Just felt like saying how exciting it is to see again how from the seeds of ideas planted at intervals in the Library’s life great branches of activity and energy can grow. Take women’s heritage walks. Once the Library had a head of steam as an organisation and we needed a focus for women’s interest in and questions about women’s history, we pulled out of our ideas cache a dormant seed planted years before when we heard about the Edinburgh women’s history walks. Our Women Make History project, which has walks as one of its key activities, has inspired women to do research, become tour guides, do talks and create some really fantastic new resources on women in Glasgow.
A snapshot of women’s history walks activities in GWL just now: A tailored version of our West End Tour is heading out tomorrow evening for the gratification of Hillhead’s International Women’s Group, and on Sunday Kirsty will lead out the knockout Merchant City Women’s Heritage Tour (weather permitting – the first launch culminated in an impromptu session at GWL as we gave up in the face of comedy-style, inside-out-brolly storm conditions).
Meantime a fabulous hard copy of the West End walk is being crafted for a launch during the West End Festival (check back to the website for details of this and the two free walks we will be undertaking for the Festival). Work continues steadily in researching the hidden heroines of the Necropolis and we are at the very early stages of crafting a new walk for the Paths To Health networking event this summer that is likely to be a new wee gem capturing something of the rich history of women in Garnethill.
The core group of Women Make History are making headway with their recruiting tour guides dvd – we are still looking for actors to fill some key roles if you have the inclination…
And finally, I am heading off tomorrow to network with other walking group fanatics and facilitators at the Walk Glasgow Community Network Event.
Big thanks to all the marvellous women who have taken the small steps, bracing walks and giant leaps with this one.
