Women's History Month

March 11, 2024

Women's History Month, proclaimed annually by the President of the United States since 1995, offers an opportunity to discover, honor, and share the enormous contributions of American women.

"Though their stories too often go untold," says the proclamation, "all of us stand on the shoulders of these sung and unsung trailblazers — from the women who took a stand as suffragists, abolitionists, and labor leaders to pioneering scientists and engineers, groundbreaking artists, proud public servants, and brave members of our Armed Forces."

Library collections can help you learn more about the known trailblazers who have shaped our world, or even discover the less well known. A few places to start:

• The Women Composers Collection, with rare and sometimes unique scores by 18th-20th century women composers, many available online 
• The Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive documenting the American culinary experience, which offers crucial insight into American women's history, and is in itself a testament to its trailblazing creator
• The Joseph A. Labadie Collection, with materials on many feminist and women's causes and movements in the U.S.

And a recent NPR interview with filmmaker Su Friedrich about the women who shaped award-winning movies from behind the scenes highlights the potential rewards of deep dives into archival collections like Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers.

The library also hosts digitized collections held by the William L. Clements Library, among them:

• The Louise Gilman Papers, 1866-1869 — letters written by Louise Gilman while serving as a teacher at the Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia, a school established to educate freed slaves.
• The Lydia Maria Child Papers, 1835-1894 — personal letters from the editor of The National Anti-Slavery Standard documenting her day to day finances, friends, and family

Use Ask a Librarian for help finding materials, or contact one of our experts for help on a specific topic or area of study.