[Webcast of] Right Here I See My Own Books: The Woman's Building Library at the World's Columbian Exposition
Sarah Wadsworth and Wayne Wiegand. "[Webcast of] Right Here I See My Own Books: The Woman's Building Library at the World's Columbian Exposition" part of the Books and Beyond Lecture Series. Washington, DC: Center for the Book, Library of Congress. Recorded March 2, 1012. Permalink.
Abstract
On May 1, 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago opened its gates to an expectant public eager to experience firsthand its architectural beauty, technological marvels and vast array of cultural treasures gathered from all over the world. Among the most popular of the fair's attractions was the Woman's Building, a monumental exhibit hall filled with the products of women's labor, including more than 8,000 volumes of writing, by women and collected by women -- the first important library of its kind. Hundreds of thousands of women visited the library and took what they learned to develop local libraries.