Databases / Videos / Microforms

Electronic Collections

UW–Madison Libraries have an extensive collection of fulltext electronic databases on women and gender. A full list with links is in the Gender–Sexuality–Women’s Studies area of the UW–Madison Libraries’ “Database library.” Examples of those with primary sources for women’s history include Everyday Life and Women in America, the Gerritsen Collection, Women and Social Movements in the United States, and Defining Gender.

UW Digital Collections digitized several books tracing the history of women at the University and the development of women’s studies. It also has digitized a collection from the Gay People’s Union, Milwaukee.

There are many more electronic resources accessible through the UW–Madison Database Library that include material on women and gender amongst the rest of their content.

Videos and Films

There are numerous videos in campus libraries that deal with women and gender and/or feature the work of female filmmakers. All are catalogued in the UW-Madison Libraries’ catalog. In Memorial Library most videos are integrated into the regular stacks. Before the advent of DVDs, many videos were acquired on videocassette. These also circulate or may be viewed on equipment in the MMC Reading Room. The Memorial Library collection is especially rich in foreign language feature films. An easy way to browse what’s available in video format on campus is to use the Library Catalog. For example, search for “women” in words anywhere and then refine by format, such as DVD.

Microforms

Memorial Library has numerous Gender and Women’s Studies microform collections. Here are some of note:

• Schlesinger Library Vertical File for Women’s Studies (1950-1990) is a massive microform set of clippings and other material collected by the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. The set has three parts: Biographies, Organizations, and Subjects. Micro Fiche 5357. All are listed in the collection’s Guide.
• Lesbian Herstory Archives subject files contains 150 microfilm reels on all aspects of lesbian life and concerns, from abortion to African-American lesbians, lesbian mothers, gay civil rights, women’s liberation movement, domestic partnership, older lesbians, and Native American lesbians, etc. The materials consist of clippings, flyers, brochures, conference materials, reports, correspondence, and other printed ephemera. Micro Fiche 11227.  Guide to the collection.
• Women in Health is a set from the Women’s History Research Center, Berkeley. It consists of clippings covering the years 1965-1974, documenting the women’s health movement. Micro Film 11048. The Guide is in the Memorial Library MMC Reading Room. This set is also in the Ebling Library, M 95.
• Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance archives, ca. 1972-1994 contains subject files (clippings, etc.) as well as magazines and newsletters and organizational files related to the ALFA itself as well as for several other organizations – Micro Film 11226. Online Guide to Parts 1-3; Online Guide to Part 4 (Periodicals).
• In addition, the Wisconsin Historical Society has Herstory: Women’s History Collection (1956-1974, mostly from 1968-1971), from the Women’s History Research Center (later the Women’s History Library), Berkeley, California. Hundreds of women’s liberation newsletters, journals, and newspapers and related publications. Historical Society Library Microforms Room. Micro film P73-2601 P73-2623 23p, There are two parts to the Guide: PAM 74-874 and PAM 76-2577.