Resolution in the New Year

This time last year, we were still reeling after a flood of water poured down from the floors above us at 81 Parnie Street. I think it’s fair to say it was an inauspicious start to a year that was as frustrating as it was… challenging.

A lot has changed over the course of 2010. We’re in new premises, thankfully waterproof and, even in the past month’s cold weather, staying above freezing (we have Eddie in the Mitchell basement to thank for that). But the move to 15 Berkeley Street, into the old Anderston Library space at the Mitchell, was rather more abrupt than we had ever planned, and we’re not yet in the purpose-built home we’ve been working towards since moving out of 109 Trongate in 2006.

That space is now a part of the 103 Trongate visual arts complex, and 81 Parnie Street is due to be renovated by Wasps Studios. Our intention, ever since the 103 Trongate development was announced and we were kindly offered the Anderston space by the Mitchell Library management, was to do the same with this space. We – Sue in particular, as our Strategic Development Manager – have been working with Gareth Hoskins Architects to undertake feasibility studies and Stage D planning for the renovation of the Anderston Library space. The plans included raising the ceiling and adding a mezzanine, essentially increasing the floorspace by 50%, and opening up the back of the space to build a glass-fronted office space. They also looked at crucial accessibility issues, and included lift access to the main floor and the mezzanine, as well as a disabled toilet. There was also space for a small kitchen area – just as crucial to the Library, as anyone who’s spent time with us can tell you: we and our learners and visitors all need our tea!

As the planning progressed, Sue and Adele, supported by the GWL staff and volunteer team, have worked incredibly hard to raise the funds for this renovation. As a result, we’ve raised money with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund (for the archive space and, of course, Hannah the Archivist), from the Robertson Trust, the Third Sector Fund and more.

We’ve also raised funds from you, our supporters, with the Women on the Shelf initiative as well as one-off fundraisers like our ‘Auction of Pleasures’ and the recent GWL Winter Raffle. This support has been even more gratifying than the major grants, because it confirms that the Library is as important to you as it is to us, and shows us that our ambitions for the future of the Library are built on solid foundations.

But the simple fact is that this a very difficult time to be raising money. The financial crisis – crises – of the past few years, combined with the subsequent political backlash and the way in which the current Government has chosen to respond, has left the public and voluntary sector across the country under pressure. The perception is that belts must be tightened, costs cut, regardless of how this impacts on those who are most vulnerable. For an organisation like the Library, which has never been easy to pigeonhole, it is all too easy to find oneself on the wrong lists when it comes to fundraising.

It is ironic, then, that the Library has continued to build its services and reach out to more and more women, both in Glasgow and across Scotland. It could have been possible, over the past year, for us to get bogged down in crisis after crisis, whether bailing out water from our office, or scrambling to prepare for a move into a space that even the most optimistic of us would struggle to describe as ‘fit for purpose’. There have been times when it’s felt like all we have done is fight fire after fire (thankfully, never literally). But looking back over 2010, it’s clear that we are better than that.

Despite the frequent hiatus – through flood, flitting and frost – our learning programs continue to grow. From the immensely popular launch of Jackie Kay’s Red Dust Road to the many women accessing our literacy project, from the women’s history workshops held in Wigtown, Inverness and Dundee, to the oral history project working with older migrant women in Pollokshields, to the young girls combining creative writing and all-action assault course trips in Glenburn – the Library is reaching more women than ever. We continue to work in partnership with national and local organisations, universities, colleges and community centres across Glasgow and Scotland, bringing both our experience and our aspirations for women in all walks of life.

And with the move to 15 Berkeley Street, our collection is starting to come out of the boxes we’ve had in stacks 5 high since 2006. Wendy the Librarian has been readying the shelves, and we hope to start lending books very soon. Meanwhile, Hannah has been opening up the archive for more and more researchers, turning the taped up boxes into a living, working archive once more. The collections team has grown, with more volunteers being trained, joining the volunteers who help us on the reception ‘front line’ as well as those who tutor with the ALN project. And our newly visible location in the Mitchell Library building has shown a marked increase in the number of people entering our doors – many of whom have never found GWL before (and if you haven’t yet, do come and visit us at 15 Berkeley Street!).

At the same time, it’s frustrating to still have two thirds of our collection in storage in the basement of Hillhead Library, and to have no proper disabled access (not to mention no toilet!). We know that it’s frustrating for you, as well, and we’re still working, both as an organisation and with our colleagues in Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council, to improve the situation.

It could be tempting to batten down the hatches, to cut back on what we do, to stick to the safe paths and projects, keep our collection in boxes and never venture out of Glasgow. But it’s not in our nature to do so, and would go against the guiding principles we work by.

Glasgow Women’s Library will be 20 this year: since 1991 we have been both a voice for Scotland’s women and a place where thousands of women have found their own voice. From a wholly voluntary organisation we have grown into a 12-strong staff team, supported by many more volunteers. Our collection has grown, too: what once fit in a Garnethill shopfront now fills more than 500 metre-long boxes. The range and scope of our learning opportunities has expanded, but at their core the same principles can be found.

The Library is a home for women’s histories and, we believe, their futures. The Library is words, written and spoken, recorded and remembered. It is tangible objects that illuminate history, like the umbrella stand painted by imprisoned suffragettes, and it is the intangible ripple effect of empowering women to take control of their own lives. The Library is not easily contained, despite the constraints that have been placed on women’s voices over the years.

We don’t know what 2011 holds for us. Rather than making resolutions in the New Year, we will simply say: We are resolved. We know that it won’t be easy, but we are working towards a fully sustainable future for the Library, and for Scotland’s women.