The Feminist Library is a special collection and archive of materials related to feminist literature and activism in London and the wider UK, including books, poetry pamphlets, and periodicals. Since 2020, the library is located in the Sojourner Truth Community Centre, Peckham, Southwark, South London.
| Feminist Library | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| 51°28′40″N 0°04′24″W / 51.477839°N 0.073382°W | |
| Location | London, England |
| Type | Special library |
| Established | 1975 |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Books, Periodicals, Pamphlets |
| Size | Approx. 14,700 |
| Other information | |
| Website | Feminist Library |
History
editWomen's Research and Resources Centre
editThe library was founded as the Women's Research and Resources Centre in 1975 by a group of women, concerned about the future of the Fawcett Library, to ensure that the history of the women's liberation movement survived. The founders included feminist academics Diana Leonard and Leonore Davidoff.[1][2]
2003 crisis
editThe library faced a financial crisis in 2003 when Lambeth Council substantially increased the rent on the building.[3]
Four years later, in 2007, the management committee called an emergency meeting as a final attempt to gather support. The meeting was well attended and the library was saved, although it still struggles ,[when?] depending on grants to survive.
Librarians for Tomorrow
editIn January 2010, the library announced that it had received a grant from Awards for All,[4] which it intended to use to train volunteers in radical librarianship, using the library itself as a resource. In March 2010, fifteen volunteers were chosen from many applicants and they began working at the library in April 2010. One of the trainees began writing an anonymous blog about her experiences.[5]
Opening hours had increased from 2013 to 2014 but remained dependent on the availability of volunteers. In 2015 the library celebrated its 40th anniversary.[6] By 2018 it was open afternoons or evenings from Tuesday to Saturday.[7]
Sojourner Truth Resource Centre, 2020 - present
editThe Feminist Library opened in the Sojourner Truth Resource Centre in Peckham in 2020.[8]
Collection
editThe library started as a small collection of contemporary material, but is now considered[by whom?] to be the most significant library of feminist material in England. As of 2010[update], the collection included some 7,500 books, of which around 5,000 are non-fiction, 500 poetry publications, and 1,500 periodical titles, many self-published, taking about 85 metres of shelving.[9] There is also a large number of pamphlets, held at the Bishopsgate Institute.[10]
Poetry and fiction
editThe amount of poetry and fiction in the library is unusual for a special collection focused on a political movement. The reason for this is that the library wanted to ensure individual women were represented as part of their liberation, as explained by Gail Chester, a member of the library's management committee, in an interview with Anne Welsh in 2007.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ David, Miriam (9 December 2010). "Diana Leonard obituary". The Guardian www.theguardian.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ John, Angela V. (6 November 2014). "Leonore Davidoff obituary". The Guardian www.theguardian.com. Archived from the original on 22 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ "Your Feminist Library Needs You!". Londonist. 26 February 2007. Archived from the original on 31 January 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ "Radical Librarianship Training". Womeninlondon.org.uk. 27 January 2010. Archived from the original on 3 February 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ "Adventures of a Radical Feminist Librarian". Radicalfeministlibrarian.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ Boland, Stephanie (26 February 2015). ""She blinded me with library science": why the Feminist Library is more vital than ever". New Statesman. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ The Feminist Library: Archiving our herstories since 1975 Archived 13 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine feministlibrary.co.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2018
- ^ Newsdesk (22 January 2020). "London Feminist Library to open new Peckham home after being saved from closure | SWLondoner". South West Londoner. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ "About the library". The Feminist Library. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ "Feminist Library Pamphlet Collection". Bishopsgate Institute. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ Added by My Heroines on 8 November 2008 at 11:26 pm; Welsh, Anne (8 November 2008). "From Herstory to Ourstory: the Feminist Library". Hagsharlotsheroines.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
External links
edit- Feminist Library website
- Feminist Library catalogue
- Adventures of a Radical Feminist Librarian Archived 24 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine, written by one of the library's volunteers.