Who is She

To celebrate Women’s History Month, the library has a second-floor display highlighting women who challenged expectations and helped shape the world we know today. These stories feature scientists, activists, and journalists whose determination and courage opened doors for future generations. Whether you are interested in history, science, or the arts, this display offers a diverse range of fascinating books to explore.

Several displayed titles focus on women who made breakthroughs in science and medicine. In “The Cure for Women” (610.82 Reeder), Lydia Reeder tells how Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi challenged harmful medical beliefs about women in the nineteenth century. Janice P. Nimura’s “The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine” (920 Nim) recounts how Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell’s persistence brought women into medicine. Katherine G. Johnson’s “My Remarkable Journey” (921 Johnson, K.) covers her career as a NASA mathematician whose work helped send astronauts to space. In “Ada’s Algorithm” (510.92 Ess), James Essinger details Ada Lovelace’s pioneering ideas that helped build modern computing.

Other books highlight the long struggle for women’s rights. In “The Icon and the Idealist” (363.96 Gorton), Stephanie Gorton examines the rivalry between Margaret Sanger and Mary Ware Dennett, which helped shape the birth control movement. Rachel Shteir’s “Betty Friedan: Magnificent Disrupter” (921 Friedan, B.) profiles Betty Friedan and the impact of her work on conversations about women’s roles. Antonia Fraser’s “The Case for the Married Woman” (921 Norton, C.) explores how women fought for property and legal independence.

The display also includes powerful stories of women reporting from the front lines of war. In “Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS” (940.5486 Rogak), Lisa Rogak introduces readers to the American women who helped wage a different kind of battle during World War II by shaping information and public messaging. Elizabeth Becker’s “You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War” (070.4 Bec) follows three pioneering female journalists who reported on the Vietnam War, overcoming skepticism and barriers to cover one of the most significant conflicts of their time.

Visit the library to explore these titles and discover more works about remarkable women who changed history. Many are also available to check out digitally on our free Libby app. The library is open Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, and Sunday 1-5pm.