During the entire month of March, the ALA Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship (COSWL) will recognize and celebrate women’s achievements with National Women’s History Month.
National Women’s History Month traces its origins back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women’s Day was later observed in 1909. In 1981, the U.S. Congress designated the second week of March National Women’s History Week, and in 1987 Congress expanded it to a month-long observance.
According to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Women in the Labor Force: A Databook, women make up over 84 percent of the library profession. Over the years, the ALA women’s groups have helped to develop evaluative tools, guidelines and programs to enhance the opportunities and the image of women in the library profession.
Here are some resources that are available:
- Harassment in the Workplace
- Caregiver’s Toolkit (COSWL)
- Women of Library History (FTF)
- Women and Gender Studies Web Sites (WGSS)
For additional resources and information on how to celebrate National Women’s History Month, please visit: the National Women’s History Month Resources page.
The ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) serves as the liaison to the ALA Committee on the Status of Women (COSWL).