HIST383 / WOMS346: Sexual Health and History

Welcome to the guide for HIST383 / WOMS346! On this webpage, you will find lists of secondary and primary sources that connect to the themes and research areas of this course. Use the pages on the side to get to secondary sources (i.e. books and articles) or primary sources (i.e. first hand accounts from specific time periods). 

Have a question? Please reach out to either librarian on the left-hand side of this page! 

Due to the nature of this class, you will most likely encounter derogatory language over the course of your research. Even though there have been significant efforts to change this type of language in library catalogs and systems, you might still encounter them, particularly when searching for primary sources. 

• Libraries use systems that are built on the systemic racism of the US
• The Library of Congress creates subject headings
  • When they become outdated, it can take a long time for the subjects to be changed. 
    • Learn more about a group of students who sought to change a problematic subject heading. Change the Subject Project at Dartmouth.
  • UD has began this process to change and update our own subject headings and metadata
  • Be mindful that you might encounter racist and derogatory terms, especially when looking for primary sources
    • Some libraries include disclaimers before entering a collection to give you advance notice that you might encounter material that could be harmful. Here is an example from the National Archives. 
  • When searching for primary sources - search broadly and use historical language