During the 1997-1998 year, the Women's Studies Interest Group held two programs.

University of Connecticut, Women's Center Archival Project, October 17, 1997.

On October 17, 1997, the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs hosted the Women's Studies Interest Group. UConn librarians Barbara Cervera and Susan Smith described their involvement in documenting the history of the UConn Women's Center through oral history interviews with women associated with the Center's founding a quarter of a century ago. There were also presentations by Janice Iglesias (Women's Center), Betsy Pittman (Archives and Special Collections), and Bruce Stave (Oral History Center). Following the program, Dodd Research Center Director Thomas Wilsted gave a behind-the-scenes tour of the Archives and Special Collections Department. The day concluded with lunch at the historic Altnaveigh Inn. Special thanks to ACRL/NEC Board member Connie Roberts for making this program possible. Total attendance at the program was fifteen, including the five panelists and two co-chairs. Other than two co-chairs and a former co-chair, there were no other attendees from Massachusetts. The program attracted six individuals from UConn (including a faculty member) and one other individual from Connecticut.

"Were there Witches in Salem?," March 27, 1998.

The Women's Studies Interest Group held their spring program at the Salem State College Library on March 27, 1998. SSC History professor Emerson Baker lectured on the topic "Were there witches in Salem?" He offered evidence to support the theory that a combination of international, national, and local events brought about the 1692 witch trials. He also provided the titles of the most important books on the topic. WSIG members viewed the film, "Witch City" on the tensions between the Wiccan and evangelical communities in Salem and on the witch-related tourism associated with the city. The Interest Group held a brief business meeting to discuss future directions in terms of leadership, location of meetings, and programming. Over lunch, several members discussed the idea of taking on a project of soliciting high school level fiction books for women incarcerated in the Framingham prison. During the lecture portion of the program, there were as many as twenty-eight attendees, probably including a few students or staff. The ranks thinned to fewer than twenty when the business meeting began.

The distribution list maintained by Christina Smith includes nearly sixty names. During the past year, events were announced on the distribution list; the Salem program was also announced on the BLC list and posted to lists in Vermont and New York by a librarian at UVM. It was also advertised on a list of library directors by the Dean of the Salem State College Library. For the UConn program, a mailing went out to sixty ACRL/NEC member librarians in Connecticut and to the WSIG mailing list maintained by Laura Walters. There was an effort to get mailing list addressees to provide us with e-mail addresses.

The Women's Studies Interest Group is at a crucial point in its history. It has been unsuccessful in recruiting a new co-chair. Laura Walters served as co-chair for three years, and will be busy with the responsibilities of Vice President of ACRL/NEC. The remaining chair, Christina Smith, will be unable to shoulder the entire responsibility for the interest group in the coming year, as she will be Chair of the Anthropology and Sociology Section of ACRL in 1998-1999. She has sought input from previous co-chairs regarding the future of the interest group. Wendy Thomas, co-founder of WSIG, offered helpful suggestions should the group continue, but also responded that it may be appropriate to lay it down. An appeal to the distribution list resulted in four responses: three individuals too busy to help but hoping the group would continue, and an offer from a member in Orono who was willing to help with the Web page. The WSIG welcomes input from ACRL/NEC Board members and their colleagues with respect to the future of the Women's Studies Interest Group.

J. Christina Smith (Boston University), co-chair

Laura Walters (Tufts University), co-chair

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