WNBA Archives

The full records of the WNBA organization are housed in an offsite facility of the Columbia University library. 

The Women’s National Book Association Papers document the history and work of the Women’s National Book Association from their founding in 1917 until today. The organization is active in promoting women in the book industry through awards and programs to increase women’s participation in the profession and the role of women in publishing and other book-related fields.

The collection consists of correspondence, memoranda, photographs, meeting minutes, membership materials, publications, financial information, reports and other materials important to the day-to-day operation of the organization. The bulk of the materials document the major awards given by the WNBA, the Lucile M. Pannell Award, the Constance Lindsay Skinner Award (now the WNBA Award), and the Amy Loveman Award. Each chapter has numerous materials from their founding until today, and the collection includes the important information about membership, how the chapter was run, events and important guests and speakers. Some important correspondents from the early documents include Catherine Drinker Bowen, Howard Fast, Marchette Chute, Mary Ellen Chase, Marguerite Henry, Abraham Ribicoff, Irita Van Doren, Beatrice Warde, Pearl S. Buck, Edward Weeks, and Alice B. Toklas.

The size of the collection is 56 linear feet (122 boxes). There are no restrictions to access, but a request will take 24 hours to process in order to bring the collection to the library facility.

The Finding Aid for the collection is located online: http://findingaids.cul.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_4079627/summary

From the archives:

• The Women’s National Book Association Looks Ahead– WNBA, The Bookwoman (1955)

• A quiz for bookwomen (from The Bookwoman, vol. 3, no. 1)

• 70 Women Who Have Made a Difference – a publication celebrating 70 years of WNBA

• 75 Books byWomen Whose-Words Have Changed the World – a publication celebrating 75 years of WNBA

• 80 books for Twentieth Century Girls– a publication celebrating 80 years of WNBA

• Women in the World of Words – a publication celebrating 50 years of WNBA

• ​Women in Business – Anonymous, Woman’s Journal (1918) produced by ProQuest LLC as part of Gerritsen Online. www.proquest.com

• Women and the Stream of Thought – Anonymous, Woman’s Journal (1919) produced by ProQuest LLC as part of Gerritsen Online. www.proquest.com​

• Bookselling as a Profession for Women – Madge Jenison, National Business Woman (1926) produced by ProQuest LLC as part of Gerritsen Online. www.proquest.com​

• The Rise of Women in Publishing – Anonymous, Publishers’ Weekly (1971)

• If Wonder Woman were alive today, she’d probably be in the typing pool– Rita A. Black, Book Production Industry (1973)