College and Research Libraries


By M A R T H A S. BELL 

Special Women's Collections in 

United States Libraries 

TH E F O L L O W I N G L I S T of special collec-tions of materials by and about 
women and their activities was made 
possible by the kind and ready coopera-
tion of many librarians. Particular ac-
knowledgement of gratitude goes to the 
staff of the Women's Archives at Rad-
cliffe College. Their helpful assistance 
in making the resources of that splendid 
library available materially furthered 
this project. When possible, the librar-
ies concerned were visited and the con-
tent of individual collections observed 
at first hand. 

The aim of the list is to give loca-
tion and description of separate collec-
tions only. No attempt is made to present 
information concerning the many strong 
holdings on women which are an inte-
gral part of numerous libraries, except 
in a few cases where a specially col-
lected group of books on women has 
been incorporated directly into the gen-
eral collection as a matter of library 
policy. All listings, with these excep-
tions, are for specific materials separated 
from the larger holdings of a library, or 
for those which constitute a special li-
brary in their own right. Collections both 
large and small have been included. Al-
though many significant letters, manu-
scripts, and papers were located, it has 
seemed best to limit this list to collec-
tions containing published volumes. 
Alumnae collections found throughout 
the country in women's colleges have 
also been omitted. 

Miss Bell is Librarian, Randolph-
Macon Woman's College, Lynchburg, 
Virginia. 

When the collections are viewed as a 
whole and the source materials they 
offer are considered, a number of ob-
servations may be made: (1) The several 
collections specifically on feminism and 
leaders of the feminist movement, to-
gether with books on feminism in some 
of the large collections on the history of 
women, present comprehensive and ade-
quate coverage on that subject. (2) A few 
collections, assembled in the 1890's and 
early 1900's, though not now active, have 
real historical significance. (3) Several 
excellent collections of books, files of pa-
pers, letters, journals, etc., offer scholars 
extensive and invaluable source material 
on the history of women, their contri-
bution, collective or individual, to the 
social, political, and intellectual prob-
lems of their times. The two outstanding 
libraries of this nature are the Women's 
Archives at Radcliffe College and the 
Sophia Smith Collection at Smith Col-
lege. (4) Although some notable separate 
collections on individual women exist, 
they are not as numerous as would be 
expected, and materials on individual 
authors of note have been neglected. 
True, much valuable material by and 
about individual women may be found 
in the large collections on the history of 
women, in numerous college alumnae 
sections, and in holdings of countless 
general libraries. If, however, the publi-
cations by and about the individual au-
thors not represented elsewhere were as-
sembled, they would take on significance 
by presenting and preserving in one 
group the achievements of the author. 
Such groups of books, also, would be-
come most valuable when developed to 

MAY 1959 235 



include personal letters and papers. (5) 
Comparatively few books by and about 
women have been assembled on a re-
gional basis. (6) Other than in religion 
and medicine, no collections on women 
in the professions were located. (7) Bibli-
ographical data are available for only a 
few collections. When such lists do exist, 
however, they are excellent. 

I N D I V I D U A L 

J A N E A D D A M S . Jane Addams Collection. 
Swarthmore College Peace Collection, 
Friends Historical Library, Swarth-
more, Pennsylvania. 

This collection, a memorial to Miss Ad-
dams, includes all her published writings, 
extensive correspondence, and a large col-
lection of her personal peace records. T h e 
largest collection of Jane Addams papers 
in existence. 

A N N E O F B R I T T A N Y . T h e Anne of Brit-
tany Collection. Love Memorial Li-
brary, University of Nebraska, Lin-
coln, Nebraska. 
This collection contains about fifteen 

hundred books and manuscripts, including 
numerous biographies, references to Anne 
in histories of her time, and related ma-
terials. First editions, fine bindings, as well 
as modern trade editions are included. Ma-
terial ranges from stories of romance to 
thoughtful analysis of Anne of Brittany, the 
politician and stateswoman. Several "mu-
seum books" on the practice of medicine 
during this period are included, along with 
examples of fine binding and printing of 
fifteenth- and sixteenth-century France. Ma-
terial is still being collected. A descriptive 
folder of the collection was issued in 1951. 

