Digital Book Display: Work in America

Next Monday marks the national celebration of Labor Day in the United States. Taking place on the first Monday in September, Labor Day for many Americans has come to represent a day of leisure and an unofficial farewell to summer. The history of this holiday has its roots in organized labor and originated from the efforts of labor unions following the Civil War. Several union leaders had called for Labor Day as a federal holiday and three cities - Pittsburgh, Providence, and New York City - held celebrations in the summer of 1882.  Events from the first Labor Day celebration in New York City included a parade of thousands of different union members and was followed by speeches, band music, food and fireworks. In addition to bringing together groups of different trades, the event also brought together members of different ethnic and racial backgrounds.

Did you know that Pepperdine Libraries has a subscription to virtual encyclopedias to help you get quick overviews on many different topics? To learn more about Labor Day and its history, we recommend two brief encyclopedia entries available to Pepperdine students, faculty, and staff from our subscription to Gale Virtual Reference Library: "Labor Day Established"  (from St. James Encyclopedia of Labor History Worldwide) and "Labor Day" (from The Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America).

Are you interested in learning more broadly about the history of work in America? Be sure to check out the link below for selected ebooks available to Pepperdine's current students, faculty, and staff. This virtual book display provides 100 different titles that examine some of the many issues around labor and employment in America. Happy Labor Day!

 Labor Day, Labor Unions and the Working Class in America Virtual Book Display 

https://pepperdine.on.worldcat.org:443/list/17070873

Have questions about using our ebooks or want to locate additional ebooks? Be sure to check out our Ebooks Guide.