As spring settled in, April’s additions to JSTOR invited us to slow down and pay attention to silences in landscapes, persistence in protest, and the courage it takes to share a vulnerable story. This month’s collections revealed the depth of human experience in unexpected ways. They offered glimpses of solidarity in labor movements, joy in artistic expression, and dignity in the voices of those too often unheard.

Book of the month (on its way to open): A Blueprint for Worker Solidarity

Book cover for "A Blueprint for Worker Solidarity: Class Politics and Community in Wisconsin" by Naomi R. Williams. The design features a white blueprint-style drawing of a raised fist over an outline of the state of Wisconsin. The words "Organize," "Educate," and "Agitate" appear around the fist. The background is a deep blue grid, and the WCHA (Working Class in American History) logo is placed in the lower right corner.

Our April pick from JSTOR’s Path to Open program is A Blueprint for Worker Solidarity: Class Politics and Community in Wisconsin by Naomi R. Williams, published by University of Illinois Press.

Focusing on Racine, Wisconsin in the 1970s and 1980s, Williams explores how workers, unions, and neighborhood organizations built lasting coalitions in response to economic shifts. The book weaves together labor history and local activism to show how solidarity was built in communities.

The book is available now to participating institutions and will become open access in 2028.

Learn more about Path to Open.

Reveal Digital: Voices from inside

A colorful illustration from a prison publication, depicting a footbridge over a blue stream surrounded by pink trees and tulips. The word "CASTLE" is printed in yellow at the bottom, with credit to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Castle, vol. 3, no. 4, Apr. 1969. University of Kentucky.

April was also Second Chance Month, and we spotlighted the open access American Prison Newspapers collection from Reveal Digital.

With more than 700 periodicals written and edited by incarcerated individuals across two centuries, this archive provides an unfiltered, powerful lens into the U.S. prison system—offering journalism, critique, creativity, and community from within.

Explore the collection.

Shared collections: Storytellers, scholars, and scenic views

A weathered, ornately illustrated title page of an early printed book titled An Alvearie or Quadruple Dictionarie. The book claims to contain “four sundrie tongues: namelie, English, Latine, Greeke, and French.” Decorative floral and architectural elements frame the text, with a prominent beehive illustration at the bottom center, symbolizing industrious learning. The top features a royal crest. The page shows signs of age, including tears, discoloration, and missing corners.
An Alvearie or Quadruple Dictionarie, 1580. Goucher College James Wilson Bright Rare Books Collection.
Portrait of Augusta Baker seated in an office chair, holding an open book and looking toward the camera. She is wearing a dark blazer over a striped blouse. Behind her, shelves are lined with children’s books and story props, highlighting her lifelong work in children’s literature and storytelling.
Portrait of Augusta Baker in Her Office, Color Variant. University of South Carolina.
An engraving showing five architectural details from Broadwell Church, Gloucestershire. Top left: an octagonal baptismal font decorated with carved foliage motifs. Top right: a pointed Gothic window framed with ornate tracery and pinnacles. Center: an embellished tomb chest with shields and leaf designs. Bottom left: a small rounded-arch window with deeply recessed stone layers and a projecting basin. Bottom right: an elaborately carved Norman arch with circular and foliage patterns.
Gresley, A. C. Architectural Details from Broadwell Church, Gloucestershire. Engraving, 1855. Views of England and Wales, University of Leicester.

Augusta Baker Papers 

One of the most influential figures in American librarianship, Augusta Baker spent her career championing positive representation in children’s literature. She mentored authors and even consulted for Sesame Street, building a legacy that shaped generations. This new collection from the University of South Carolina honors her life and work through letters, artwork, and archival photographs.

Explore the collection.

James Wilson Bright Rare Books Collection

This collection from Goucher College spans early English language history, with highlights like An Alvearie or Quadruple Dictionarie from 1580. Used for decades in teaching Middle and Early Modern English, these rare books are now available to browse on JSTOR.

Browse the collection.

Views of England and Wales 

Over 2,000 digitized prints, drawings, paintings, and photographs trace the landscapes and architecture of England and Wales from the 17th to 20th centuries. Featuring detailed scenes from Gloucestershire and Yorkshire, many works in this collection from the University of Leicester include historical annotations for deeper context.

See the collection.

Audiovisual archives: Poetry and plants

Samaa Abdurraqib on poetic vulnerability

In a powerful interview, Abdurraqib reflects on returning to writing, the influence of her mother and Toni Morrison, and the courage it takes to share her voice. Her interview is part of the Maine Artist Interviews collection from Lights Out Gallery and Colby College.

Watch the video.

Tuskegee greenhouse footage

Archival footage from Tuskegee University captures a quiet moment of experimentation by George Washington Carver and Dr. Walter G. Crump, as they explore plant cross-pollination. The legacy of their agricultural research still grows.

Watch the video.

April’s collections remind us that history lives in newsletters passed among classmates, poetry whispered to the self, and strategies outlined on union hall bulletin boards. It grows in greenhouses and libraries and flourishes when preserved and shared.

We’ll be back in May with more to uncover.

About the author

Maria Papadouris is a Content and Community Engagement Manager at ITHAKA, where she works on bringing the JSTOR community together under the common goal of championing access to knowledge (and having a fun time doing it!). A first-generation Greek American and first-generation college student, Maria studied political science and creative writing, bringing an interdisciplinary approach to issues in the humanities. She is currently pursuing graduate studies in English literature, with interests in modern literature, critical theory (particularly around ideology and power), semiotics, and philosophy.