International Women’s Day: Working (More than) 9-5 

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Written by Dawn McKinnon

March 8th, 2025 is International Women’s Day (IWD). International Women’s Day (IWD) has been around for over a hundred years, and many of the same issues are impacting women’s advancement. This year’s theme is #AccelerateAction, to emphasize the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality, both in personal and professional spheres (IWD website). 

To accompany IWD, the Redpath Book Display for March includes books by and about female entrepreneurs, who all work more than 9 to 5 to achieve their goals. Check out the list of books to learn about the successes and challenges faced by businesswomen who run the world. If reading the printed page isn’t for you, look for the audiobook versions in the list, so you can hear them roar. 

Creativity is a theme amidst the selections – the authors work hard for their money, and many discuss creative ways to earn R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and overcome challenges, including stories from social media star Madeline Pendleton, entrepreneurial consultant Charlene Walters, and Beth Comstock, who held positions in historical companies like GE.  

Many titles promote the power and importance of equity and diversity, such as “Promoting a culture of equity in the #MeToo era” where McElhaney et al., share experiences in the workplace, as well as recruiter Patricia Lenkov’s research in “Time’s Up Why Boards Need to Get Diverse Now.” 

Time after time, stories from women around the world and of those who came before us help us make sense of the world, so it is important to include selections that provide historical context (Making choices, making do: survival strategies of Black and White working-class women during the Great Depression), as well as the stories of independent women in today’s era (Girls who green the world : thirty-four rebel women out to save our planet).  

From steel toes and stilettos to Avon, these books were made for walking you through the pitches, celebrations, and barriers as they rewrite the rules for success. Visit the Redpath Library display to explore these in addition to other works, and view the full list of selected titles. 

Yomu Yomu, Tadoku,* Easy Japanese Books Available

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The McGill Libraries recently acquired the electronic version of the Nihongo Tadoku Bukkusu にほんご多読ブックス series. Users can now access graded readers for Japanese language learners in either print or electronic format:

  • Reberu betsu Nihongo tadoku raiburarī レベル別日本語多読ライブラリー  (also, called Nihongo Yomu Yomu Bunko ほんごよむよむ文庫) consists of 15 volumes divided into five levels (0-4). Each volume contains 4-6 booklets (parts).
  • Nihongo Tadoku Bukkusu にほんご多読ブックス consists of 55 books divided into six levels (0-5).

Detailed information about the titles in these series and how to access them can be found in “Resources for Japanese Language Learners” of the Japanese Studies guide. For questions and additional information, contact the East Asian Studies Liaison Librarian (hye-jin.juhn@mcgill.ca).

*Yomu よむ means “to read.” Tadoku 多読 means “extensive reading.”

Reproductive Justice – Redpath Book Display, January 2025

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Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, we have continued to see reproductive freedom taken away at the highest levels of government in the United States. There has been a ripple effect in Canada, as some members of parliament have become more outspoken about limiting access to reproductive health in this country. As we begin 2025, let us take a moment to look at the breadth of literature on reproductive rights. Much of this display features writings from and about the Canadian context, but there are topics ranging from Victorian Toronto to present-day Mexico and everything in between.  

Some noteworthy works on the local history of reproductive health in McGill Libraries’ collection include: After Morgentaler : The politics of abortion in Canada, which examines the landmark 1988 decision of R. v. Morgentaler that struck down Canada’s abortion law; Shout your abortion, a hashtag that went viral in 2015 following the United States Congress’ attempt at defunding Planned Parenthood; and Portrait of a scandal: The abortion trial of Robert Notman, about the younger brother of Montreal’s noted photographer William Notman who arranged for a woman’s abortion. In consideration of how abortion has been utilized by both proponents for and critics of eugenics, we have also included works on the history of eugenics in Canada such as: Our Own Master Race Eugenics in Canada, 1885-1945 and In the public good : eugenics and law in Ontario. 

Beyond abortion, another theme explored in the display is the timely and hotly debated topic of surrogacy. Surrogacy in Canada: Critical perspectives in law and policy addresses the health and well-being of surrogates, as well as the lack of surrogacy regulation in Québec. In My body, their baby : A progressive Christian vision for surrogacy, author Grace Y. Kao draws on her experience as a surrogate mother and assess the ethics of surrogacy through feminist and Christian lenses. Intimate strangers: Commercial surrogacy in Russia and Ukraine and the making of truth examines the transactional and financial nature behind some surrogate births and the impact it has on women’s bodies.