The purpose of this guide is to lead the beginning researcher to specific Reference sources available for Women's Studies. Many sources in each topic area that cover both genders are not included.  Browse the shelves around anything you find from the list below, and consult with a Reference Librarian for additional suggestions.

A Companion to Gender Studies.  Ed. by Philomena Essed, David Theo Goldberg, and Audrey Kobayashi, Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006.
(REF HQ 1075 C656 2005)     This volume does an amazing job of summarizing many areas of Women's Studies. Look here for Interdisciplinarity (e.g. Area Studies; Queer Studies), Re-positionings (e.g. Lived Body vs Gender; Heterosexuality), Jurisdictions (e.g. Law; Domestic Violence), Nonconformity (e.g. Science & Technology; Prostitution; Arab Women), Mobility (e.g. Globalization; Class), Familiality (e.g. Family in Africa; Caribbean Family), Physicality (e.g. Reproduction; Sport), Spatiality (e.g. Environment; Architecture), and Reflectivity (e.g. Ethics; Religion; Violence of Gender).

Encyclopedia of Feminist Theories. Ed. by Lorraine Code. London ; New York : Routledge, 2000.   (REF HQ1190 .E63 2000)
Each article included in this interdisciplinary book gives a summary of the theory, issue or feminist thinker and further reading lists. Cultural Identities, environmental science, essentialism, mathematics, nationalism and gender, and the self are but a few examples of included entries.

INTERNATIONAL:

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women's Issues Worldwide. Ed.-in-chief, Lynn Walter.  Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2003.    (REF HQ1115 .G74 2003)

Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women : global women's issues and knowledge. Ed. by Cheris Kramarae and Dale Spender. New York: Routledge, 2000.    (REF HQ1115 .R69 2000)       In four volumes, signed articles with references cover many global women's issues.  This international approach includes topics such as the arts, culture, ecology, education, sexuality, philosophy, politics, religion, violence, peace, and more.

Black Women in America : an historical encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Ed. by Darlene Clark Hine. New York : Oxford University Press., 2005.    (REF E185.86 .B542 2005)            This 3 volume encyclopedia "was initiated to reclaim and to create heightened awareness about individuals, contributions, and struggles that have made African-American survival and progress possible."  This edition contains substantial articles with short bibliographies covering people and events.

Notable Twentieth-Century Latin American Women : a biographical dictionary. Ed. by Cynthia Margarita Tompkins and David William Foster. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2001.    (REF CT3290 .N68 2001)

A to Z of Native American Women.  By Liz Sonneborn. New York : Facts on File, c1998.     (REF  E98.W8 S65 1998)  The introduction to this volume provides riveting reading as it lays out the biases of early accounts of Native American women, and draws attention to the importance of women in Native American cultures.  Subjects include mothers, warriors and much more.

Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science : Pioneering Lives From Ancient Times to the Mid-20th Century.   (REF Q141 .B5285 2000)

The New Our Bodies, Ourselves : a book by and for women.  Boston Women's Health Book Collective. New York : Simon & Schuster, c1992.   (REF RA778 .N67 1992)

Women's Health Concerns Sourcebook. ed. by Heather E. Aldred. Detroit, MI : Omnigraphics, c1997.
    (REF RA778 .W7543 1997)   This volume includes "mental health concerns prevalent among women such as.eating disorders, and depression". Here find resources for women related to health issues, including lists of books, pamphlets, and organizations.

Encyclopedia of Women in American History. Armonk, N. Y. : Sharpe Reference, 2002.
(REF HQ1410 .E53 2002)       These three volumes cover American History from Colonization to "the Present" with simple entries on everything from individuals to movements, social issues, and organizations.  Topical entries (e.g. Lesbians, Religion) are repeated in each volume to cover related historical changes.  Use the index for best access.

A History of Women in the United States : state-by-state reference. Ed. by Doris L. Weatherford.  Danbury, Conn. : Grolier Academic Reference c2004.       (REF HQ1410 .H58 2004)   This four volume set attempts to cover major people and events in the history of women in the United States.  It includes illustrations and maps as well as further readings on each topic.  For a more concise but somewhat older history, see The Handbook of American Women's History (2nd ed), edited by Angela M. Howard & Frances M. Kavenik.  (REF HQ1410 .H36 2000).

What American Women Did, 1789 - 1920 : a year-by-year reference. Coppens, Linda Miles. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., 2001.  (REF HQ1154 .C665 2001)         Accomplishments of American women during this time period are placed in "a framework of seven categories : domesticity, work, education and scholarship, religion, arts, joining forces, and law and politics."  The thorough index covers topics, people, organizations, and book titles.

Women and Gender in Medieval Europe:  an encyclopedia.  ed. by Margaret Schaus.  New York :  Routledge, c2006.
(REF HQ 1149 .E85 W66 2006)      Along with topics such as women's patronage of the arts, female mysticism, women's medicine and understanding of the female body, as well as women's roles in poltics and diplomacy, this volume also reflects the daily reality of medieval women from all walks of life.  Longer entries include "References and Further Reading" lists.

The Rights of Women : the basic ACLU guide to women's rights.  Susan Deller Ross ... [et al.]. Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press, c1993.    (REF  KF465.A248 R67 1993)

The Rights of Lesbians and Gay Men : the basic ACLU guide to a gay person's rights.  Nan D. Hunter, Sherryl E. Michaelson, Thomas B. Stoddard.  (REF KF465 .A248 H86 1992)

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace : a guide to the law and a research overview for employers and employees.  Titus E. Aaron, with Judith A. Isaksen. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, 1993.   (REF KF3467 .A915 1993)

ABC-CLIO Companion to Women in the Workplace.  Dorothy Schneider and Carl J. Schneider.  Santa Barbara, Calif. ABC-CLIO, c1993.     (REF HD6095. S34 1993)     Includes broad topics such as artists, inventors, slavery;  specific events such as Uprising of the 20,000; legal cases; individuals; associations; ethnic groups such as Hispanic Americans, Chinese Americans, Black Americans; and a few odd topics like biological clock and sandwich generation.

American Women:  who they are and how they live. Ithica, NY: New Strategist Publications, Inc.    (REF  HQ1421 A486 1997)
This refreshing version of a statistical source prefaces each table with a comment such as: "One in five women is a college graduate;" "about three-quarters of working women have full-time jobs;" etc.  Statistics may differ now, but trends are interesting.

The Women's Atlas of the United States.  By Timothy H. Fast & Cathy Carroll Fast. New York : Facts on File, c1995.
   (REF G1201.E1 G5 1995) Using clearly organized maps, this atlas provides statistical information by state on a variety of topics under the headings of education, demographics, employment, family, health, crime, and politics.

Statistical Record of Women Worldwide.  Ed. by Linda Schmittroth.  Detroit:  Gale Research Inc., 1991.      (REF HQ1150 S73 1991)    Despite the dated publication date for this volume, it is filled with statistics on a tremendous variety of topics.  This source can lead you to agencies and organizations that compile statistics and that have Web sites with recent figures on the same topics.

The World's Women, 1995 : trends and statistics. New York : United Nations, 1995.           (REF  HQ1154 .W95 1995)
This United Nations source provides full articles analyzing how conditions affecting women are changing (or not).  Topics covered are health issues; population and environment; education and training; work; and power and influence.

Statistical Handbook on the American Family.  ed. by Bruce A. Chadwick & Tim B. Heaton.  Phoenix, AR:  Oryx Press, 1999.    (REF HQ 536 .S727 1999)

URL:  http://lib.westfield.ma.edu/guidwsref.htm
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