S U S A N B. A N T H O N Y . The Susan B. An-
thony Collection. Los Angeles Public 
Library, Los Angeles, California. 

This is a varied collection of approx-
imately seventy-five volumes, part of the 
material previously collected by the Susan 
B. Anthony Committee. I t includes any book 
which mentions Miss Anthony or the suf-

frage movement during the period when she 
was active. Letters, manuscripts, pamphlets, 
and related materials collected by the Susan 
B. Anthony Committee have been released 
to the Henry E. Huntington Library. 

M A R I E B A S H K I R S H E F F . Wilson College Li-
brary, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. 
Books by and about the author, letters, 

pictures, and copies of her Journal in all 
languages to which it has been translated. 
About seventy-five items. 

H A L L I E Q U I N N B R O W N . Central State Col-
lege, Wilberforce, Ohio. 
Memorial collection of the books, letters 

and papers of Hallie Q. Brown, Negro au-
thor and elocutionist of the early twentieth 
century. 

E L I Z A B E T H B A R R E T T B R O W N I N G . Brown-
ing Collection. Scripps College Li-
brary, Claremont, California. 
This collection of books, papers, and 

manuscripts by and about the Brownings 
and Browning source materials was started 
in 1944 with a gift of its library by the 
Pacific Coast Browning Foundation. Of the 
five hundred books in the collection, some 
one hundred and twenty-five are by or about 
Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Photographs, 
clippings covering the Brownings, associa-
tion items, etc. are included. A t present 
concentration is being placed on acquiring 
manuscripts of original letters to the Brown-
ings, manuscripts of their original works, 
and association items. Continuous exhibits 
of material from the collection are featured 
in the room which houses the collection. 
"Browning Day" is celebrated annually. 

W I L L A C A T H E R . Willa Cather Pioneer 
Memorial Library, Red Cloud, Ne-
braska. 
This organization, started in 1955, aims 

to develop a permanent art, literary, and 
historical collection relating to the life, 
times, and work of Miss Cather. I t now con-
tains books, photostat copies of early maga-
zine stories, letters, photographs, and many 
clippings about her life and work. I t will 
also contain background literature she her-
self read. 

236 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



E M I L Y D I C K I N S O N . Jones Library, Am-
herst, Massachusetts. 

This collection presents a practically com-
plete chronological record of the published 
works of Emily Dickinson. Starting with the 
first published poems, printed anonymously 
in an anthology, it contains all editions and 
all printings of all editions of Miss Dickin-
son's poems, all anthologies in which her 
poems have appeared, all foreign editions 
and translations. Braille editions are also 
included. A complete series of editions and 
printings of her letters have been similarly 
assembled. T h e collection includes biog-
raphies of Emily Dickinson as well as books 
which contain critical material, chapters, or 
poems about her. Also, all plays and novels 
in which she appears as a character are col-
lected. As an accompaniment to this, there 
is an extensive file on newspapers and peri-
odicals in which her poems first appeared, 
as well as articles of criticism, etc. 

A group of about thirty graduate theses 
on Emily Dickinson is included, also a file 
of sheet music when her poems have been 
used as songs. T h e collection is now being 
expanded by adding the books whose titles 
Miss Dickinson mentions in her writings. 
T h e collection is fully cataloged and in-
dexed. I t forms an interesting addition of 
the Emily Dickinson manuscript material at 
Amherst College and Harvard. 

A L I C E M O R S E E A R L E . Alice Morse Earle 
Collection. Brooklyn College, Brook-
lyn, New York. 

Collection of seventeen first editions of 
Mrs. Earle's works. 

L O U I S E I M O G E N G U I N E Y . Louise Imogen 
Guiney Collection. Dinand Library, 
Holy Cross College, Worcester, Massa-
chusetts. 

