Remembering Tabitha Kirin

Former Lehman Reference librarian Tabitha Kirin passed away on July 31, 2025.  In addition to her Reference responsibilities, she served as Lehman’s original Library Liaison to High School of American Studies.  Born and raised in North Carolina, Tabitha exemplified true Southern graciousness, and her spirt touched many lives. 

Before earning her MLS degree at Columbia University, Professor Kirin’s undergraduate English degree led to editorial work on the Alexander Hamilton Papers for the university’s press. Afterwards she served as copy editor at H. W. Wilson, the well-regarded library publisher. 

Lehman first hired Tabitha Kirin as Deputy Director of Bronx Regional and Community History Institute, where she worked on implementing the NEH-funded Bronx Oral History Project, recording 20th century community experiences of older Bronxites.  Not only did she capture these oral histories, she conducted over 130 interviews herself.  She also taught a Lehman credit-bearing course on oral history.

These interviews and documentation form the basis of our Special Collections’ archival focus, accessed by students, faculty, community members, researchers and scholars.  A sampling of sound excerpts she helped create can be heard on the website Childhood in the Bronx: https://www.lehman.edu/library/childhood/index.html

In addition to Tabitha’s central role in capturing and teaching oral history, she received PSC-CUNY grants exploring “Glimpses of Moses: The impact of transportation improvements on the quality of Bronx neighborhood life (1936-1973)”, and “Morphology of a South Bronx Neighborhood – Mount Hope (1938-1988).”  Further, her involvement with Spuyten Duyvil Homeowners Association resulted in research on significance of legal deed covenants.  Tabitha frequently shared her studies and expertise at local and state conferences.