Supporting Gender and Sexuality Studies at Academic Libraries

Sponsored by Gale, a Cengage company
Recorded on 10/03/2017

Posted in Primary Sources and Special Collections

Summary:

Since 1990, the number of degrees earned in Gender and Women’s Studies has increased by 300%.1 Gender and Sexuality Studies has emerged as an interdisciplinary field focusing on diverse histories and experiences. As these fields of study gain popularity in academia, the library plays an increasingly vital role in supporting them.

Join us for an insightful discussion with Sara Howard, Librarian for Reference and Research Services and Gender and Sexuality Studies at Princeton University, and Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, Assistant Professor and Head of Reference at the Graduate Center Library, and Marc Cormier, Director, Humanities Publishing at Gale. During the program, Sara Howard will discuss the impact that LGBTQ resources have had on teaching and research in the library at her university. Additionally, Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz will discuss issues of use, copyright, and permissions as they pertain to archival material and the benefit of the Gale Primary Sources interface to aid in the administration of this process. Marc Cormier will touch on publishers’ role in partnering with libraries and educators to develop new resources supporting this growing field. Webinar attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with panelists in a dynamic discussion on issues relevant to this important field of study.


Speakers:

Sara Howard
Librarian for Reference and Research Services and Gender and Sexuality Studies
Princeton University

Sara A. Howard is the Librarian for Gender & Sexuality Studies and Research Services at Princeton University. In her work, Sara focuses on the importance of self-care for librarian and researcher alike, and seeks to transform research services for traditionally underserved populations. Prior to Princeton, Sara held positions at Wesleyan University and Queens College. When outside of libraryland, Sara enjoys cooking with way too much cumin, entertaining, swimming in all bodies of water, and attempting to have a green thumb. She/her/hers. @foreverhoward

Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz
Assistant Professor and Head of Reference at the Graduate Center Library
City University of New York

Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz is an Assistant Professor and Head of Reference at the Graduate Center Library of the City University of New York. She is a coordinator at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, board member of CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies, and advisory board member to a GALE LGBTQ archival database. Shawn began processing the collection of the Salsa Soul Sisters, the first Black lesbian organization in the country. She presented her work on archiving Black lesbians as Keynote to the International LGBTQ ALMS (Archivists, Librarians, Museum Curators, & Special Libraries) Conference: http://lgbtqalms.co.uk/2016/03/23/keynote-shawnta-smith-cruz/. Shawn has a BS in Queer Women’s Studies from CUNY, an MFA in Creative Writing/Fiction, and an MLS with a focus on Archiving and Records Management, both from Queens College. Her current project is curating the narrative of the Salsa Soul Sisters through a zine and traveling exhibit with the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop and Lesbian Herstory Archives. https://shawntasmith.commons.gc.cuny.edu/

Marc Cormier
Director, Humanities Publishing
Gale, a Cengage company

Marc Cormier is Director of Humanities Publishing for Gale in the academic market. From creating custom datasets on floppy disks in the early 90’s to publishing digital humanities tools today, he’s seen the migration from print to digital content transform Gale in the most fundamental of ways. Now, in support of Gale’s digital archive program, he directs the domestic publishing efforts that bring both historical and contemporary primary source collections to North American audiences, including resources focusing on diversity studies. With the growing interest in text data mining, his team also creates software and content specifically suited for research in the Digital Humanities.

1“Table 318.30. Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by sex of student and discipline division: 2014-15,” Digest of Education Statistics: National Center for Education Statistics.