About sixty volumes by and about Miss 
Guiney, poet and essayist, including all but 
one of her books (a small privately printed 
edition), books edited and translated by her, 
scrapbooks, clippings, photographs, twenty-
five manuscripts, and some six hundred and 
eighty letters written by Miss Guiney. 
Housed in a memorial room. 

S A R A H O R N E J E W E T T . Sarah Orne Jewett 
Collection. Colby College, Waterville, 
Maine. 
I t is planned to make this collection of 

books by and about Miss Jewett as exhaus-
tive as possible. I t contains about eight 
hundred books, seventy magazine articles, 
various clippings, and four original manu-
scripts. Variant editions of Miss Jewett's 
books are included. 

J O A N O F A R C . The Joan of Arc Collec-
tion. Monsignor Joseph M. Gleason 
Library, San Francisco College for 
Women, San Francisco, California. 
Approximately one hundred books, and 

a few pamphlets and clippings, about Joan 
of Arc collected during Monsignor Glea-
son's lifetime. Started about 1892. Material 
occasionally added. 

A L I C E M E Y N E L L . Alice Meynell Collec-
tion. Boston University Library, Bos-
ton, Massachusetts. 
Started in 1946, this collection contains 

all first editions of Mrs. Meynell's publica-
tion, a section of volumes containing notable 
and significant criticisms of the work, a com-
plete collection of books to which she con-
tributed prefaces or introductions, and a 
complete set of her translations from Latin, 
French, Italian. Mrs. Meynell's uncollected 
contributions, prose and poetry, are nearly 
complete. Material about Alice Meynell is 
also being collected. T h e books number to 
date about two hundred fifty. T h e r e are a 
few letters and manuscripts in the collec-
tion. This library contains the only oil 
portrait of Alice Meynell, done by the late 
Earl of Lytton. 

F L O R E N C E N I G H T I N G A L E . Florence Night-
ingale Collection. Department of Nurs-
ing, Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia-
Presbyterian Medical Center, New 
York, New York. 
Writings of Florence Nightingale, her 

notes on nursing, addresses to her nurses, 
biographies, memorial tributes, pictures, 
etc., and over three hundred of her letters 
(1838-1856). Catalog of the collection pub-

lished in 1956. 

MAY 1959 237 



G E N E V I E V E T A G G A R D - E M I L Y D I C K I N S O N . 
Genevieve Taggard-Emily Dickinson 
Collection. Sarah Lawrence College, 
Bronxville, New York. 
This collection numbering about ninety 

books and thirty pamphlets was started in 
1955. I t contains chiefly the background 
material used by Miss Taggard when she 
wrote The Life and Mind of Emily Dickin-
son in 1930. Also included are drafts of 
two of her books, never completed. T o this 
material from the Taggard estate have been 
added volumes of criticism and various edi-
tions of these two authors. T h e collection 
is kept up to date with current books of 
this nature. 

I D A M. T A R B E L L . Ida M. Tarbell Collec-
tion. Allegheny College, Meadville, 
Pennsylvania. 
About eight thousand items consisting of 

Miss Tarbell's business and personal letters, 
letters written to her, many of them from 
prominent people, manuscripts, pamphlets, 
etc. Miss Tarbell's personal library is also in-
cluded. 

T h e Allegheny Library also owns T h e 
Ida M . Tarbell Lincoln Collection. Items 
particularly pertaining to Miss Tarbell in-
clude her working library on Lincoln, let-
ters written to and by her about Lincoln, 
and first editions of her books on Lincoln. 

F R A N C E S E. W I L L A R D . The Frances E. 
Willard Memorial Library for Alcohol-
ic Research, National W.C.T.U. Head-
quarters, 1740 Chicago Avenue, Evans-
ton, Illinois. 
Collection of letters, biographies, original 

editions of Miss Willard's works, much of 
her private library, scrapbooks, etc. "Ma-
terial in fragile condition." 

