From its origins as a wholly voluntary organisation, the Library has grown into a thriving 19-woman team, working on our learning programme, with the collection, and keeping the Library running.
The Lifelong Learning Team
Adele Patrick
Lifelong Learning and Creative Development Manager
Adele Patrick has been involved in Glasgow Women’s Library since its launch, first as a volunteer, then as the Lifelong Learning Development Worker. She now manages Lifelong Learning and is also responsible for the Creative Development of the organisation. Adele manages the Learning team, the Volunteer Coordinator, and the Mixing the Colours Development Worker and works with the Strategic Development Manager and the Board developing new, enterprising and cultural strands of the Library’s work.
Adele is particularly interested in the creative and imaginative development of the Library as a unique; arts influenced provision that (re)defines through environment, learning approaches, programmes and resources what a library, archive and museum can be.
Syma Ahmed
BME Women’s Project Development Officer
Syma Ahmed joined the Library in August 2007 as the Development Officer for the Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) women’s project. She is responsible for promoting lifelong learning, arts and creative opportunities for BME women. Syma is keen to celebrate the success and achievements of BME women in Glasgow through capturing and compiling their life stories and preserving them at Glasgow Women’s Library. Syma has worked in the voluntary sector for over 6 years and enjoys developing new projects to support the local community. Her previous job with a unique charity called Ethnic Enable involved supporting disabled people and their carers from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Email: syma.ahmed@womenslibrary.org.uk
Laura Dolan
Production Coordinator
Laura joined the Library in August 2007 as the Lifelong Learning Assistant. She is responsible for assisting with the development of the learning programme and organising events in Glasgow. She also handles promotion of the library activities and keeps the mailing lists up to date and informed: She’ll most likely be the one emailing you with information about forthcoming events and handling bookings for these. Laura has worked in the voluntary sector since 1998, mostly with learning organisations, and has a keen interest in promoting learning for all.
Email: Laura is currently on maternity leave – please contact Katie Reid (below).
Katie Reid
Production Coordinator (maternity leave cover)
Email: katie.reid@womenslibrary.org.uk
The National Lifelong Learning Team
Morag Smith
National Lifelong Learning Development Worker
Morag Smith studied English Literature in Glasgow then lived in Germany for some years before returning to Scotland where she worked in community learning and development, adult literacies, creative writing and literature development. In July 2009 she joined Glasgow Women’s Library as National Lifelong Learning Development Worker and now has a breathtaking knowledge of Scotland’s minor road and rail networks through taking the library’s learning programme to many places, including Aberdeen, Skye, Dundee, Inverness, Dunoon, West Dunbartonshire and Wigtown. She works with GWL’s learning team and a wide range of partner organisations, including libraries, community groups and women’s prison services, to deliver bespoke learning programmes, events, and workshops. She also develops new networks and access to the library’s unique resources for women of all ages and backgrounds.
Morag is particularly interested in working with new partner organisations and community based women’s groups, and supporting and developing new projects which enable women to develop their skills, creativity and confidence and connect with their own life history and the histories of other women past and present.
Email: morag.smith@womenslibrary.org.uk
Rachel Thain-Gray
Development Worker, In Her Shoes project
Rachel Thain-Gray joined the library in October 2013 as the Development Worker on the Mixing the Colours: Women speaking about sectarianism project and is now delivering our In Her Shoes project.
Rachel has a background as a Participatory Artist and in delivering domestic abuse support services for women and children. She is responsible for engaging staff, volunteers and learners at GWL and partners across Scotland on women’s intersectional experiences of hate crime, prejudice and discrimination.
In Her Shoes is a year long participatory art project engaging women affected by homophobic, transphobic, disablist, religious and racist hate crime in collective action to develop a ‘Hate Crime Map’ combining performance with art activism with the aim of create the social norm that hate crime will not be tolerated.
Mixing the Colours: Women speaking about sectarianism project expanded the debate to include women from a range of communities and diversities women who made their lived-experiences of sectarianism visible, exposing it as inextricably linked to their safety in, and ownership and access to, public spaces. The project resulted in a publication and a permanent resource at the library.
Email: rachel.thain-gray@womenslibrary.org.uk
Rebecca Jones
Project Assistant, In Her Shoes and National Lifelong Learning Projects.
Rebecca joined the
GWL staff team in May 2014 as Administrative Assistant to the Mixing The Colours Project, which worked with women across Scotland to explore their experiences of intra-Christian sectarianism. She is now Project Assistant to the In Her Shoes and National Lifelong Learning projects.
In Her Shoes works with women from a range of backgrounds to examine the intersectionality of hate crime and hate speech around gender identity, race and ethnicity, religion and belief, disability and sexuality, and to challenge societal norms which encourage the tolerance of hate crime against women. The National Lifelong Learning Project works with partner organisations throughout Scotland to enable women to develop their skills, creativity and confidence, and to connect with their own life history and the histories of other women past and present.
Rebecca is also a postgraduate student at the University of Stirling Centre for Gender and Feminist Studies, where her main interests are vegetarian ecofeminism and animal rights and welfare, feminist politics and economics and as much feminist literary fiction as she can read.
Email: rebecca.jones@womenslibrary.org.uk
The Adult Literacy & Numeracy Team
Donna Moore
Adult Literacy & Numeracy Development Worker
Donna joined the Library as a volunteer in 2010 and has refused to leave ever since. She was appointed as Outreach and Audience Development Worker in July 2012. Her role is to tell people about the Glasgow Women’s Library and all the exciting and inspiring things we do, and develop new audiences and projects for us to get involved in. She spent 25 years in the soul destroying world of pensions and is happy to have found her soul again doing something she loves. She almost has a Masters Degree in Community Learning and Development.
