Glasgow Women's Library

Glasgow Women's Library
Map
55°50′56″N 4°13′41″W / 55.849°N 4.228°W / 55.849; -4.228
LocationGlasgow, Scotland, UK
TypePublic library, Museum
Established1991
Other information
Websitewomenslibrary.org.uk

Glasgow Women's Library is a public library, registered company and charity based in the Bridgeton area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the only accredited museum dedicated to women's history and provides information relevant to women's culture and achievements. It tries to operate on feminist principles. The library was awarded Recognised Collection of National Significance to Scotland status in 2015, as the collection contains valuable resources pertaining to women and their lives. In 2018, it was shortlisted for Museum of the Year. The museum supplies and encourages training and education, as well as skill-sharing via volunteers and/or staff.

History

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The Women's Library was established in 1991.[1] The original library was housed in a shop front in Garnethill on the corner of Hill and Dalhousie Street. It evolved from the 'Women in Profile' project, whose aim was to ensure the visibility of women in the programming of Glasgow, European City of Culture year.[2] By 2016 the number of paid staff had reached 22, along with 100 volunteers.[3]

In 2010 the library moved to the Mitchell Library in the Charing Cross area of the city, occupying the space formally used by the Anderston Library.[4] Following a decision taken in 2012, it moved to more suitable premises in Landressy Street in Bridgeton, the former site of Bridgeton Library, which was a B listed Carnegie Library built in 1903. The move was completed in November 2015, after two years of renovation work.[5][6] Collective Architecture were responsible for the refurbishment which included an innovative external lift shaft incorporating book titles.[7] The new library was officially opened on 7 November 2015 by Nicola Sturgeon.[5]

Co-founder Dr. Adele Patrick won the Scottish Woman of the Year award in 2015, and a Woman of the Year in 2016.[8][9]

  • External lift shaft incorporating book titles
    External lift shaft incorporating book titles
  • Flag outside the Glasgow Women's Library
    Flag outside the Glasgow Women's Library

Collections and projects

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"Big Rachel" was a special constable in 1875

The library is the UK's only accredited museum concerned with women's history, and was awarded Recognised Collection of National Significance to Scotland status in 2015.[10][11] The collection includes Suffragette memorabilia, knitting and dress making patterns from the 1930s, Girls' annuals c.1950s to 1980s and Scottish Women's Liberation newsletters from the 1970s.[5][12] Amongst its archival collections is the Lesbian Archive which is one of the most important LGBT collections in the UK.[13][14][15]

The library houses the National Museum of Roller Derby; a sport which was pioneered by women. It includes sports equipment, programmes and publications including the magazine Inline.[16]

In 2011, and in celebration of their 21st birthday in 2012, the library launched the 21 Revolutions project, commissioning a group of 21 artists and 21 writers, including Janice Galloway and Denise Mina, to make work inspired by their collection. The work was published in a book of the same name.[5]

In 2015 the library nominated The Suffragette Oak, a tree in Kelvingrove Park, for the Woodland Trust Scottish Tree of the Year award.[17] The oak tree went on to win the award and was then a nominee in the 2016 European Tree of the Year awards.[18] When the tree was damaged by Storm Ophelia, it had to be reduced in size in order to save it. The offcuts were donated to the Library[19] and became earrings,[20] chopping boards,[21] coasters, magnets and trinket boxes by local artist Annie Graham.[22]

In 2017 the library, working with YouthLink Scotland, displayed research on inspirational women from five communities. The project was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.[23]

Nicola Sturgeon handing her Great Seal to Women's Library co-directors Adele Patrick and Sue John.

The library is home to an expanding zine collection,[24] which helps document the lives and experiences of women. The collection includes comics and political publications as well as personal and music zines. The library runs regular workshops to raise awareness of zines and encourage women to make their own.

