Often women’s work and influence are thought to be under collected in institutions. Archivists often know this is not the case, that the women’s work is there, it sometimes just needs to be brought to the surface. This panel looks at ways in which we can both cultivate women and their work by publicizing the collections in programs, libguides, research works, and re-examine past procedures. Often a second look at a collection’s arrangement itself can reframe our knowledge and understanding of the materials already in our collections. One panelist will look at the role women’s religious congregations have played in the establishment and growth of schools and hospitals throughout this country. Looking at the records of one such congregation, the Sisters of St. Agnes, gives insight into the breadth of their influence in the fields of education and health care that is often overlooked. The second panelist will provide a broader look at some of the women in American Heritage Center collections and how they are significant but their contributions to their professions are often overlooked because of their gender and how sometimes their records are included in collections but harder to find if they aren’t the “name” or “organization” of emphasis in the collection. The third will look at the work of one woman, UW’s first librarian Grace Raymond Hebard, which illustrates the significant work these women did at colleges around the country. The last will look at the more practical side of how we can open up collections or reveal these collections/books through looking at existing collection orders and then reorganizing or rewriting collection inventories to bring the women to the forefront.
