Ariadne is the Austrian National Library's women- and gender-specific knowledge portal and a virtual reading room, embodying the principle of the renowned Austrian/American women's history researcher Gerda Lerner (1920–2013):
Ariadne – the name says it all, because Ariadne is all about offering guidance in the ever more diverse field of women- and gender-specific knowledge. In Greek mythology, it was thanks to Ariadne, daughter of the Cretan king Minos, and her thread, that Theseus found his way out of the Minotaur's labyrinth.
The red thread at the Austrian National Library: A Portrait (in German language)
Ariadne came about in the context of the New Women's Movement that began in the 1970s. Never before had so much knowledge about women's studies been produced, both inside and outside universities. Since 1992, Ariadne has set itself the task of meeting the special information needs of researchers into women and gender at a large, institutionalised library.
This great task requires networks and exchange, nationally and internationally, such as within frida, the network of women- and genderspecific information and documentation facilities in Austria.
The two founders Christa Bittermann-Wille and Helga Hofmann-Weinberger established Ariadne as a central resource for women- and gender-specific information and documentation.
Lydia Jammernegg and Andrea Gruber are currently responsible for continuity and Ariadne's further development.
