GWL at 30

By GWL | Published 21st September, 2021

On this day in 1991, in a draughty little shopfront in Garnethill, Glasgow Women’s Library opened its doors for the first time.

Glasgow Women's Library 30th Anniversary logo - 30 Years of Changing. Logo design by Kirsty McBride
Logo design by Kirsty McBride.

Now happily settled in our permanent home in Bridgeton, we are taking time over this anniversary year to ‘look back to move forward’ and want to do this with as many people as possible. We look forward to sharing with you over the forthcoming year (and beyond) many invitations to reflect, create, learn, research and celebrate the uniqueness of GWL with us. As ever, our doors – real and virtual – are open to all to come and make the Library their own. We are open to listening, open to new ideas and open to change.

We’re taking a trip down memory lane and sharing some photos below taken over the past three decades.

  • Old photograph of a shop front in Garnethil with a a sign reading Women's Library in uneven text
    GWL’s first home in Garnethill.
  • Red metal shelves filled with orange magazine holders in GWL's first premises on Hill Street, Garnethill, 1991. Photo: Adele Patrick, GWL collection.
    GWL interior, Garnethill, 1991, photo: Adele Patrick, GWL collection.
  • Looking at material in the 109 Trongate premises
    Inside the 109 Trongate space, early 1990s.
  • Readers in the 109 Trongate space; one is holding a newspaper, which hides what the other is reading
    Readers in the 109 Trongate space, 1990s
  • Adele Patrick, Sue John and Kate Henderson in the 109 Trongate premises
    Adele Patrick, Sue John and Kate Henderson in the 109 Trongate premises
  • A women stokes a merry fire in a large metal stove
    The woodburning stove in the Trongate space
  • A woman leans over a large round table, painting colourful slogans including 'Colour the World, Reach Out With Love'
    Ghenni painting the round table in the early 90s: the table still takes pride of place in our new home in Bridgeton
  • The Lesbian Archive set up in the Trongate space - a wall of shelves full of books and magazine holders, with a desk and two old sofas in front
    The Lesbian Archive set up in the Trongate space.
  • Badges from the Lesbian Archive, in many different colurs with slogans from 'Gay Pride 79' to 'Warm Fuzzy Dyke'
    Badges from the Lesbian Archive collection
  • FM Nicola Sturgeon with GWL staff and volunteers
    First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launched our renovated premises in Bridgeton in 2015
  • A still from March showing GWL staff and volunteers dressed in suffragette clothing
    A still from March, 2015, showing GWL staff and volunteers dressed in suffragette clothing
  • The main entrance of the GWL building in Bridgeton, glowing in the sun.
    Our wonderful permanent home in Bridgeton – come and visit!

Share you memories, your photos and your videos with us using the hashtag #GWLat30 or email us at info@womenslibrary.org.uk

We’re also delighted to launch a new fundraising initiative, Women on the Wall, to help us in our ongoing work towards building a sustainable, green future. Following the success of our Women on the Shelf scheme, we want to create a new space that links to our museum and archive collections to honour women who deserve recognition, while raising much needed funds.

The money raised will contribute towards GWL’s overall aims to become net carbon neutral. Women on the Wall fundraising will help us to achieve our aims whilst honouring women who have made their own positive impact on the world. To find out more, including how to nominate a woman for our wall, visit the Women on the Wall page.

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