J. Bay Jacobs, M.D., Library for the History of Obstetrics and Gynecology in America
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
The J. Bay Jacobs, M.D., Library for the History of Obstetrics and Gynecology in America serves as a reference collection for researchers and scholars, a source for oral and written histories of the College and its early leaders, and a focal point for the Special Interest Group on the History of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The 6,000-volume library is open to visitors and scholars by appointment. Limited reference service is available. Visitors may use in-house databases, photocopier, and scanner. Photocopies may be requested via interlibrary loan; books and journals are rarely loaned. Oral history and historical videos are available on ILL. A fellowship in the history of American obstetrics and gynecology is offered each year.
Approximately 6,000 books; 10 history-related serial titles; more than 200 videotapes (oral history, surgical procedures, and historical topics); online library catalog; printed guides. Sample copies of all College publications are kept in the Resource Center. An archives has been established for keeping relevant historical organizational documents associated with the College. There are a few reprint collections from specific physicians and a small amount of original art (e.g., from textbooks). Some vertical files with historical reprints and other resources are also available. Collection has no incunabula. Majority of collection deals with Gynecology and Obstetrics, with additional focus on sexually transmitted diseases, family planning/contraception, and popular works on sexual health. Collection is made up of primarily 19th and 20th century clinical material, with an emphasis on textbooks and transactions of ob-gyn society meetings.