To mark her retirement from the role and her place as the first female First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon donated her Great Seal of Scotland to the Library's museum collection in March 2023.[25]

Services

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Glasgow Women's Library is free to join and provides clubs, events, courses and workshops. This includes an adult literacy and numeracy project, a Black and Minority Ethnic Women’s Project and a lending library. The archives include historical and contemporary artefacts relating to women's lives and achievements. The group provide guided walks around Glasgow through the "Women Make History" project highlighting local women like Big Rachel.[26]

Scotland's virtual reference scheme, Ask Scotland, has allowed questions to be posed online and referred to the Glasgow Women's Library since 2011.[27]

The library regularly hosts exhibitions ranging from work by outsider artists or students at GSA, to established artists and items from the library's collections. Recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic the exhibitions and other regular events have been held online.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Our History". Glasgow Women's Library. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  2. ^ Brooks, Libby (19 September 2016). "Glasgow Women's Library: a treasure trove that shows how far feminism has come". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  3. ^ Brooks, Libby (19 September 2016). "Glasgow Women's Library: a treasure trove that shows how far feminism has come". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Glasgow Women's Library is flitting | Glasgow Women's Library". womenslibrary.org.uk. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d "Glasgow Women's Library: Truly a national treasure | Creative Scotland". www.creativescotland.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Collective Architecture completes Glasgow Women's Library". Dezeen. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Glasgow Women's Library | hub West Scotland". hubwestscotland.co.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Former SWOTY winner reveals importance of big win ahead of candidate shortlist announcement". Evening Times. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  9. ^ "SWOTY Adele is a Woman of the Year". Evening Times. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  10. ^ Sharpe, Gillian (24 December 2017). "Women making an exhibition of themselves". BBC News. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Glasgow Women's Library celebrates 25 years of inspiration". The Scotsman. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  12. ^ "The Archive Collection – Glasgow Women's Library". womenslibrary.org.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  13. ^ "Lesbian Archive". Glasgow Women's Library. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  14. ^ Savage, Philip (17 March 2006). "The Lesbian Archive". The Skinny. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  15. ^ Goh, Katie (23 July 2018). "Why the UK's biggest lesbian archive is so important". Dazed. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  16. ^ "National Museum of Roller Derby (NMRD) ★ About". nmrd.org.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Suffragette Oak is Scotland's Tree of the Year". Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Vote for the Suffragette Oak to be European Tree of the Year 2016 – Glasgow Women's Library". womenslibrary.org.uk. February 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Pieces of historic Suffragette Oak tree will help raise funds for Glasgow Women's Library". The National. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Glasgow Women's Library on Instagram: "🎄 Day 10 of The 12 Days of GWL Christmas🎄 Suffrage Oak Earrings £10 From Small Acorns… We are proud to launch a truly special range of new merchandise designed and created by Glasgow based artist Annie Graham made from wood from the Glasgow Suffrage Oak. These items are limited editions, and include chopping boards, book marks, earrings and keyrings and are only available to purchase from the Glasgow Women's Library shop. The Suffrage Oak was planted on Kelvin Way in Glasgow's West End by Louisa Lumsden on behalf of Suffrage organisations on 20 April 1918, to commemorate the right to vote being granted to some women in February 1918, after decades of determined campaigning. On International Women's Day 1995, the Women's Committee of Glasgow City Council erected a plaque beside the tree which acknowledge its history. In 2015 GWL nominated the Suffrage Oak to be named Scotland's Tree of the Year in an annual national competition run by the Woodland Trust. The Suffrage Oak won, and the award was presented to representatives from Glasgow Women's Library at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on 27 October 2015. In October 2017 the Suffrage Oak was badly damaged by Storm Ophelia, losing around 30% of its canopy and suffering a large tear to its trunk. To save the tree, and protect the public, Glasgow City Council Tree Surgeons worked to reduce its height and rebalance the canopy. The tree's survival was touch and go. Glasgow Women's Library requested the resulting oak off-cuts, left them to season, and vowed to make them into beautiful and enduring objects that would both celebrate Suffrage campaigners and support its own work as the UK's sole Accredited Museum dedicated to women's history. Visit our shop & support a unique charity whilst giving something different, special, ethical & unique this Christmas. You can visit Glasgow Women's Library until Wednesday 21st December at 4.30pm. #UnwrapArt #GWLChristmas #FeministGifts #herstory #WomensHistory #advent"". Instagram. