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Women's History Month

Explore Women's History Month at NYPL

This March, The New York Public Library celebrates Women’s History Month with recommended reading, online programs, resources, and more. Don't miss our month-long celebration—with a lineup of events, discussions, and storytimes, there's something for everyone. Plus, we shine a spotlight on the fierce librarians from our past who brought a love of reading to New Yorkers and helped build the Library—including Jennie Maas Flexner, the NYPL librarian who helped change the way New Yorkers read.

Celebrating Reading—and the NYPL Women Who Champion It

Learn more about the women who broke ground at NYPL as we honor five pioneering figures from the Library's history every week. To kick our celebration off, we look back on the legacy of Jennie Maas Flexner, who revolutionized reading by encouraging people to read what they love, not what they were told to. In honor of her mission, we asked our librarians to recommend a book that sparked their passion for reading. Check out the list—and the stories behind the women who made NYPL what it is today.

 Shop the Library, Support the Library

Commemorate Women's History Month with books and accessories from the Library Shop. Learn about amazing women who shaped history and get inspired by their remarkable contributions. With our totes, jewelry, journals, and more, you can carry a reminder of the vital role women play in our world everywhere you go. Shop now and get 10% off your purchase with the code CONNECT10.

Featured Events

Surviving the White Gaze: Rebecca Carroll with Zoe Kazan

Mon, Mar 1 | 8 PM​
Cultural critic Rebecca Carroll joins the Library to offer an intensely personal examination of racism and racial identity in America today as a transracial adoptee. Together with actor Zoe Kazan, Carroll will discuss her memoir, which explores the tension between her aching desire for her birth mother's acceptance, the loyalty she feels toward her adoptive parents, and the search for her racial identity.

A Desolation Called Peace: Arkady Martine with Sarah Gailey

Tues, Mar 2 | 8:30 PM​
Hear from Arkady Martine, author of the Hugo Award–winning A Memory Called Empire, about the issues of imperialism, colonialism, xenophobia, and cultural memory that she explores in her sequel novel, A Desolation Called Peace.

Conversations in Black Freedom Studies: Black Women in History & Struggle

Thurs, March 4 | 6:30 PM ​
Uncover the long history of Black women's impact on U.S. political, social, and economic development, brought to light by new scholarship and research. The authors of A Black Women's History of the United States, Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross, will join Jeanne Theoharis, author of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, Young Readers Edition, for a discussion about the underreported impact of Black women on U.S. history, including deeper insights into the celebrated, but frequently misunderstood, legacy of Rosa Parks. 

Taking a Long Look: Vivian Gornick with Margo Jefferson

Tues, Mar 16 | 8 PM​
Vivian Gornick speaks with Margo Jefferson about Gornick's newest collection, Taking a Long Look, and reflects on a career that has made her one of America's most beloved critics. 

A Bright Ray of Darkness: Ethan Hawke

Mon, Mar 22 | 8 PM
Mark the release of Ethan Hawke's first novel in 20 years, a bracing meditation on fame and celebrity and the redemptive power of art, with the acclaimed actor, writer, and director himself.

How Beautiful We Were: Imbolo Mbue

Tues, Mar 30 | 8 PM​
Imbolo Mbue discusses her latest novel's exploration of what happens when the reckless drive for profit, coupled with the ghost of colonialism, comes up against one community's determination to hold on to its ancestral land and a young woman's willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of her people's freedom. 

For Kids & Teens

Online Storytime: Women's History Month

Celebrate Women's History Month with your little one by tuning in to one of our special storytimes featuring tales of inspiring women. Listen, learn, and play as our librarians read Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins by Michelle Meadows and Ebony Glenn, Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Rafael López, Ho'onani: Hula Warrior by Heather Gale and Mika Song, and more!

Spring Into Stories with Flor Bromley

Tues, Mar 2 | 3:30 PM
Help welcome springtime with a special event featuring Flor Bromley. The storyteller and musician will entertain us with stories about spring and new beginnings—and lots of music!

KidsLIVE: Kat Leyh

Tues, Mar 9 | 3:30 PM
Join Kat Leyh, author and illustrator of the graphic novel Snapdragon, featured on our 2020 Best Books for Kids list. Kat will talk about writing and drawing, show us her art process, and answer questions from NYPL librarians.

For Teens: Volunteer Virtually with the Library

New York City teens who are interested in volunteering with the Library can now sign up online to help an NYPL branch host events, create new programs, reach kids their age, and more. Learn more about the types of volunteer opportunities available at the Library and how you can get started.

More Events & Resources

Start Reading Now: No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

Our March book club selection is No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood. If you have a library card, start reading immediately with the Library's free e-reader, SimplyE. Keep up with librarian-led book discussions and social media chats, then tune in on Wednesday, March 31, to hear from Lockwood herself in a live-stream conversation and Q&A.
SimplyE for iOS | SimplyE for Android

Housing Resources for NYC Tenants

Wed, Mar 10 | 12 Noon​
Join Pamela Glaser of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and a panel of housing experts for a conversation about tenant housing resources, covering everything from the New York State eviction moratorium to rent assistance, New York City Housing Court, affordable housing lotteries, and more.

Work/Cited: Excavating the Art & Life of Eliza Pratt Greatorex

Wed, Mar 10 | 1:30 PM ​
Learn the story of one of the most influential American artists you’ve probably never heard of. In the post-Civil War era, Eliza Pratt Greatorex was a painter in the Hudson River School, a chronicler of Old New York, and a pioneer in the etching revival. Art historian Katherine Manthorne will shine a new light on Greatorex's life and discuss her book, Restless Enterprise: The Art and Life of Eliza Pratt Greatorex, which she created with the help of NYPL's collection of Greatorex's pictures, papers, and ephemera.

Sesión informativa de preparación de impuestos: NYC Free Tax Prep

Tues, Mar 16 | 12 Noon
Únase a representantes del Departamento de Protección al Consumidor y al Trabajador (DCWP) y obtenga Información acerca de la preparación gratuita de impuestos y asesoría financiera.

Women & the Workplace

Thrive in your career with a new series of workshops that celebrate women in the workplace. This series, curated by our expert business librarians, invites successful professional women from different fields to share their experiences, inspirations, and tools that can help women succeed in the workplace, with everything from discussions of the impacts of COVID-19 on women-owned businesses to workshops designed to improve communication on the job.

New & Noteworthy

Remote Links: A Celebration of the Life & Work of Maryanne Amacher

The Music and Recorded Sound Division at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts celebrates the recently acquired archive of innovative composer and sound artist Maryanne Amacher with a new video series exploring her life and work.

Eight Audiobook Memoirs Narrated by Their Famous Authors

These memoirs, narrated by the celebrity authors themselves, share the intimate stories of people whose lives changed in an instant and how they coped with fame and fortune.

Judas and the Black Messiah Reading List

The movie Judas and the Black Messiah immerses the viewer in the political and emotional lives of Black Panther leaders in 1960s Chicago. Here are some suggestions to dive deeper into the history of the era, the Black Panthers, and the figures the film focused on.

The Librarian Is In Podcast: Sherlock Holmes

Frank and Rhonda are back with another book club pick, discussing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes adventure The Hound of the Baskervilles, selected from The New York Public Library's special anniversary book list, 125 Books We Love.

From Our Partners

THE CITY | The Civic Newsroom

Sat, Mar 6 | 2–4 PM
Join the Civic Newsroom, a project from THE CITY, to better understand what information voters need ahead of the upcoming local elections. We’ll meet virtually for conversations about why voting matters and why it’s sometimes hard to cast your vote in your neighborhood.

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