Email: donna.moore@womenslibrary.org.uk
Dorothy Sichi
ALN Tutor
Email: dorothy.sichi@womenslibrary.org.uk
The Collections Team
Wendy Kirk
Librarian
“I joined the library in 2005, with the exciting and challenging job of being the library’s first ever paid librarian! I’d previously worked in community-based support work and community libraries, but when I started at the library I realised I’d finally found what I wanted to do. I feel very privileged to be involved in so many different things at the library, from taking part in World Book Night, to helping people with intriguing enquiries, to dealing with wonderful new donations. A major part of my job is making our books accessible so people can borrow them. There are literally thousands of books to catalogue, so I’m working my way through them as quickly as I can. I believe that reading can be life-changing, so I want to get as many people as possible reading our amazing books.”
Email: wendy.kirk@womenslibrary.org.uk
Nicola Maksymuik
Archivist
Nicola was appointed GWL Archivist in 2014. She has also been one of the two archivists working on the Speaking Out: Recalling Women’s Aid in Scotland project since early 2016. Her role at the Library is varied and involves managing the archive collections, providing access to researchers and promoting the collections through outreach and engagement. Nicola has previously worked with the Spirit of Revolt Archive and Milngavie Heritage Centre. She enjoys being involved in archives that help preserve the histories of groups and movements often under-represented in mainstream history. She has an MA (Hons) in History and an MSc in Information Management and Preservation both from the University of Glasgow.
Email: nicola.maksymuik@womenslibrary.org.uk
Elizabeth O’Brien
Archivist, Speaking Out project
Elizabeth O’Brien is one of the two archivists working on the Speaking Out: Recalling Women’s Aid in Scotland project, which seeks to collect, preserve, and make accessible the history of Women’s Aid. She recently moved from Halifax, Canada where she completed her B.A. (Hons) in History and Women’s and Gender Studies, and her Masters in Library and Information Studies. She is passionate about feminism and the importance of archives in valuing and protecting the histories of marginalized groups. When not in the Archive, Elizabeth can be found cooking, reading zines, and listening to podcasts.
Email: elizabeth.obrien@womenslibrary.org.uk
Wendy Turner
Museum Curator
Wendy Turner has recently joined GWL as its first professional museum curator.
Wendy worked at the National Museums of Scotland for twenty-five years in a number of different roles. Most recently she was Head of the Collections Services department which has responsibility for conservation services, collections care and storage, loans in and out, documentation and digitisation. She has overseen major projects including the creation of new storage facilities at the National Museums Collections Centre; and the de-installation of 1 million stored and displayed Collections for the Royal Museum Project (RMP).
She began her museum career as an Assistant Curator at The Black Country Museum in the West Midlands. This was followed by work for the Scottish Museums Council (MGS) on the Industrial Heritage Scotland Project and the Conservation Services Survey. She was a founder member of the team that established the original SPECTRUM standard working with MDA (now Collections Trust). She is Curatorial Adviser for Linlithgow Heritage Trust. She has a Masters in Museum Studies from Leicester University and a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Studies from Napier University. Most recently she completed a Masters in Theatre Directing at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Wendy is excited to be starting work with this fascinating collection and is looking forward to bringing it to the attention of wider audiences through exhibition and digitisation.
Email: wendy.turner@womenslibrary.org.uk
Meanwhile, keeping the Library running…
Sue John
Enterprise Development Manager
Sue John is part of the Senior Management Team at Glasgow Women’s Library. She takes a lead role in Strategic Planning, driving GWL towards achieving its vision and fulfilling its aims and objectives. This involves providing strong and inspiring leadership, ensuring that GWL works as a coherent team across the different strands of its work as a library, an archive, a museum and an innovative learning resource.
Sue is also the Company Secretary of Glasgow Women’s Library Limited, ensuring that all legal requirements as a Limited Company and as a Charity are met and, along with Adele Patrick (her senior colleague in the organisation), advises the Board of Directors so they can provide robust governance and clear strategic direction for the organisation.
Gabrielle Macbeth
Volunteer Co-ordinator
Gabrielle Macbeth joined us as Volunteer Coordinator in 2011. Her role is to ensure that volunteers get as much out of volunteering as they put in and that they are involved in stimulating projects which makes the most out of their interests and motivations for volunteering. Volunteers are encouraged to try new things and broaden their horizons and are offered ongoing support as well as training to equip them with the skills and confidence to get involved in GWL’s wide ranging and varied projects.
Gabrielle loves having the opportunity to find ways for so many talented and enthusiastic women to contribute to GWL’s work, and is always looking for ways to involve women from all walks of life who can bring fresh perspectives and experiences to GWL.
Find out more about volunteering at GWL here.
Email: gabrielle.macbeth@womenslibrary.org.uk
Hannah Wright
Digital and Marketing Officer
Email: hannah.wright@womenslibrary.org.uk
Rosie O’Grady
Facilities Management Officer
Email: rosie.ogrady@womenslibrary.org.uk.
Margaret Manley
Finance Worker
Email: margaret.manley@womenslibrary.org.uk
Helen MacDonald
Admin Worker
The Library’s resident geek – Helen looks after the Library’s IT needs as well as more general admin tasks.
Helen is the developer & moderator of the Women of Scotland website, created by GWL in partnership with Women’s History Scotland, and represents GWL on the WHS steering committee
Email: helen.macdonald@womenslibrary.org.uk
Contacting Staff
All the Library staff can be contacted via email or at the Library.
