Public Library
Starting in 1981, Congress passed a public law that authorized and formally requested for the President to proclaim one specific week in March as “Women’s History Week.” Over the next five years, Congress continued to work towards what would eventually become Women’s History Month, a monthlong celebration and recognition of women’s achievements and contributions in history. At San Diego Public Library we celebrate and honor this month with programs, resources and booklists.
Quick links:
Award-winning journalist, educator and UC Berkeley professor Shereen Marisol Meraji delivers the 2nd Annual Clara Breed Civil Liberties Lecture, named after heroic former San Diego Public Library director Clara E. Breed.
Meraji is a founder and co-creator of Code Switch, NPR's critically acclaimed and high-charting podcast covering race, culture and identity. During her eight-year tenure with Code Switch where she was both co-host and senior producer, the show won numerous awards and was named "Show of the Year" by Apple Podcasts in 2020.
Libraries across the City are hosting story times recognizing Women’s History Month. Click on each event to learn more.
*while supplies last
Bound for Beauty
Special Collections - 9th Floor | Central Library
Beginning in the late 19th Century, the Aesthetic and Arts and Crafts movements transformed the field of decorative arts, promoting quality design and beauty found in everyday objects. Books were purchased as decorative objects for the homes as well as works of literature. The Arts and Crafts movement created new working opportunities for female artists, and a core group emerged that included Sarah Wyman Whitman (1842–1904), Alice Cordelia Morse (1863–1961) and Margaret Neilson Armstrong (1867–1944), who all became pioneers of the artist-designed commercial book cover. This exhibit showcases some of the exceptional designs from the library’s collection.