BGSU Libraries contribute to global “Girlhood Project” digital collection

Bowling Green State University (BGSU) Libraries has helped bring a major digital resource on girlhood and youth culture to researchers worldwide. 

Through a partnership with Adam Matthew Digital (AM), BGSU now has perpetual access to the Girlhood Project collection, a digital archive exploring the history and cultural experiences of girls and young women in the United States and the United Kingdom. 

As part of the initiative, BGSU served as the only American partner institution, contributing materials from both the Browne Popular Culture Library and the Music Library and Bill Schurk Sound Archives. 

In total, the University Libraries provided 550 magazine issues for digitization. The Browne Popular Culture Library contributed 390 issues from titles including American Girl, Calling All Girls, Career Girl Romances, Polly Pigtails, Sassy and Teen Age. The Music Library and Bill Schurk Sound Archives added 160 issues of Teen Beat and Tiger Beat. 

These publications capture decades of girlhood experiences, offering insight into fashion, music, identity and social expectations across generations. By making BGSU’s special collections materials digitally accessible alongside other international primary sources on girlhood, opportunities for research in women’s and gender studies, youth culture, media studies and history are significantly expanded. 

“BGSU faculty, students and staff can now access these rare and historically significant magazines from the comfort of their homes or dorm rooms along with gaining access to hundreds of other primary sources that celebrate girlhood and youth culture that would otherwise require international travel. This is such a huge opportunity for our BGSU community to gain access to a slice of the world’s special collections at the convenience of a click” said Sasha Kim, head librarian of the Browne Popular Culture Library. 

The Girlhood Project collection can support a wide range of academic uses, from supplementing online courses to enabling primary source research beyond Special Collections hours. Its international scope also allows students and scholars to explore girlhood across cultural contexts. 

With this contribution, BGSU Libraries continues to play a leading role in preserving and sharing popular culture materials, while expanding access to resources that document the voices and experiences of young women.