C O L L E C T I V E 

F E M I N I S T M O V E M E N T . Woman's Rights 
Collection. Women's Archives, Rad-
cliffe College, Cambridge, Massachu-
setts. 
T h e purpose of this extensive and val-

uable collection, opened in 1943, is two-
fold: "First, to arouse greater appreciation 

and use of present opportunities for women 
by spreading knowledge of the efforts and 
sacrifices required to secure them; second, 
to supply factual information on special sub-
jects for students of history, government, 
education and economics." T h e material, 
housed in a beautiful fire-proof room in 
Longfellow H a l l , consists of books, maga-
zine articles, files of periodicals, reports of 
women's organizations, letters, speeches, 
biographical data, pictures, and press clip-
pings. T h e nucleus of the collection came 
from the files of M a u d Wood Park. Its 
donors now number scores who have been 
interested in and have made contributions 
to the woman movement. A Guide to the 
Woman's Rights Collection was published by 
Radcliffe College in 1943. 

Frances Bayard Hilles Library, National 
Women's Party, 144 Constitution Ave-
nue N.E., Washington, D.C. 
This collection of several thousand books 

on the history of the development of the 
woman movement contains material on 
woman suffrage, the equal rights movement, 
biographies, a large number of manuscripts, 
letters, bound clippings, leaflets, bulletins, 
periodicals, autographed photographs, etc. 
T h e nucleus of the collection came from 
the private library of Alva Belmont, her 
journal relating to suffrage and equal rights 
being the most valuable item. 

G E O R G I A A U T H O R S . Georgia Women Au-
thors Collection. Georgia State College 
for Women, Milledgeville, Georgia. 

Women born in Georgia, who claim it as 
their native state, and women who have 
lived there for at least five years and have 
done their writing in Georgia, are included 
in the collection. Approximately two hun-
dred books, two hundred forty letters, two 
hundred manuscripts, and several hundred 
clippings, pamphlets, etc., represent the 
work of more than three hundred authors. 
Started i n 1947, material is still being added. 

H I S T O R Y O F W O M E N . The Ida Rust Mac-
pherson Collection. Scripps College, 
Claremont, California. 
A special collection of books by and about 

women, started in 1936 with the gift of 

238 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



money and books by Mrs. James Grant 
Macpherson. Consists of four main fields of 
concentration: emancipation and reform, 
before Plato to the present; pioneer women 
of the west; humanist tradition (women i n 
literature, religion, social reform, science, 
education, art, etc.); domestic history (eti-
quette, manners, etc.). I t contains some fif-
teen hundred books, about six hundred cos-
tume plates, and some valuable manuscripts 
and letters. A n interesting feature is a file 
of tape-recorded interviews w i t h outstand-
ing women i n Southern California. De-
scription of this collection and lists of hold-
ings have been published by Scripps College 
Library. 

American Woman's Collection. Connect-
icut College Library, New London, 
Connecticut. 
A collection of about five hundred books, 

numerous letters, papers, manuscripts, etc. 
on all aspects of woman's contributions to 
American life and her activities therein. Al-
though in no way limited, special emphasis 
is given to books by and about Connecticut 
women, and much valuable material on this 
subject may be found here. 

Biblioteca Femina. Northwestern Uni-
versity Library, Evanston, Illinois. 
T h e nucleus of this collection was two 

thousand books assembled for the Inter-
national Book Exhibit as part of the pro-
gram of the Congress of Women, held in 
Chicago, July 1933, and deposited at North-
western that year. T o these books was later 
added, by transfer from the Chicago Public 
Library, a large group originally assembled 
by the International Council of W o m e n for 
the World's Columbian Exposition, 1893. 
T h e aim of the collection was to make it a 
compendium showing the progress of women 
i n all countries and in all fields of endeavor. 
A wide variety of subjects is covered, ranging 
from the feminist movement to religion and 
philosophy, from science to art. Thirty-eight 
countries are represented. Many of the books 
in foreign languages are rarely found in 
American libraries. T h e chief significance 
of this collection today is historical, as it 
has been impossible and impractical to keep 
it up to date. A checklist of the contents 

of the collection has been compiled by 
Northwestern. 

Gerritsen Collection of "La Femme et la 
Feminisme." University of Kansas Li-
brary, Lawrence, Kansas. 

