LAS VEGAS - Las Vegas' labor history was influenced greatly by pioneering women who broke down barriers in the postwar decades and shattered stereotypes of women in the workplace.
This rich history is captured in a new book by Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) director Joanne Goodwin and will be the focus of a free panel discussion at 1 p.m. Feb. 21 at UNLV's Lied Library. The panel will include a discussion with women featured in the book, UNLV historians and archivists.
Changing the Game: Women at Work in Las Vegas, 1940-1990 captures the shifting boundaries of women's employment in Las Vegas, countering the clich?d image of women at work by exploring strategies used for economic survival and success.
"This book is a group effort in many respects," said Goodwin. "It includes those whose lives are featured, those who preserved their experiences, and my interpretation as well. I hope it helps Las Vegans see the history of this area more richly and understand that it takes organizations like WRIN and UNLV to bring history alive."
Research for "Changing the Game" came from the University Libraries Special Collections Division and WRIN's Las Vegas Women Oral History Project archives. Prior to 1994, little information on women's lives existed in traditional repositories, and few oral history projects collected the narratives of women.
During the Feb. 21 event, Goodwin will also formally announce the transfer of the Las Vegas Women's Oral History Project archives from WRIN to UNLV Libraries Special Collections.
"UNLV Libraries is delighted to be receiving this important collection documenting the critical role women played in shaping Southern Nevada's labor history," said UNLV University Libraries dean Patricia Iannuzzi. "We look forward to ensuring these materials enjoy a broad reach and continue to be used to produce new knowledge."
The panel discussion is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP through WRIN at (702) 895-4931 or wrin@unlv.edu
Event sponsors include the UNLV Women's Research Institute of Nevada, the UNLV University Libraries Special Collections Division, the UNLV History Department, and the UNLV Public History Program.
About Women's Research Institute of Nevada
The mission of the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) is to foster the social and economic development of Nevadans through the collection, preservation, and analysis of information on women in the state. For more information about WRIN, visit wrinunlv.org.
About UNLV Libraries Special Collections Division
The UNLV Libraries Special Collections Division supports researchers worldwide in the interdisciplinary study of Las Vegas, Southern Nevada, and gaming. It is dedicated to building world-class collections, fostering discovery and access, safeguarding collections for future generations, creating new knowledge, and promoting scholarship and lifelong learning. For more information about Special Collections, visit library.unlv.edu/speccol
