Sex & Sexuality Module II: Self-Expression, Community, and Identity

CONTENT

This second module of Adam Matthew Digital’s resource builds upon the collection established in the first installment, which contained materials from the Kinsey Institute Library and Special Collections. Module II focuses on individual experiences of sexual expression, community, and gender identity, as well as the criminalization and persecution of people from the LGBTQIA+ community, from the 19th century to today.

Materials include personal accounts and resources relevant to historical events—for instance, documents from the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee, which launched in 1970 to observe the first anniversary of Stonewall. Contents come from the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University; the ONE Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries; the National Archives (UK); the Sheffield City Archives; the University of Sydney’s Rare Books and Special Collections (which made available the library and papers of sexologist Norman Haire); the University of Sussex (which made available the National Lesbian and Gay Survey from the Mass Observation Archive); the West Yorkshire Archive Service (including the work of Anne Lister, an 18th-century landowner, whose diaries detailed her lesbian relationships); and the British Film Institute.

As with Module I, users are required to confirm that they are above the age of consent in their country and that they understand the collection might contain “distressing” content.

USABILITY

Consistent with Adam Matthew’s range of products, Sex & Sexuality Module II is a rich, easily accessible collection of primary source materials. The homepage features a search bar, a carousel of highlighted photos, and links to collection guides and further information on the nature and scope of the archive.

A navigation bar under the header contains an introduction to the resource (with background, selection criteria, participating libraries, details on the editorial board, and more), “documents,” “collection guides,” “research tools,” “help,” “advanced search,” and “search directories.”

In addition to basic and advanced search options, users can browse the collection via the documents page, which provides a visual overview of major topics (academic and professional research, sexual behaviors, relationships, etc.). There is an exhaustive range of options to limit results (for instance, to pamphlets, ephemera, articles, magazines).

“Collection guides” gives users quick access to archive-specific materials, such as the Lister Diaries. Clicking “research tools” brings users to essays and video interviews, a chronology, photo exhibitions, films, and objects from the Kinsey Institute.

With advanced search, researchers can use multiple keywords and filter by date, document type, collection, topic, and/or archive. Users can also apply word stemming or proximity values, and limit results to secondary resources. Materials are presented in a high-quality format with searchable text.

PRICING

Costs are determined by a range of factors that influence the size of a potential user group, including but not limited to Carnegie Classification and full-time enrollment. Email info@amdigital.co.uk for more information about pricing.

VERDICT

Building on Module I, this installment explores the lives and history of individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, bringing the collection into the present. Featuring a clean, simple interface, this collection will meet the needs of newcomers to the field of research on sexuality, as well as experienced scholars.

Gricel Dominguez is a Librarian at Florida International University.