to celebrate the history of our city, the Herbert Tuggle African American Collections adds a valuable contribution to our community’s story.”

Black History Month is swiftly drawing to a close, but its celebration will never end, especially at the library where Tuggle’s integral contributions will infinitely reside.

After devoting nearly 40 years of his life to the library, Tuggle retired in 1996 as Middle Georgia Regional Library’s first African American head of reference.

He died in 2014, but his contributions to preserve Macon’s Black history lives on in every library guest who chooses to browse the collection.

If you missed it, you can see the dedication ceremony here.

History of Tuggle’s contributions

In 1959, he worked as the sole librarian at the Amelia Hutchins Library, Macon’s first library for Blacks. There, he began cultivating a specialized research collection known as the “Afro American Collection” when he realized the community needed more awareness of important library resources and knowledge related to Black history.

“I saw a terrible need to honor our unsung heroes,” Tuggle told The Telegraph in 1998.

During an era that did not accurately explore or depict Macon’s Black history, Tuggle wanted to elevate and expand people’s knowledge, said Muriel Jackson, Washington Memorial Library’s head of the Genealogical and Historical Room.

Tuggle wanted to introduce the children to both general literature and African American literature, she added.

When the Amelia Hutchins Library closed during the county’s time of racial integration, it merged with the Washington Memorial Library. Tuggle brought his rare collection with him when he entered those new doors.

Psychologist and longtime friend Maureen Walker described Tuggle as a well-respected role model back then.

“It was amazing to me,” Walker said. “One of the ironies we would talk about was how growing up as a kid, he would have never been allowed into Washington Library and then to become a reference librarian there.”

In 1990, the collection contained more than 9,000 volumes of magazines, photos, biographies, church bulletins and other vertical files, according to The Telegraph archives.

Jackson said Tuggle was her first boss at the library, where she got to witness his impeccable customer service and ultimate influence on the community for herself.

“It was wonderful because we had this [collection] before it became fashionable,” Jackson said. A lot of places had small African American collections, but now we have whole libraries dedicated to African American history.”

But he wasn’t just a helpful information source for Blacks, Jackson said.

“He was everybody’s head of reference librarian. He wasn’t just for the African American community. We need to get that straight,” she said. “He would come in and save books for people because he knew what their interests were.”

After staff unveiled a black and gold plaque that proudly reads “Herbert Tuggle Collection,” Tuggle’s family and community leaders highlighted his strong work ethic and kind personality.

“He was a great catalyst for building careers and library science and teaching us how to be librarians,” said Thomas Jones, former director of Middle Georgia Regional Libraries. “He was one who gave it his all. ... He taught all of us that if a person comes into the Washington Library, they are to leave with the information they [sought].”

This story was originally published February 21, 2024 at 1:17 PM.