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Glasgow Women's Library on Instagram: "🎄 Day 11 of The 12 Days of GWL Christmas🎄 Suffrage Oak & Resin Charcuterie Boards £60 (only 6 will ever be made) From Small Acorns… We are proud to launch a truly special range of new merchandise designed and created by Glasgow based artist Annie Graham made from wood from the Glasgow Suffrage Oak. These items are limited editions, and include chopping boards, book marks, earrings and keyrings and are only available to purchase from the Glasgow Women's Library shop. The Suffrage Oak was planted on Kelvin Way in Glasgow's West End by Louisa Lumsden on behalf of Suffrage organisations on 20 April 1918, to commemorate the right to vote being granted to some women in February 1918, after decades of determined campaigning. On International Women's Day 1995, the Women's Committee of Glasgow City Council erected a plaque beside the tree which acknowledge its history. In 2015 GWL nominated the Suffrage Oak to be named Scotland's Tree of the Year in an annual national competition run by the Woodland Trust. The Suffrage Oak won, and the award was presented to representatives from Glasgow Women's Library at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on 27 October 2015. In October 2017 the Suffrage Oak was badly damaged by Storm Ophelia, losing around 30% of its canopy and suffering a large tear to its trunk. To save the tree, and protect the public, Glasgow City Council Tree Surgeons worked to reduce its height and rebalance the canopy. The tree's survival was touch and go. Glasgow Women's Library requested the resulting oak off-cuts, left them to season, and vowed to make them into beautiful and enduring objects that would both celebrate Suffrage campaigners and support its own work as the UK's sole Accredited Museum dedicated to women's history. Visit our shop & support a unique charity whilst giving something different, special, ethical & unique this Christmas. You can visit Glasgow Women's Library until Wednesday 21st December at 4.30pm. #UnwrapArt #GWLChristmas #FeministGifts #herstory #WomensHistory #advent"". Instagram. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Glasgow Women's Library on Instagram: "New Suffrage Oak Merch Alert! We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with Glasgow School of Art graduate, Annie Graham (MLitt Sculpture), Winner of the 2021 Sustainability Degree Show Prize who has created this limited range of products that are inspired by and use wood from the Suffrage Oak. Coasters (set of 5): £30 Trinket boxes: Small £25 Medium £30 Large £35 Fridge Magnets: £5 Here is the Suffrage Oak story, in three chapters. Here is the Suffrage Oak story, in three chapters: (i) The Suffrage Oak was planted on Kelvin Way in Glasgow's West End by Louisa Lumsden on behalf of Suffrage organisations on 20 April 1918, to commemorate the right to vote being granted to some women in February 1918, after decades of determined campaigning. On International Women's Day 1995, the Women's Committee of Glasgow City Council erected a plaque beside the tree which acknowledge its history. (ii) In 2015 Glasgow Women's Library nominated the Suffrage Oak to be named Scotland's Tree of the Year in an annual national competition run by the Woodland Trust. The Suffrage Oak won, and the award was presented to representatives from Glasgow Women's Library at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on 27 October 2015. (iii) In October 2017 the Suffrage Oak was badly damaged by Storm Ophelia, losing around 30% of its canopy and suffering a large tear to its trunk. To save the tree, and protect the public, Glasgow City Council Tree Surgeons worked to reduce its height and rebalance the canopy. The tree's survival was touch and go. Glasgow Women's Library requested the resulting oak off-cuts, left them to season, and vowed to make them into beautiful and enduring objects that would both celebrate Suffrage campaigners and support its own work as the UK's sole Accredited Museum dedicated to women's history."". Instagram. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  23. ^ "From Scotswummin to Youngwummin". www.youthlinkscotland.org. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  24. ^ JennyK (4 September 2013). "Zine Collection". Glasgow Women's Library. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  25. ^ "Nicola Sturgeon makes significant donation to Glasgow Women's Library". The National. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  26. ^ "At Large: From Big Rachel to the bombing of the Botanic Gardens". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  27. ^ "Ask Scotland | About Us". Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011. Ask Scotland website
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