History of Women

The collection is a comprehensive collection of literature by and about American and European women from the 1700s through 1920. The microfilm collection consists of books, pamphlets, periodicals, manuscripts and photographs. Included in the collection are resources on topics such as birth control, education, the professions, women's rights, women's organizations, social reform, and the role of women in the settling of the American West. The History of Women collection is based primarily on works found in the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, located at Radcliffe College, and the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College.

Access to the History of Women collection is provided through the library's online catalog, Portal, and through a printed History of Women: Guide to the Microfilm Collection. The guide is shelved in the microform area.

The first step in using the History of Women collection is to find the reel number and the item number assigned to the material. Portal can be used for author, title, subject and keyword searches. By entering a keyword and the words "history of women" a person may identify the items in the collection that pertain to that topic. The resulting Portal records will contain the reel and item numbers. However, the 546 photographs contained on reel 963 are not indexed in Portal. The printed Guide to the Microform Collection is the best way to fully utilize the History of Women microfilm collection. It includes a reel guide summary, an alphabetical main-entry index, a periodicals title list, a subject/name index, and a name index to the photographs. Within the guide, a person may find the reel number and/or the item number for the required material. A description of how to use the guide is in the prefatory pages.

The History of Women reels are located in several file cabinets in the microform area. The main collection reels are numbered first then the reel numbers start over with the periodicals. Please feel free to ask for assistance in locating items and setting up the microform readers. Operating instructions are posted next to the microform readers for the convenience of patrons.

Microform copies are 10 cents per page copied. Make sure to deposit your money in the coinbox attached to the microform reader. From that point on pressing the print button on the microform reader will make copies of the viewed materials. The printer located underneath the microform reader must be turned on. An attendant in the Periodicals Department will be able to assist if necessary.

Please place the microfilm in the small return box on the table next to the microform readers.

We invite questions and/or comments and look forward to hearing from you. Contact Sarah Sutton at Sarah.Sutton@tamucc.edu.

• Periodicals Department Staff
• Periodicals Department Hours
• Periodicals Department Policies

Webpage revised on 08/10/2007