Schlesinger Library

Schlesinger Library on the Harvard University campus is a renowned research library, founded by Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr. and Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. in 1943, with a mission to document the lives of Rosa Parks, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, and other prominent American women like Shirley Chisholm, Wilma Mankiller, and Dolores Huerta. The library is named after Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr., a prominent Harvard University historian, and is closely associated with the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and the Harvard University Library system, which includes the Widener Library and the Houghton Library. The library's founding was also influenced by the work of Maud Wood Park, a leading figure in the National Woman's Party, and Alice Paul, a prominent suffragist.

● History

The Schlesinger Library has a rich history, dating back to the early 20th century, when Radcliffe College began collecting materials related to the history of American women, including the papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Alice Stone Blackwell. The library's early collections were shaped by the work of Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, a Chinese-American suffragist, and Mary Church Terrell, a prominent African-American educator and activist. In the 1940s and 1950s, the library acquired the papers of notable women like Eleanor Roosevelt, Frances Perkins, and Dorothy West, which are now part of the library's extensive holdings, along with the papers of Shirley Graham Du Bois, Lorraine Hansberry, and Pauli Murray. The library has also been influenced by the work of Historic Preservation Society, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the American Institute of Architects.

● Collections

The Schlesinger Library's collections are vast and diverse, comprising over 2,500 manuscript collections, 80,000 volumes of printed materials, and thousands of photographs, audio recordings, and moving images related to the lives of American women, including Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Madam C.J. Walker. The library's holdings include the papers of prominent women like Gloria Anzaldua, Toni Morrison, and Maxine Hong Kingston, as well as the records of organizations like the National Organization for Women, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The library's collections also document the lives of women involved in the Women's Trade Union League, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and the United Farm Workers, including Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez.

● Architecture and Facilities

The Schlesinger Library is housed in a building designed by Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott, a renowned architectural firm, and is located in the heart of the Harvard University campus, near the Harvard Yard and the Cambridge Common. The library's facilities include reading rooms, exhibition spaces, and a state-of-the-art conservation lab, which is equipped to preserve and conserve the library's rare and fragile materials, including the papers of Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Sylvia Plath. The library's building is also home to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, which sponsors fellowships and research initiatives, including the Radcliffe Fellowship and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

● Programs and Services

The Schlesinger Library offers a range of programs and services, including research assistance, digitization initiatives, and exhibitions showcasing the library's holdings, such as the papers of Rosa Parks, Betty Friedan, and Gloria Steinem. The library also sponsors lectures, workshops, and conferences on topics related to the history of American women, including the women's suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, and the feminist movement, featuring speakers like Angela Davis, Cornel West, and Rebecca Walker. The library's programs and services are designed to support research and scholarship, and to promote the use of the library's collections, which include the papers of Shirley Chisholm, Wilma Mankiller, and Dolores Huerta.

● Notable Holdings

The Schlesinger Library's notable holdings include the papers of Eleanor Roosevelt, Frances Perkins, and Dorothy West, as well as the records of organizations like the National Organization for Women and the American Civil Liberties Union. The library's collections also document the lives of women involved in the Women's Trade Union League, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and the United Farm Workers, including Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez. Other notable holdings include the papers of Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Madam C.J. Walker, as well as the records of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which are closely associated with the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. The library's holdings also include the papers of Gloria Anzaldua, Toni Morrison, and Maxine Hong Kingston, which are part of the library's extensive collections related to the history of American women, including Shirley Chisholm, Wilma Mankiller, and Dolores Huerta.