Abstract
The Barbara G. Brents Professional Papers (1982-2025) contain materials representing sociologist Barbara "Barb" Brents's academic career as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). In particular, the materials document Brents's research on the political economy of sex workers in Nevada and the culminating scholarly output including papers and her co-authored monograph,
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Scope and Contents Note
The Barbara G. Brents Professional Papers (1982-2025) contain materials representing sociologist Barbara "Barb" Brents's academic career as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). In particular, the materials document Brents's research on the political economy of sex workers in Nevada and the culminating scholarly output including papers and her co-authored monograph,
Access Note
Collection is open for research, with the exception of materials that are restricted to protect personally identifiable information. Restricted materials are noted at the file level of this inventory and will be open for research use on January 1, 2045.
Publication Rights
This material is made available to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. The donor, Barbara G. Brents, transferred all right, title and interest they had in the Barbara G. Brents Professional Papers (UA-00149) to UNLV. However, some material may be protected by copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity rights, or other interests not owned by UNLV. Users are responsible for determining whether permissions are necessary from rights owners for any intended use and for obtaining all required permissions. Acknowledgement of the UNLV University Libraries is requested. For more information, please see the UNLV Special Collections policies on reproductions and use or contact us at special.collections@unlv.edu.
Arrangement
Materials are arranged topically.
Biographical / Historical Note
Barbara G. "Barb" Brents is a sociologist whose research focuses on the intersection of politics, sex, and gender. Brents received her Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Missouri in 1987 and began teaching at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1988. Brents is considered one of the leading academic experts on the sex industry and Nevada's legal brothels. Throughout her tenure, Brents has published and presented extensively on the topic of sexual commerce and sex work in various legal systems. She and other members of the UNLV Department of Sociology also collaborated in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Social Survey (LVMASS), a collaborative project with UNLV students and faculty, the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Commission, and the city of Las Vegas to gather neighborhood-level data from Las Vegas residents on neighborhood, environmental, and social sustainability issues.
She is co-author of the 2010 book
Brents has been involved with various social activist movements and organizations including serving as the ACLU of Nevada Board President and as a member of Citizen Alert. She also serves as Board Secretary for The Cupcake Girls, a Las Vegas-based organization that provides confidential support, resources, and referral services for those who have been affected by the sex industry and sex trafficking.
Brents retired in June 2025 after over thirty-seven years of service at UNLV as Professor Emerita.
Source:
"Barb Brents-Professor, UNLV," University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Accessed September 12, 2025. https://brents.faculty.unlv.edu/#
"Barbara G. Brents," UNLV News Center-Experts, Accessed September 24, 2025. https://www.unlv.edu/news/expert/barbara-g-brents
"Meet the Board," The Cupcake Girls, Accessed September 24, 2025. https://www.thecupcakegirls.org/meet-the-board
Preferred Citation
Barbara G. Brents Professional Papers, 1982-2025. UA-00149. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 2025 by Barbara G. Brents; accession number 2025-080.
Processing Note
In 2025, Tammi Kim rehoused the collection and created the inventory and finding aid in ArchivesSpace. Tammi Kim processed born-digital materials including migrating files off of opticals discs and floppy disks which were normalized to standard preservation and access formats following UNLV Special Collections and Archives Digital Preservation guidelines.
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Appraisal Note
Acquired by Sarah Quigley, Director, as part of UNLV Special Collections and Archives holdings in sexual entertainment and economies. The original acquisition included 0.5 linear feet of duplicate printed materials that were removed and securely disposed of. One bank deposit bag with money from the Womyn's Festival files was removed from the collection and offered back to the donor.
Additions
Further additions to this collection are anticipated.