Warsaw Library: The Power of Women
InkFreeNews photo by Kory Stoneburner-Betts.
By Amy Mann
Children’s Services
March has become a month to celebrate the achievements and worth of women, both notable and “ordinary”. When Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Representative Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) introduced a resolution to designate a Women’s History Week in 1981, it was going to take place around August 26, the date in 1920 in which the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution became law, and women were added to the voting rolls.
Previously, female citizens paid taxes but had no voting rights. In planning the special week, however, the high August temperatures in Washington, D.C. became a problem. It was decided that March, which contains the 109-year old International Women’s Day festivities would be a more temperate month in which to demonstrate in the streets. Besides, the cherry blossoms would be in bloom by then. In 1987, the U. S. Congress declared the whole month of March as Women’s History Month.
In 2020, how can we celebrate the contributions of women to history? Your library is a wonderful place to start. The Children’s Department at Warsaw Community Public Library has a whole wall of juvenile biographies, plus a section in our easy reader area dedicated to the stories of people who have influenced our history. Just ask for the easy reader biographies.
We also have a plethora of non-fiction books about women. You might want to try “Rad Women A-Z” by Kate Schatz. The publisher says that “profiled are 26 American women from the 18th through 21st centuries, who have made-or are still making–history.” We have books about women who are wives and mothers, as well as being entertainers, scientists, artists, athletes, or members of the military. Women are amazing and so are your local librarians! Come in and see us. We are located at 310 E. Main St. in Warsaw. You can reach us by phone at (574) 267-6011, option 5 or on the web at warsawlibrary.org,
