From the Kitchen to the Archive: Taking Cookbooks to Local History Researchers
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Date
2025-06-19
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International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
Abstract
This presentation explores the often-overlooked historical and cultural significance of community cookbooks—those humble, spiral-bound compilations of recipes created by churches, schools, clubs, and grassroots women’s groups. Far more than mere culinary guides, these cookbooks serve as rich primary sources that document the lives, labor, values, and voices of women across generations.
Librarians in Special Collections at the University of Southern Mississippi have prioritized collecting cookbooks from around the state. To increase use of these materials, the librarians have worked to incorporate cookbooks into library instruction to push students to look deeper at these resources. It’s a way to show the students that cookbooks can have value outside the recipes.
Focusing on promoting research and use of the cookbooks, this talk will include an overview of the cookbook collection at the University of Southern Mississippi how the items can be used in research, and outreach efforts to the community and students at the university.
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Keywords
Library outreach, Bibliography, Research, Archives