About two thousand items i n this collec-
tion on the social and political history of 
women were formerly part of the library of 
M r . Carel V . Gerritsen, of Amsterdam. I t 
was acquired by the John Crerar Library in 
1904 and valuable additions were made over 
a period of fifty years. I n 1954 the entire 
collection, now numbering some four thou-
sand books, pamphlets, and periodicals, was 
purchased by the Kansas University Library 
for the use of students on its campus. T h e 
collection includes materials on all phases 
of women's activities, past and present, par-
ticularly material related to their social, 
economic, and political struggles. I t con-
tains many rare and early editions, as well 
as runs of unusual women's magazines and 
reports of national and international wom-
en's organizations. One of the most exten-
sive collections of the kind in this country. 

Alma Lutz Collection (private). 22 River 
Street, Boston 8, Massachusetts. 
"Collection of about one thousand books 

on women and their contribution to civiliza-
tion, and of several hundred letters. In-
cluded are books dealing with women's role 
in American history, and their educational, 
political and economic advancement." 

Galatea Collection. Boston Public Li-
brary, Boston, Massachusetts. 
Approximately five thousand volumes re-

lating to the history of women. T h e orig-
inal collection of some one thousand vol-
umes, collected over a period of fifty years, 
was presented to the library by Thomas 
W e n t w o r t h Higginson in 1896. I t includes 
books in a variety of languages, many of 
them "rare and curious," and of wide sub-
ject range—individual and collective biog-
raphy, health and hygiene, education, oc-
cupations, women in literature, etc. A cata-
log of the collection was published i n 1898. 
Books are being currently added, as funds 
permit. 

MAY 1959 239 



Women's Archives. Radcliffe College, 
Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

T h e purpose and function of this collec-
tion is to increase understanding of the 
social and historical contributions made by 
women to American life, past and present, 
and to indicate what may be their responsibil-
ity for the future. Some five thousand pub-
lished volumes and very extensive files of 
papers, letters, manuscripts, photographs, 
autographs, etc., provide the student and 
scholar with a rich assortment of materials 
on all fields which touch women's interests. 
"Inconspicuous as well as famous persons 
are included, individuals and groups alike 
are represented." Valuable papers and let-
ters of individuals and organizations are 
constantly being added. T h e collection, 
housed in an attractive room in Longfellow 
H a l l , is thoroughly cataloged, and the staff 
has compiled an excellent and useful union 
catalog of women's manuscripts located else-
where than at Radcliffe. A brochure giving 
information about the collection, its devel-
opment and recent acquisitions, is issued an-
nually. 

Sophia Smith Collection. Smith College, 
Southampton, Massachusetts. 
T h i s rich and rapidly growing collection 

of over five hundred thousand items con-
sists of books, manuscripts, diaries, pamph-
lets, and other materials relating to the 
social and intellectual history of women, 
together with complete files of papers, corre-
spondence, etc., of many prominent individ-
uals. T h e strongest and largest international 
collection on women in existence, it presents 
rare and valuable source material on every 
activity of women "through the ages of 
recorded time and around the world." Con-
temporary items from foreign countries are 
constantly being added. Except for publica-
tions of exceptional value, the collection is 
not physically separated from the other 
holdings of the general library of Smith Col-
lege, as its stated purpose is "to bring to 
light the contributions of women to the 
society of men and women . . . as part of 
the record of mankind." A special analytical 
subject catalog serves as a complete guide 
to the various holdings in this selective field. 
T h r o u g h extensive exhibits, publicity, etc., 

the staff do much to induce use of the col-
lection by college students. I t is also open 
to scholars engaged in research i n this and 
related fields. Plans are underway for the 
publication of a series of monographs on 
the collection. 

Collection on Women. Wheaton College, 
Norton, Massachusetts. 

T h i s group of about three hundred vol-
umes consists primarily of books on the 
education and development of women. Ma-
terial on etiquette, fashions, the suffrage 
movement, are included. Books date back 
to the turn of the century and current vol-
umes on the subject are being added as 
funds permit. 

