One of North America’s leading research institutions in the field of children’s literature, located at the University of Southern Mississippi, has new leadership, as university officials have recently appointed Karlie Herndon as curator of its de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection.
That announcement was made on October 25, when Herndon was named as the successor of longtime curator Ellen Ruffin, who recently retired from the position. Herndon had previously served as interim director of the collection, which is housed in the McCain Library and Archives building on the Southern Miss campus.
“It’s definitely exciting,” Herndon said. “When I first set foot in the de Grummond about six years ago, I thought ‘this is my happy place.’
“I’m looking forward to continuing the incredible work that my predecessors set in motion, and I’m excited about some new opportunities for collaboration and development in the collection too.”
In her new position, which officially began on October 2, Herndon is in charge of curation, which includes identifying materials that she would like to acquire for the collection, as well as considering anything that may no longer fit its scope. She also will work with de Grummond’s head of special collections to set long-term goals for the collection to plan exhibits, events and projects designed to promote the collection.
Herndon worked as a student employee at de Grummond for two summers. She completed a practicum, along with an internship, that allowed her to develop skills in archival processing and creating research guide. In August 2022, she returned to the university to become assistant curator at the exhibit, and was named interim curator in June, following Ruffin’s retirement.
“I’m lucky that I've worked in several different capacities in de Grummond, as all my experiences help me see how best to coordinate our staff efforts,” Herndon said. “I've also been a student and researcher working in de Grummond as a patron, so I have a good handle on how to serve our users well, too.
“As a student worker, I got to spend a lot of hands-on time with materials, and as assistant curator, I started working more with donors and patrons. Every different experience I've had in prior roles serves me now as curator.”
Herndon is currently completing her Ph.D. from USM in English literature, specializing in children’s literature. She obtained a B.A. in English (creative writing) and a B.S. in psychology from Virginia Tech.
She earned a Master of Library and Information Science, with a graduate certificate in archives and special collections from USM, and an M.A in English from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Her professional affiliations include memberships in the Children’s Literature Association, American Library Association, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Society of American Archivists, and Society of Mississippi Archivists.
Herndon said Ruffin was instrumental in helping her prepare for the new role.
“Ellen has been teaching me about this collection since my first visit as a graduate student, and she hasn't stopped helping me grow in my knowledge of children's literature and the de Grummond,” Herndon said. “Ellen's sincere interest in people and their stories is an inspiration for anyone who meets her, and her generosity of time and energy is incredible.
“Working as the assistant curator with Ellen gave me so many opportunities to learn more about the collection and the infinite possibilities it holds for researchers and creators alike. She has always been, and continues to be, an incredible mentor and supporter.”
The de Grummond Collection is home to more than 1,400 collections of original manuscripts, illustrations, and correspondence from authors and illustrators that include Randolph Caldecott, John Newbery, Kate Greenaway, H.A. and Margret Rey, and Ezra Jack Keats.
Those materials are supplemented by a book collection of historical and contemporary children's literature that include Aesop’s Fables that date back to 1530, a board game from 1790, more than 100 version of the Cinderella story and the papers of popular young adult author, John Green. Researchers from across the United States, around the world and all disciplines at Southern Miss visit the collection on a regular basis to study its fables, fairy tales, folklore, alphabet books, nursery rhymes, textbooks, religious books, moral tales, fantasy, fiction, primers, and children's magazines.
The collection also includes valuable collections that might be less prominent, and as curator, Herndon plans to highlight these materials.
“We have some events lined up that I hope will be exciting for our local community,” she said. “Details (will come) soon.”
