Researching the Personal Life: Mary Niles Maack's Early Writing on Feminist Biography

Mary Niles Maack began her research in library history at a critical time in American feminist studies. Earlier scholars laid the groundwork for feminist research by identifying the contributions of women, gathering sources about them, and writing histories that corrected predominantly male perspectives on the role of women in American history. Maack addressed the problem of premature generalization in library history research in her 1982 article "Toward a History of Women in Librarianship: A Critical Analysis with Suggestions for Further Research." One focus of her scrutiny was Dee Garrison's work. When Maack's article was published, the first women's studies programs were just being established in American universities; her research was an important contribution to a nascent field. This essay considers that evolution. As women's studies grew to embrace gender studies, Maack's work evolved as well. This article considers "Toward a History of Women" and her unpublished 1998 paper "Book Women: Writing Feminist Biography" to understand the evolution of Maack's work in an evolving field.