Miriam Y. Holden Collection (private). 
57 East 78th Street, New York, New 
York. 
"A collection of more than two thousand 

books dealing w i t h women's achievements 
and their contribution to social history, their 
lives, ideas, interests and activities, political, 
legal and economic through the ages." Books 
are available to research workers. 

Schwemmer-Lloyd Collection. New York 
Public Library, New York, New York. 
About three thousands items collected by 

Madame Rosika Schwemmer and Mrs. Lola 
Maverick Lloyd. I t includes materials on 
woman's work and activities, the change in 
her position, her efforts to achieve security, 
and the feminist movement in foreign coun-
tries, as well as fields of social activity which 
affected women. Special areas of personal 
interest to the two women who collected 
the books are also included—world peace, 
housing, medicine, etc. Extensive files of 
correspondence of Madame Schwemmer and 
Mrs. Lloyd are i n the collection. Acquired 
through gifts in 1940, the collection is in 
the process of being cataloged. 

The Woman's Collection. Woman's Col-
lege Library, University of North 
Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina. 

T h i s library has been gathering special 
printed materials in all areas pertaining to 
women since 1937. Most of the items are 

240 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



classified w i t h the regular library holdings 
and made available as a subject group 
through the library catalog and annotated 
bibliographies which are issued yearly and 
cumulated at five year intervals. Books pub-
lished before 1900 (about eight hundred 
volumes) are set aside as a special collec-
tion for historical purposes to be used for 
research and exhibition. Printed bibliogra-
phies of the collection have been issued since 
1938. 

Charles Chauncey Mellor Collection. 
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pitts-
burgh, Pennsylvania. 

This collection was established through a 
bequest in 1909 from M r . Charles Chauncey 
Mellor. T h e bequest stated that the collec-
tion should contain books which relate to 
woman, "considered physically, intellectu-
ally, and historically; to what has been her 
position from the most primitive times to 
the present; to her work and influence in 
the evolution and development of the race, 
and of its industries, arts, and history; to 
what she is now doing on the same lines, 
and what she could and would do if allowed 
by men, and a portion of her own sex; to 
equality, especially to her right of suffrage." 
T h e collection contains about seventeen 
hundred volumes. I t includes material on 
women from primitive times to the present, 
with an emphasis on the history of women 
in the U n i t e d States. Books in foreign lan-
guages are also included. I t is not separated 
from the other holdings of the Carnegie Li-
brary, a memorial bookplate being the only 
designation. Income from the bequest per-
petuates the collection. 

Women's Collection. Texas State College 
for Women, Denton, Texas. 
Originally started w i t h no geographical 

or chronological limits, this collection is 
now loosely limited to women in the U n i t e d 
States who have had a significant part in 
the development of American civilization— 
in education, the arts, politics, social wel-
fare, etc. Started in 1932, it contains ap-
proximately twenty-five hundred books. 
About two hundred women are represented. 

N E G R O W O M E N . The A f r o - A m e r i c a n 

Woman's Collection. Bennett College 
Library, Greensboro, North Carolina. 
T h i s collection includes materials by and 

about Negro women, chiefly American, of 
the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth cen-
turies. A l l areas of the achievement are in-
cluded and about two hundred authors rep-
resented. I t contains approximately three 
hundred twenty-five books, four hundred 
mounted clippings, and a few letters. Started 
in 1946, it is being kept up to date as new 
publications appear. 

V I R G I N I A A U T H O R S . Collections of Writ-
ings by Virginia Women. Randolph-
Macon Woman's College, Lynchburg, 
Virginia. 

T h i s collection of books by women born 
in Virginia, or so closely associated with the 
state that they have become identified with 
it, aims to assemble everything published by 
a Virginia woman. Imprints date from 1825 
to the present, and the collection is con-
stantly being expanded. I t presents a cross-
section of the thinking, the social and polit-
ical activities of these women, and furnishes 
examples of the varied subjects in which 
each has been interested. "Literary worth" 
as such, has been disregarded. T h e collection 
numbers about thirteen hundred volumes, 
representing the work of approximately five 
hundred women. A few manuscripts are in-
cluded. 

