A Sampler Of Women's Studies Resources

• Introduction
  • A Note about Restrictions
  • Rare Books and Printed Materials
  • Using the Special Collections Library for Women's Studies Research
  • Help Document Women's Lives

Introduction

"If one woman were to tell the truth about her life, the world would split open" - Muriel Rukyser

Developing an understanding of human experience and culture requires access to historical documentation. And in order for women's roles and contributions to be fully recognized as a part of the human experience, our voices and writings must form a significant part of the historical record.

This purpose of this guide is to provide a sampling of primary sources for women's studies available in the Duke University Special Collections Library and thereby support the growing interest in women's studies research. The guide describes almost 300 collections which contain diaries, letters, photographs, scrapbooks, organizational records, oral history interviews, business records, advertisements, news clippings, films and video tapes - all of which serve to document the range of women's experiences and contributions.

The Special Collections Library currently preserves and provides access to over 9.5 million items in more than 6,000 collections, most of which contain items created by or pertaining to women. The collections date from the late 18th century to the present and spotlight women in just about every walk of life - from European royalty and plantation slave women to modern business women and contemporary feminist activists. Notable strengths include Southern women writers, women's work in industry, women's clubs and community organizations, domestic and social life in the rural and urban South, women and religion, women's rights and political activism, and a newly-created emphasis on lesbian cultures. Collections documenting the lives of African American women are specifically highlighted in the guide, Retrieving African-American Women's History: A Methodological Guide to Sources.

The following list of collections is intended to provide a representative sampling of the Library's archival and manuscript holdings documenting the range of women's experiences. It is not exhaustive but suggests the depth and breadth of women's materials available. The list was compiled by consulting the Library's catalog records, inventories, and accession records to bring together descriptions of collections where women are significantly represented. Entries are arranged alphabetically under seven broad subject headings.

A Note about Restrictions

Some of the collections listed in this guide have certain restrictions relating to access and/or publication. Restricted collections are designated by a Restricted notation after the geographic location note in the description. Restrictions vary with each collection and usually involve only portions of a collection. In some cases, researchers may need to seek permission from the donor before using the collection. In other cases, restrictions may refer to limitations on photocopies or permission to publish. In a few cases, the entire collection is closed until a certain date. If you are interested in a particular collection that is restricted, please inquire about collection and the nature of the restriction, since in many cases the materials may still be used.

Rare Books and Printed Materials

Although this guide focuses solely on archival and manuscript collections, the holdings of the Special Collections Library also includes more than 200,000 published volumes and includes extensive collections of pamphlets, broadsides, sheet music, and ancient papyri which are not reflected in this guide. Women are well-represented among the diverse rare book holdings which feature the works of Southern women writers, women's prescriptive literature, lesbian pulp novels, nazi propaganda, and women's liberation movement publications. Researchers are encouraged to consult with the Library's reference staff for information on specific authors or types of publications relating to women.

Using the Special Collections Library for Women's Studies Research

This guide should only be used as an introduction. These and other collections documenting women's lives are more fully described and indexed in finding aids and catalogs within the Special Collections Library. Holdings are also reported to national databases such as OCLC and RLIN. Researchers may wish to contact the Library for more detailed information about specific collections listed in this guide and for information about additional collections before making a research visit. Reference librarians and the Women's Studies Archivist are happy to respond to inquiries received by mail or telephone to help researchers plan their use of our collections. For further information about collections and hours of operation, contact:

Address:
Research Services
Special Collections Library
Box 90185
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0185

Phone: 919-660-5820
Fax: 919-684-2855
E-mail: special-collections@duke.edu

Help Document Women's Lives

Acquisition of research materials is a critical aspect in our effort to document women's lives and we rely heavily upon the assistance of interested individuals to help us locate primary source materials. If you have diaries, letters, photographs, or other rare materials that provide a piece of women's history or if you know of collections which have not yet been placed in an archival repository, we'd like to help find a permanent home where these materials can be preserved and made available to researchers. Please contact the Women's Studies Archivist at the addresses listed above and help write women back into history.

Compiled by Virginia Daley, Women's Studies Archivist, 1988. Rev. 1995.

Note: This is a published guide describing the collections held at Duke University and not scanned images or digitized text of actual archival documents. Contact our Reference Desk for more information on particular collections or for information on ordering copies from any of the collections listed.