The Feminist Library
Written By: Eve Setch
Date: January 1998
Date: January 1998
Published In London Socialist Historians Group Newsletter Issue 2: Lent term 1998
The Feminist Library was founded in 1975 as the Women’s Research and Resources Centre and is one of the few remaining women’s libraries and archives left in Britain. It was originally set up as a centre for researchers embarking on areas of work in the in the new field of women’s studies. Since then this resource has been extended alongside the field itself and the library book, journal and archival holdings have burgeoned.
The Library houses a collection of materials on and by women. The holdings now extend to over 10,000 books, both fiction and non-fiction, 9,000 pamphlets, 1200 articles and 1500 journals. These cover a whole range of subjects, for example work, health, sexuality, women’s history, art, and literature. Not only are many current publications held in the library, but it has a number of rare imprints published form the 1970s onwards. Many of these are self-produced articles, pamphlets and journals that cannot be found in conventional libraries and bookshops. The library still receives various journals such as Trouble and Strife and Feminist Review as well as holding standard past stocks including Spare Rib. The collection has an extensive international element containing many journals and books from other countries, for example Ms from America, Mujer Fempress from Chile and publications from the EEC and United Nations organisations for women.
A major strength of the library is its holdings of posters and ephemera from the women’s movement of the 1970s and 1980s. It holds many papers from the national women’s liberation conferences, including a unique transcript of the first women’s liberation conference held at Ruskin in Spring 1970. It also has many papers from regional and sectarian conferences from these decades. In addition, there is an extensive collection of women’s newsletters, many simply ‘gestetnered’ sheets of coloured paper, which were produced by and for women within certain groups. Such newsletters are an invaluable resource and context for anyone looking at the women’s movement both past and present. They contain evidence of the thoughts and opinions as well as the activities of women involved in the movement and give a clear sense of debates as they were being experienced. The library is always looking for material and would welcome donations from women who were, and/or still are, involved in the movement.
The Feminist Library produces a newsletter 2-3 times a year which is sent out to members. It includes news, reviews and articles on areas of interest to library users.
Although for a period during the 1980s the library was funded by the GLC, it lost this source of income in 1988. The building space is now funded by Southwark Council, but the library is entirely run by volunteers and relies on membership fees and donations for its continued existence. We would welcome anyone who wants to visit and help keep this valuable resource open.
[Edited to add - for more on The Feminist Library today see here: https://feministlibrary.co.uk/]
The Library houses a collection of materials on and by women. The holdings now extend to over 10,000 books, both fiction and non-fiction, 9,000 pamphlets, 1200 articles and 1500 journals. These cover a whole range of subjects, for example work, health, sexuality, women’s history, art, and literature. Not only are many current publications held in the library, but it has a number of rare imprints published form the 1970s onwards. Many of these are self-produced articles, pamphlets and journals that cannot be found in conventional libraries and bookshops. The library still receives various journals such as Trouble and Strife and Feminist Review as well as holding standard past stocks including Spare Rib. The collection has an extensive international element containing many journals and books from other countries, for example Ms from America, Mujer Fempress from Chile and publications from the EEC and United Nations organisations for women.
A major strength of the library is its holdings of posters and ephemera from the women’s movement of the 1970s and 1980s. It holds many papers from the national women’s liberation conferences, including a unique transcript of the first women’s liberation conference held at Ruskin in Spring 1970. It also has many papers from regional and sectarian conferences from these decades. In addition, there is an extensive collection of women’s newsletters, many simply ‘gestetnered’ sheets of coloured paper, which were produced by and for women within certain groups. Such newsletters are an invaluable resource and context for anyone looking at the women’s movement both past and present. They contain evidence of the thoughts and opinions as well as the activities of women involved in the movement and give a clear sense of debates as they were being experienced. The library is always looking for material and would welcome donations from women who were, and/or still are, involved in the movement.
The Feminist Library produces a newsletter 2-3 times a year which is sent out to members. It includes news, reviews and articles on areas of interest to library users.
Although for a period during the 1980s the library was funded by the GLC, it lost this source of income in 1988. The building space is now funded by Southwark Council, but the library is entirely run by volunteers and relies on membership fees and donations for its continued existence. We would welcome anyone who wants to visit and help keep this valuable resource open.
[Edited to add - for more on The Feminist Library today see here: https://feministlibrary.co.uk/]
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