Strategic Plan
Our Strategic Plan 2024-2029 tells you a lot more about Glasgow Women’s Library, our background, what we plan for the future and how we will achieve our aims.
Download: GWL Strategic Plan 2024-29
Latest Accounts
Download: GWL Audited Accounts 2023-2024
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) is committed to creating a culture in which diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity are promoted pro-actively, and in which discrimination is not accepted and will be challenged. GWL recognises the real and significant benefits of having a diverse and inclusive community of staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, visitors, learners, audiences and service users, and, to this end, is working towards building and maintaining an environment in which the values of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are intrinsic to, and shared across, the organisation.
Download: GWL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan details how EDI shapes the work at Glasgow Women’s Library, looking at the period 2018 to 2021.
Download: GWL Equality Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan 2018-2022 (Updated March 2022)
Code of Conduct
The Glasgow Women’s Library Code of Conduct has been created to help us to create a welcoming, inclusive environment and positive experiences for everyone who wants to enjoy their time with us. We are committed to providing an environment free from abuse, discrimination and harassment, and ensuring that all staff, volunteers, members of the Board of Directors and users are treated, and treat others, with dignity and respect.
Download: GWL Code of Conduct
Statement on Fair Work at Glasgow Women’s Library
Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) is committed to Fair Work principles and practice. GWL is unique, not only in its status as the UK’s only Accredited Museum dedicated to women’s history and as a valued part of Scotland’s cultural landscape, but also in the way we work, and the equitable and effective organisational culture we have developed and embedded since our inception in 1991. GWL’s origin story is built and sustained on values of equality, social justice and Human Rights. These values, and the principles of Fair Work, are reflected both in our work with GWL visitors, audiences and learners, and in our governance, management, leadership and wider working processes. (cont’d)
Download: Statement on Fair Work at Glasgow Women’s Library, September 2023
Environmental Policy
We recognise that global climate change has serious consequences, and that its detrimental effects are disproportionately experienced by women. We believe that individuals, organisations, agencies and institutions must have a clear and embedded focus on environmental issues to redress the negative impact of climate change.
Our collections are built on donations, and an ethos of sharing and lending is at the heart of our work. We have always worked with an awareness of our environmental responsibilities and instil these values and working practices throughout our Board, staff and volunteer team.
Our Green Creative Cluster, a team of staff, board members and volunteers, meets regularly to develop and implement innovative and creative ways to reduce our carbon footprint. We are committed to minimising waste, working towards maximum energy efficiency, and to re-using and recycling resources.
We also believe that as a library, museum, archive and arts organisation, we have a role in influencing our visitors and the wider community, and we are committed to fulfilling this role through the implementation of our Environmental Policy.
This policy sets out how we put this commitment into practice.
Download: Environmental Sustainability Policy
Net Zero Handbook
Our aim is to make GWL Net Zero by 2030. This handbook lays out how this will be achieved.
Download: Net Zero Handbook
Collections Development Policy
Our Collections Development Policy details the criteria governing future acquisitions & donations, as well as the disposal of donated materials not relevant to our collection.
Download: GWL Collections Development Policy 2023
GWL Intellectual Freedom Statement
Intellectual Freedom and Access to Information at Glasgow Women’s Library
At Glasgow Women’s Library we are committed to, and actively celebrate, freedom of thought and expression. Intellectual freedom is one of seven Ethical Principles in the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Ethical Framework.
We aim to provide books on as wide and diverse viewpoints as possible, even if they may be considered controversial or unorthodox to some.
All items in the GWL collection are donated and therefore represent a broad range of interests among our tens of thousands of users and donors.
Providing a wide range of information is absolutely vital to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all our library users. It is also vital to ensure that we are preserving and documenting all aspects of women’s histories, lives and achievements, and making this information accessible for research purposes.
The feminist movement has a broad range of thoughts, ideas and debates. We are committed to ensuring that this broad range is available for people to explore and discover for themselves.
Where it is felt there are gaps in the collection, we will seek to address these within the context of continuing to build the collection based on donated materials.
Access Policy
Glasgow Women’s Library is fully committed to ensuring that its premises, collections, learning programmes, range of events, projects and all other services are fully accessible to the broadest range of visitors, users and learners.
This commitment is underpinned by GWL’s Core Values, Aims and Objectives, and its other policies and procedures, for example the Equality & Diversity Policy (above) and Complaints Procedures (below).
GWL recognises that among its staff, volunteers, users, visitors and learners, there are people with different needs, interests, experiences, backgrounds, strengths and abilities. All staff and volunteers are committed to providing an inclusive service at all times to the diverse communities that we serve.
To ensure that access issues are reviewed and constantly improved, GWL will:
- Conduct regular Access Audits of its building, seeking professional and / or external advice where necessary
- Respond to the accessibility needs of people positively and proactively to enact necessary change
- Support those with literacy needs through the GWL Adult Literacy and Numeracy Project
- Support its culturally diverse audiences by: providing speakers of Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic and French (and where possible and
reasonable, other languages in addition); and by delivering ESOL classes at GWL in partnership with Glasgow Clyde College - Offering travel reimbursement costs to project learners and volunteers
- Ensure that information about GWL is accessible and in ‘Plain English’
- Develop, revise and implement GWL’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, evaluating progress regularly
- Be clear and pen as to the reasons why some of our events are targeted at specific groups of people
- Make contact and connections with a range of communities and groups to increase awareness of GWL and encourage access and use, especially for those who have limited experience of and access to libraries, museums and cultural activities
- Use technology to create access virtually to GWL resources
Access to GWL’s collections will always be maximised but will also be balanced against ensuring the professional care and management of the items along with the safety and wellbeing of users and staff.
Download: GWL Access Policy Statement
Privacy Policy
Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) cares about your privacy. We are committed to storing and processing your personal data safely and being transparent about all our privacy practices.
Our privacy policy explains the types of personal data we may collect about you when you become involved with GWL. It tells you what our lawful bases are for processing this data, which justify why and how we collect the data. It also explains how we’ll store and handle that data, and keep it safe. Personal data is held and processed by GWL in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018.
View the full GWL Privacy Policy.
Women’s Heritage Walks Cancellation Policy
Glasgow Women’s Library runs a full programme of Women’s Heritage walks throughout the Spring, Summer and into the Autumn. Here is our policy on what to do if you need to cancel your place and also what happens on the rare occasion that we have to cancel a walk.
View the full Women’s Heritage Walks Cancellation Policy.
GWL Events Cancellation Policy
Glasgow Women’s Library run a full programme of events throughout the year. We ask you to book for free and paid-for events as it helps us with our planning. Here is our cancellation policy and information about refunds, where a ticket price is in place.
View the full GWL Events Cancellation Policy.
Complaints Procedure
Glasgow Women’s Library strives at all times to deliver high quality services, underpinned by our Mission, Aims and Core Values, to meet the needs of visitors, users, learners and the broader public.
This Complaints Procedure operates across all aspects of our work. It applies to any formal or informal matter of concern expressed verbally or in writing from any self-employed worker, volunteer, visitor, learner or user.
Glasgow Women’s Library welcomes feedback from those using our services and projects when the services provided have not met expectations or needs. We are always pleased to hear your views so that we can take steps to make our services and projects better. We hope to learn and develop from when things have not gone as well as we would hope.
Download: GWL Complaints Procedure
