Explore Resources to Celebrate Women's History Month

Friday, Mar. 15, 2024

March is Women’s History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by and recognition of women in U.S. history. 

What we know today as Women's History Month has its origins in "Women’s History Week," created by the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women in 1978. 

Two years later, a consortium of women’s groups and historians lobbied for national recognition and in February 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 18, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. This consortium was led by the National Women’s History Project, which is now the National Women’s History Alliance. 

Each president thereafter continued to proclaim the week in March that coincided with International Women’s Day as Women’s History Week until 1987, when Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month.” Every president, since 1985, has declared March to be Women’s History Month. 

The National Women’s History Alliance chooses a theme for each year. 2024’s theme celebrates “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” The theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions.

In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups and historians—led by the National Women’s History Project (now the National Women's History Alliance)—successfully lobbied for national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week.  

Sources: https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month and https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/2024-whm-theme/

Johnson County Library has a variety of resources to read, listen to, or participate in, so it’s good we get to celebrate all month long. 

Get Started with Primary Sources 

  • Women’s Studies Archive - A Gale Primary Sources archive featuring documents that present the roles, experiences and achievements of women in 19th and 20th century society through a combination of articles, diaries, speeches, images and more
  • Women: Transnational Networks - A Gale Primary Sources archive in the Nineteenth Century Collections Online database comprised of articles, books, diaries, images and more covering North American, European and other regional gender and class issues.
     

Local History 

Watch 

  • Kanopy: Streaming movies including films directed by women, notable figures and history

Read

Women’s History Month: Celebrate Women’s History Month in March by reading some of the newer books in our collection about iconic, pioneering and legendary women and women’s movements. Or learn about figures and groups who have been obscured, lost or misconstrued previously by history.

No History Without Her Story: Stories about things women have been doing since time began.

Films Shining a Light on Historical Women:  In honor of Women's History Month, here's a mix of fictionalized accounts and documentaries on historical women around the globe.

Who Runs the World? Girls!: Diverse stories for middle-grade readers of brave, fierce, powerful girls and women of the past and present to inspire you throughout the year!

Women’s History Month: Memoirs: Explore some influential women in history through their own words with these memoirs.

Women in History for Teens: Teen books for those interested in herstory.

Women’s History Month in Graphic Novels: Graphic non-fiction titles for Women’s History Month.

Black Women to Read Now: Memoirs, essays and other non-fiction.