Join Us for Family Days at the Library: Celebrate Women’s History on March 9

Visit Us in Person

On Saturday, March 9^th, the Informal Learning Office continues a series of monthly, in-person family programs. We look forward to welcoming you to this unique opportunity to explore the Library collections while enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the Thomas Jefferson Building.

This month, we are celebrating the multi-disciplinary contributions of women. During the program, explore stories of women in the collection such as Nannie Helen Burroughs, Mary Pickford, and Maria Tallchief. Photos of some of the women featured in the Library’s vast collections will be featured on a communal mural commemorating female change-makers. Participants will be invited to add to this mural with drawings or descriptions of women they admire in their own lives. You’ll also be able to learn about the By the People transcription project and try your hand at transcribing Clara Barton’s papers. Later, grab an activity sheet to explore the Not an Ostrich exhibition and learn more about the some of the women depicted. Using the activity sheet, reimagine the artwork of the Jefferson Building by recreating paintings of allegorical women with drawings of individuals you admire.

Then, at 2:00 p.m. join us for a conversation with Chelsea Clinton, author of picture book “She Persisted” and related “She Persisted” chapter book series; Rita Williams-Garcia, a celebrated author of novels for young adults and middle grade readers; and Meg Medina, current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Book signing to follow. All ages are welcome.  An event-specific ticket is required to attend the book talk.

The free, drop-in activities will run from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This program is designed for kids and families, but all ages are welcome to join. All materials are provided. There is no charge for the event, but you will need to pre-register for free passes for entry. A limited number of walkup tickets are available daily. ADA accommodations can be requested five business days in advance at (202) 707-6363 or by emailing [email protected].

Join In from Home

If you can’t visit us for the March 9^th program in person, you can still participate! Keep reading for additional resources to discover in the Library of Congress’ collections.

Take a look at the Library’s Free to Use and Reuse photosets for an easy entry into researching women’s lives at the Library of Congress. Two sets that may be of interest are the Women’s History Month and African American Women Changemakers collections.

There are also a number of virtual exhibitions featuring women’s struggles and achievements to be found on the Library’s website. Learn about the long campaign for women’s voting rights, explore the stories of the activists involved, and discover their strategies in the online exhibition “Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote.” I was especially interested to learn about Sofia Reyes de Veyra and Milagros Benet de Newton, whose stories were new to me.

You could also investigate the online exhibition “Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists” to learn more about the women who contributed to the visual arts in North America. I enjoyed the variety of drawing styles, especially those featured in the magazine covers section.

Finally, check out the “Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words” online exhibition to explore the Library’s wide collection based on Rosa Parks’ papers. Learn about her life and expansive work outside of her most famous refusal to give up her seat on the bus. I found learning about her long-term national and global influence deepened my understanding of her activism.

If these exhibitions don’t have the answers for the questions you have, we also have resources to help you take a deep dive on your own! Learn about the many collections related to American women in the Manuscript Division in this resource guide. Or, review all of the resource guides related to American women’s history on this Library of Congress Resource Guide subject page.

Once you’ve had your fill of research, it’s time for an activity! Take a moment to think about a woman you admire, whether from history or in your own life. It might be someone you learned about through the Library’s resources, or someone of whom you had prior knowledge. Once you have someone in mind, stretch your creative muscles by writing them a letter. What would you like them to know? What sort of impact have they had on you? Are there any questions you would like to ask them?

Whether you can join us on March 9^th or not, we hope you enjoy exploring the Library’s collections and learning more about the women featured within them. Happy researching!