I do not know why I was afraid of that lift, I ended up going up and down in it like nobody’s business. I am going to miss hearing the chimes of the Tron clock echoing through this old building of the GWL where the floorboards creak and the roof leaks. The walls are musty and the light that comes through the arched windows shows up the dust on the empty shelves. 64 boxes have already been moved including the newspaper cuttings, the politics and religious sections.
I think what Adele and Sue have achieved here is a place where women from all walks of life can come in and find a comfortable space where they feel at ease and are represented. Every aspect of womanhood is documented here, from the suffragettes to women in the civil rights movement, from feminism in the 1970’s to domestic abuse and gender. It is not just a library and learning centre. It is a place of strong support for all women. It has been a great learning experience as everyone really takes the time to make you feel included in everything from staff meetings to promoting exhibitions. Sue showed us a CD Rom of what will eventually be their new premises at the Mitchell library. It made me realise that a great deal of hard work and determination has gone in to building up the GWL.
Wendy gets things organised – last week we got into a good system. We went through all the journals with a fine tooth comb. Then Wendy wrapped them in sheets of paper tied with elastic bands and I packed the boxes and wrote the labels. (I particularly love the photographs of all the stacked up boxes with their black and white glossy labels.)
So I want to thank Adele, Sue, Gem, Laney, Helen and Raman for making me feel so welcome, and deepest thanks and warm wishes especially to Wendy and Alison for their friendship and the book of photo’s which I have already showed to all of my family. No wonder I am going to miss this place, but I will be keeping in touch and spreading the word about the GWL. Love and kisses from Marjory.
