Women’s History Month

What was once National Women’s History Week in 1981 is now National Women’s History Month, which achieved federal recognition in 1987. However, this observance can be traced back to women’s labor marches from 1857 as well as movements on suffrage and equality in the early 20th century through the 1970s. Today, further strides are being made on the forefront of diversity, equity, and inclusion as women of color, trans women, queer women, and disabled women are re-centered in the pivotal roles they’ve played in women’s history. McDermott Library offers a wealth of resources that focus on the integral role all women have played in shaping our country and the world.

Our collection features major electronic collections including the Latin American Women Writers collection, the African American Historical Serials collection, and the African American Communities databases, providing newspapers, magazines, and other resources that represent the impact women of color have made in women’s history. Users can take advantage of the LGBT Magazine Archive, the Gender: Identity and Social Change database, and the Gender Studies POWERSEARCH database, which feature materials that span decades of the LGBTQIA2-S+ community’s history and impact on social and cultural change, especially in regard to trans women and queer women’s critical role in shaping and achieving women’s rights and equality. McDermott also offers databases and resources where users can browse materials on accessibility and disability in research on women with disabilities and their role in society. Additional resources include the British and Irish Women’s Letters and Diaries database and the Women’s Suffrage Collection, providing, respectively, primary sources of real women’s voices and experiences, and historical sources ranging from 1812-1920 and covering the struggle for women’s right to vote.

We’ve put together a list of women’s history resources covering the continued and vital position women have in history. If you’d like more information stop by and one of our librarians will be more than happy to help you.