Kate Edith Pierce

Kate Edith Pierce (30 November 1873 – 27 March 1966) was a British librarian based in Kettering.

She was inspired by James Duff Brown[1] who had designed the "first ever open shelf library system launched in May, 1893".

[4] Pierce defended the right of women to become librarians joining debates in the pages of the Library World journal.

In 1914 she was the President of the North Midlands Library Association for the first time when women librarians began to be the majority.

After this she became the chair of the newly formed East Midlands Regional Library Bureau.