Domestic Violence Events: updated as of 05/04/2012
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goals | history |


Goals

The purpose of URI's Lewis E. Bingham National Domestic Violence Library and Clearinghouse is to:

1. Acquire, update and maintain a specialized collection of materials on domestic violence, which may be accessed by persons impacted by domestic violence, service providers, researchers, policy analysts, scholars to enhance either their understanding of domestic violence or their work in the field;

2. Serve as a training resource for seminars on domestic violence for different audiences;

3. Provide computer and Internet facilities for online research about domestic violence;

4. Maintain a web site that includes links to other online information sources pertaining to domestic violence and access to URI's own research and publications on domestic violence.


History


In 1999, the late Lewis E. Bingham, Executive Senior Vice President of Urban Resource Institute (URI) at the time, envisioned creating a domestic violence library and clearinghouse, for the purpose of supporting applied research in domestic violence that would enhance understanding of domestic violence as well as improve service provision to domestic violence survivors and their families. Because there was no single library, either physical or online, that offers a full range of publications on domestic violence, Mr. Bingham wanted to create a centralized resource for researchers, students, victims of domestic violence, service providers, and the general public to access information about domestic violence either for practical purposes or further research in the field.


Mr. Lewis E. Bingham, founder of the National Domestic Violence Library


As the Executive Senior Vice President of URI, Mr. Bingham oversaw both the development and operations of several domestic violence residential facilities sponsored by URI for over sixteen years, as well as various research and evaluation studies on domestic violence conducted by URI management and program staff. That experience, as well as his knowledge about the lack of comprehensive research on domestic violence, particularly concerning urban populations and women of color, prompted Mr. Bingham's wish to establish a national clearinghouse for information on domestic violence.

Although Mr. Bingham did not live to see this wish fulfilled, URI is proud to have been able to bring his visionary notion to fruition. Established in January 2002, the Lewis E. Bingham National Domestic Violence Library and Clearinghouse currently houses books, scholarly and professional journals, informational brochures and pamphlets, as well as other printed reference materials on domestic violence. URI continues to conduct domestic violence research and to operate the Urban Women's Retreat, Urban Women's New Beginnings, Urban Women's Safe Haven and the Urban Center for Change, in New York City, as residential programs for victims of domestic violence.

Day-to-day program operations of URI's residential shelters, the Library, the Website and DV research activities are managed by URI's Division of Human Services and Senior Vice President, Robert E. Sage, Ph.D..