The office had to be re-wired, but by the end of last Wednesday we were able to have de-humidifiers and heaters running in the office to speed up the drying process. The lights were fixed yesterday, and we’re hoping that today will be that last day that we’ll have the de-humidifiers running, and we’ll be able to get back into the office tomorrow.

Of course, even though our office has been out of action, we haven’t! The ESOL classes weren’t able to run last week, but have now started up again. Some staff worked from home or had outreach work and meetings outside the library, while the rest of us alternated between working in the GWL kitchen (keeping an eye on the dehumidifiers) and pigbacking on our neighbours wifi over at 103 Trongate – many thanks to GMAC for the loan of a spare room and their wifi last week, and to KOG cafe for wifi last Tuesday.

Our thanks to Helen, Chris et al from Wasps, who helped with mitigating some of the worst of the flooding in the building. And thanks to the GCC joiner and electricians who’ve been working to ensure our office is safe for us to go back to.

Many thanks also to all of you who have offered kind words and support, by phone and email, and here on the blog.

Many of you have been asking the ever present question – when are we moving to the Mitchell? I’m sure that it’s as frustrating to you as to all of us on the Library team, knowing that we’re so close to moving to new premises, but still being stuck in a cold and occasionally sodden temporary space here in Parnie Street. The simple answer is that as soon as we have raised the funds, we will be able to start work on renovating our future home in the Mitchell Library. Although we have raised some of the capital funds, with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Robertson Trust and the Scottish Arts Council, we still have a long way to go.

Large grants and funds are, of course, a part of this, but your support is just as important. The Women on the Shelf initiative is a crucial part of our effort to raise money for the move, and allows you to be a real part of the future Women’s Library. By sponsoring a shelf, book or section in the new Women’s Library, you’re ensuring that the Library collection and archive will have a secure, custom-built (dry!) home where it is fully accessible.

Rapidly filling basins in the worst affected areas of the office

Although the library’s main collection was not affected, we had to work quickly to move GWL’s own archive materials, as well as work files and all our computer equipment, out of the office. Thanks to Hannah’s emergency planning, we were all ready to work together and quickly clear the affected areas.

Buckets and basins set out in the GWL office to catch the leaks

After having to close the Library last Friday due to the cold, the thaw has proved to be equally ‘adverse’. Pipes on the floors above, and across the entire block, froze during the cold snap, and caused flooding after this morning’s thaw. It’s not clear when the flooding at 81 Parnie Street started – unfortunately, it wasn’t until water was already pouring into our office that the pipes were disconnected from the mains. Ironically, Library staff had been in the Library over the holiday period in order to check that our own pipes had not frozen.

Buckets and basins, and plastic sheeting over the furniture

Those of you who are long time supporters of the Library may feel a sense of deja vu about all this: towards the end of our time at 109 Trongate, the rickety old building was constantly letting in water, and buckets and umbrellas were a common sight. The cause of today’s flooding should be a one off, but it highlights just how urgently our planned relocation to new premises in the Mitchell Library is needed.

A particularly surreal moment at our old premises at 109 Trongate, with golf umbrellas set up to keep drips off the photocopier

Our old building at 109 Trongate is now part of the recently opened, fully renovated 103 Trongate: Today’s flood has made us all determined to raise the funds to ensure that we can move into a fully fit-for-purpose (climate controlled, waterproof…) space.

It’s not clear how long it will take us to clear up the office and get up and running again – our priority at the moment is to ensure that both the affected materials and the office itself are properly dried out. Please check the website & blog for updates: We may have limited access to our phone and individual staff emails, so the first point of contact will be this website and our main email address: info@womenslibrary.org.uk.

Update: Progress in the Library – Re-wired and de-humidified.

Although we had been diligent in checking our own pipes over the Christmas and New Year, the freezing weather and subsequent thaw badly affected the rest of the block, and on Monday afternoon water from a burst pipe above the library started to leak into our office.

With our emergency plan recently put in place by our Archivist, Hannah, the staff was able to quickly and efficiently work together to move GWL archive materials, files and computers out of the office space.

The main collection is, thankfully, unaffected, as flooding was restricted to our office. However, the severity and speed of the flooding meant that some of our own materials have sustained water damage. It is our priority over the next week to preserve this material and ensure no further flooding affects the collection, and to clear and dry out the office.

Please check the website for information in this ongoing situation: We may have limited access to our phone and individual staff emails, so the first point of contact will be this website and our main email address: info@womenslibrary.org.uk

We will endeavour to keep you updated as the situation progresses.

• More about the flooding, including images, on our blog: Flooded, but not flustered
• Update: Progress in the Library – Re-wired and de-humidified.