W O M E N A N D T H E C H U R C H . Alma Lutz 
Collection on the Church and Women. 
Zion Research Library, 120 Seaver 
Street, Brookline 46, Massachusetts. 
T h i s Protestant, non-sectarian library for 

the study of the Bible and the history of 
the Christian Church is developing a special 
collection of books on the role of women 
in the church and the history and growth 
of their work therein. I t contains memoirs 
of women in the ministry, early sermons 
delivered to "female" schools and church 
groups, etc., as well as material on activ-
ities of the present day. There are about 
one hundred books and pamphlets to date. 

W O M E N IN M E D I C I N E . Elizabeth Bass Col-
lection on Women in Medicine. Ru-

MAY 1959 241 



dolph Matas Medical Library, Tulane 
University, New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Collection of material about women in 
the field of medicine, the history of their 
growth in the profession and material about 
individual women physicians. I t contains 
some five hundred books and one thousand 
folders containing letters, biographical clip-
pings, portraits, etc., relating to individual 
women physicians. A n index is also avail-
able for all news items about women in 
medicine which have appeared in journals 
published by and for women physicians. 

Woman's Medical College of Pennsyl-
vania Library, Philadelphia, Pennsyl-
vania. 
This collection consists of approximately 

five hundred books, two hundred manu-
scripts and one hundred fifty letters pertain-
ing to the history of women physicians. I t 
is not housed separately but shelved with 
other materials in this medical college li-
brary. As soon as possible, a large collec-
tion of books, reprints, clippings, etc., as-
sembled by D r . Bertha Van Hoosen during 
her lifetime, will be added. 

Buildings and Equipment Institute 
Plans for four new college and research libraries will be presented and discussed 

at the Saturday, June 20, meetings of the Buildings and Equipment Institute to be 
held June 18-20 at the McKeldin Library of the University of Maryland. T h e librar-
ies discussed will be those of the United States Air Force Academy, Colo.; Saint Vin-
cent College and Archabbey, Latrobe, Penna.; Case Institute of Technology, Cleve-
land; and Trinity College, Washington, D.C. Registrants at the Institute will, of 
course, have opportunities to see the new library of the University of Maryland in 
operation. 

Edwin T . Coman, Jr., librarian of the University of California at Riverside, will 
preside at the Saturday meetings of college and university librarians. Lt. Col. George 
V. Fagan, director of the Air Force Academy Library, will present the plans for the 
new building there. Donald C. Davidson, librarian of Santa Barbara College of the 
University of California, will criticize them. The Saint Vincent plans will be pre-
sented by the Rev. Finton R. Shoniker, librarian, and criticized by James D. Mack, 
librarian of Lehigh University. Mary F. Pinches, librarian of Case Institute, will 
present the plans for the library there. They will be criticized by H. Dean Stallings, 
librarian of the North Dakota Agricultural College. Sister Helen, librarian at Trin-
ity College, will present the plans for Trinity. Their critic will be Dorothy W . Reed-
er, librarian of Maryland State Teachers College, Towson. 

T h e general programs of the Institute are designed to be helpful to all librarians 
working toward new buildings. At its first meeting (Thursday evening, June 18) the 
Institute members will hear a talk by Dean Paul Schweiber, School of Architecture 
of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, on "Problems of Contemporary Planning." 
A Friday afternoon panel on "Equipment Evaluation and Specification Writing" 
should prove of special interest and usefulness. Representatives of business firms will 
discuss such pertinent topics as "Equipment Lay-Out Plans and Library Interiors," 
"Resilient Floorings for Library Buildings," "Library Lighting," and "Heating and 
Ventilating." 

There will be wide opportunity for full and general exchange of information on 
library plans. The Institute will show an extensive selection of actual plans, draw-
ings, and views of recently completed buildings and those now being constructed. A 
detailed program appears in the May issue of the ALA Bulletin. 

242 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES