The Steinem Sisters Collection Book Club is a monthly discussion group held at Toledo’s Sanger Branch Library. The club is dedicated to exploring feminist literature and draws its reading material from thelibrary’s Steinem Sisters Collection. This collection is named after feminist icon Gloria Steinem and her sister, Suzanne Steinem Patch, to honor their commitment to women’s rights and social justice.
Named for Toledo natives
Gloria Steinem was born in Toledo in 1934 and fueled a movement for women’s rights and equality. A group of Toledo-area feminists called the Steinem Sisters Collective established a lending library of feminist publications to recognize the noted journalist and social activist’s 80th birthday. The collection was called the Steinem Sisters’ Library and Resource Center and was housed at People Called Women, a feminist bookstore owned by one of the Collective’s founding members. When People Called Women was eventually sold, the Collective’s original collection was donated to the Toledo Lucas County Public Library and renamed the Steinem Sisters Collection. Toledo has the only public library in the United States with a special feminist collection and the collection has grown to over 900 titles since its inception.
Ongoing conversations
The Steinem Sisters Collection Book Club aims to highlight the collection with discussions of the historical, cultural and political contributions that women have made throughout literature. The Steinem Sisters community is dedicated to exploring, understanding, an honoring historical and contemporary feminist literature. By engaging with works that explore these ideas, members not only broaden their literary horizons but also contribute to ongoing conversations about gender, equality, and social justice.
On March 26 a special screening of “My Name is Andrea”, a documentary following the life and work of Andrea Dworkin, will be shown at the Main Library. April’s book club meeting at the Sanger Branch Library encourages readers to select any novel or essay by Andrea Dworkin to discuss in tandem with the documentary.
Steinem Sisters Collection Book Club Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 PM in Meeting Room B of the Sanger Branch Library. Each session offers participants an opportunity to delve into selected works that highlight various aspects of feminist thought, history, and culture. The club welcomes new members to participate in its monthly discussions. Details about meetings and book selections on the Toledo Library’s event page.
For more information about the Steinem Sisters Collection, visit toledolibrary.org.
