Arguing that Africana librarianship developed in response to changes in the traditional image of Africa and that it influenced that image in turn, this paper focuses on the individuals who shaped Africana librarianship in the United States. The topics discussed include the earliest American examples of Africana librarianship as witnessed in the American Colonization Society; nineteenth century preservation and collection activities of such African-American bibliophiles as Arthur Schomburg; the development of the Schomburg, Moorland, and Wright collections; the leadership of librarians Dorothy Porter and Ernestine Rose; the growth of American library collections on Africa and foreign studies during World War II; cooperation and collection activities between librarians and Africanists; and the subsequent founding of the African Studies Association, which provided the first forum for national library cooperation in 1957. (47 footnotes) (MAB)