New York Chapter
In the fall of 1917, fifteen women booksellers who had been excluded from membership in the all-male Bookseller’s League and from attending the league’s annual convention, met in Sherwood’s Book Store at 19 John Street in downtown New York. They met again on November 13 of that year with thirty-five women present and formed a permanent organization, the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA), and elected its first president, Pauline Sherwood. WNBA’s unique characteristic was a membership open to women in all facets of the world of books—publishers, booksellers, librarians, authors, illustrators, agents, book production people—the only criterion being that part of their income must come from books.
During the early and difficult years of the organization, Publishers Weekly was a major support, allotting a page each month in the magazine for copy supplied by WNBA editors. Now, eighty-five years later, with eight chapters in cities spanning the country and with Corresponding Members in nearly all of the fifty states, WNBA is still championing the role of women in the world of words. Its membership is open to women and men who subscribe to WNBA’s mission and goals.
During its long existence, WNBA has run seminars on bookselling techniques, published several books, participated in book programs on both radio and television, led in-service courses for teachers on children’s books, sponsored book and author luncheons and dinners, cooperated on local book fairs, founded chapters in London, New Delhi, Paris, and Tokyo, has been active as a DPI/NGO member in the United Nations, entertained visiting bookwomen from across the United States and from abroad, and surveyed the status of women in publishing.
In November 1936 the organization published the first issue of its official publication, The Bookwoman. Originally a quarterly, it was published primarily for the benefit of corresponding members. Today The Bookwoman is a national project under the jurisdiction of the national executive board and appointed editors.
New York was the founding chapter of WNBA and for thirty years was the only active chapter, building up corresponding memberships throughout the country. In 1958 a National Board was created to coordinate chapter activities and undertake projects of its own. The New York members, working in the publishing center of the world, thus became a separate chapter that to this day initiates programs and subjects that are useful to other chapters and to the publishing community at large. WNBA/NYC publishes its own newsletter, The New York Bookwoman, for all its members.
Believing that books have power, WNBA was formed to make it possible for people engaged in various book activities to help broaden their part in the world of books, to serve the book world, and to know one another as individuals with common problems, aspirations, and goals. Today women have more opportunity to implement change and move ahead than ever before. WNBA is the organization in which they can come together, define goals, develop leadership, further communication, and organize activities to benefit women.