Librarian
IFSI Library Information
Library Hours:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Special operating hours may be held during events.
IFSI Library Staff:
Lian Ruan, Head Librarian: lruan@illinois.edu
Diane Richardson, Reference & User Training Librarian: dlrichar@illinois.edu
David Ehrenhart, Archivist and Metadata Librarian: ehrenha1@illinois.edu
LibGuide created by:
Introduction
This guide was produced by the Illinois Fire Service Institute Library to provide information on women in the fire service. As of 2017, women represented 7% of firefighters in the United States (NFPA). Included here are links to books, articles, research papers, videos, and online resources intended to highlight this minority population in the field.
The video above features the experiences of participants in the Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (WTREX), a wildland fire training program for female firefighters. Many speak of the challenges of being the only female firefighter on their crew.
General Resources
- International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services
An interactive non-profit network, iWomen provides education, support and advocacy for fire service women. - U.S. Fire Department Profile 2020
A research report by NFPA on fire departments in the United States, including statistics on female firefighters. - Firefighter's ABCs
A program aimed at increasing representation of women and minorities in firefighting and emergency response.
About the IFSI Library
The Illinois Fire Service Institute Library contains books, codes and standards, DVDs, CDs, periodicals, manuals, e-resources, audiobooks, and other fire emergency resources, totaling over 65,000 items. We serve all first responders in the state of Illinois. Materials can be requested in person, by phone or email, or online through our catalog. You can search our catalog by title, author, keyword, subject, or publisher, and choose the formats you want to see. Enter as few or as many search terms as you would like; the more search terms you use the fewer results you'll get, but the results will be more specific. If you live in Illinois and have a public library card, we can send materials to your public library via interlibrary loan. Anyone is also welcome to visit us in person!
IFSI Library Lending Policies
Local Lending (Illinois Residents Only)
- The checkout period is 4 weeks.
- Extensions are considered individually.
- Pick up requested materials at the library circulation desk.
- Bring your photo ID to set up a lending account.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
- The checkout period is 6 weeks.
- IFSI can send materials directly to your local public library through Interlibrary Loan.
- You must have a public library card.
- It may take up to two weeks for items to arrive.