Reference Librarian and African American History Subject Specialist
Calvina is the Reference Librarian, and African American History Subject Specialist of the Library Company of Philadelpha, joining the staff in July 2024. A Philadelphian native. Most recently, she was the historical researcher for the State of Delaware, Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ historic site, Cooch’s Bridge, which is Delaware’s only American Revolutionary battle site. Calvina presented her research at the site’s Juneteenth event, on free and enslaved African Americans that labored at Cooch’s Bridge, including references to the neighboring historic Black community of Iron Hill. She was featured in the Newark Post‘s June 2024 issue. Calvina’s background involves collaborating on historical research projects, such as the Cooch Family Papers research project with Historian and Archeologist Wade Catts, teaching, programming, and conducting cultural anthropological field work centered on recording African American oral stories and traditions involving farm life and culture in Delaware. She holds a bachelor’s of science from Springfield College, with foundational coursework in sociology, program management, and social policy, and currently pursuing a masters of arts in teaching, with a specialization in history, from the University of Maryland.
