Charleszine Nelson

Since her formative years, Charleszine “Terry” Nelson had always been interested in history and in the who, why, where and when. Coupled with a love for reading, she found her haven in libraries and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1968. With encouragement from Pauline Robinson, a librarian she met during her undergraduate years, Ms. Nelson went on to attain a Master in Library Science and Information Technology from Emporia State University in 1992 and a Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the Denver Institute of Urban Studies in 2016.

Ms. Nelson has dedicated the entirety of her career to the Denver Public Library and has served in her current role as senior special collection and community resources manager at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library since 2003. Over the course of 30 years, she has also been a bookmobile librarian, manager of the library film center, reference and humanities librarian and manager of volunteer services. Notably, she was the first African American who became a supervisor at the Denver Public Library.

A contributor to numerous journals, manuals, books and films, Ms. Nelson is also the co-author of the 1995 work “Recruiting and Managing Volunteers in Libraries,” which is frequently referenced by managers of volunteer programs in libraries throughout the United States. In 2018, she was the recipient of the Molly Brown Preservationist Award from Historic Denver and was named a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalist Association. Likewise, she earned recognition as a Pioneer in Field of Historic Documentation and Archival Processes by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Upon reflection, Ms. Nelson recalls her most notable achievement was being a part of the creation of the library, as they were one of five in the United States to have been a part of the building group of Mayor Wellington Webb. Today, she maintains membership with the American Library Association, African American Advisory Community, American Association of University Women and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She plans to continue working and living be her mottos, “Determination and authenticity – How you fall down does not make a difference. It is how you get up” and “Pay attention to your gut feeling. It will keep you from a lot of headaches.”