The Archive collection is broadly comprised of three elements: Archives donated to GWL, the Lesbian Archive (formerly the LAIC), and GWL’s own archives.
Archives Donated to GWL
GWL collects the papers and records of organisations and individuals that represent the achievements and activities connected to women and women’s issues.
Specific collections include:
- Scottish Women’s Aid archive including newsletters; information literature; files of correspondence and organisational photographs
- Women’s Suffrage Collection including ephemera such as card games, jewellery, postcards and clocks; Jus Suffragii, the newsletter of the International Women’s Suffrage Alliance and rare books on the topic of Women’s Suffrage
- Josephine Butler Society which includes the journal The Shield; research files and files of correspondence
- Scottish and National Abortion Campaign archives
- Journals including Spare Rib, Off Our Backs, Trouble and Strife
- Newsletters from the Women’s Liberation Movement including Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Scotland
- Scottish Women’s Rural Institute
- Zines including Yummi Hussi; Essex Riot Girrl; Team Girl Comic and Unskinny
- Knitting and dress making patterns
- Girls’ annuals c.1950s – c.1980s
The Lesbian Archive
Glasgow Women’s Library is home to one of the most significant LGBT Historical collections in the UK. With material spanning from the 1920s to the present day, the collection holds some really significant archives and artefacts of UK and International LGBT History.
One of the largest collections we have at Glasgow Women’s Library is the Lesbian Archive and Information Centre collection. The LAIC began in London in 1984, and was funded by the Greater London Council supporting the wages of one full-time and two part-time workers to develop and sustain a collection of UK Lesbian History and culture in London. Like Glasgow Women’s Library’s own collection, materials in the archive were all donated. After the organisation’s funding was heavily cut, the Archive was transferred to its current home at the Glasgow Women’s Library in 1995. It comprises of material including books, photographs, personal papers, journals and ephemera including badges and t-shirts.
Glasgow Women’s Library houses its own collections of LGBTQ material which has been collected throughout the lifetime of the library. We house a large collection of LGBT material, which is mainly Scottish in its focus. The material in this part of our LGBT Collections mainly dates from the early 1990s to the present.
The Lesbian Archive Development Project is an archive project designed to help us find out more about the LAIC collection in particular. We are currently recruiting and training volunteers to help us list, rehouse and research materials from the LAIC in order to find out more about this incredibly important and unique resource.
More information about the Lesbian Archive
GWL Archives
The Library keeps its own records relating to its ground breaking work with women across Scotland and beyond. Material within this part of the Collection includes Women In Profile, newspaper cuttings, events and publicity material, 21 Revolutions, oral histories, photographs and posters.
The Archive Catalogue
You can explore the archive catalogue online here – please note that cataloguing of the collection is an ongoing process, so these records may be incomplete. If you’re not able to find something in the archive catalogue or our museum collection catalogue, please contact us.
Access to the Archive collections
The archive and museum collections store is accessible by appointment only.
Please contact us to arrange an appointment to access the archives, giving at least 3 weeks notice. We receive a high volume of research requests and our capacity for researchers is limited, though we’ll do our best to accommodate everyone.
Please note that the archive and museum collections will be closed to researchers in December 2023 and January 2024 to allow us to carry out essential work. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Research Enquiries
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about our collections – please contact us. We aim to answer research enquiries within 15 working days. For enquiries that require more than 30 minutes we recommend that you enquire about our research service. You’ll find more information here.
Whether you have a specific research request, have something in particular that you wish to see, or are more generally interested in our collections, please contact the Library.
GWL Archival Image Use, Reproduction and Research Services
The archive and museum collection at Glasgow Women’s Library is open to everyone. We operate a free public space where our collections can be consulted, no membership is required. We are currently open to researchers on an appointment only basis Tuesday-Friday 10-4.30. Please contact info@womenslibrary.org.uk for access.
We do charge for some services. We calculate fees in relation to our direct and indirect costs. This includes staff time and overheads such as building and management costs.
Image Use
We charge fees for the reuse of certain material that is intended for a commercial purpose. If you are using material that is protected by third-party copyright, any fees that you have to pay the copyright holder are separate and will be in addition to our fee.
Commercial use means that it is intended or directed towards commercial or financial advantage or money compensation. For example:
- Use in journals, books, websites, apps, magazines, e-publications and any publication that is charged for or supported by advertising
- Use in exhibition, shows and events that are charged for or supported by advertising
- Use in television shows
- Use in media or news reporting
1 image £75; each additional image £25
Non-commercial use means that it is not intended or directed towards commercial or financial advantage or that it is small or limited. For example:
- Educational use including projects and theses; classroom material; courses; virtual learning environments
- Books, journals, magazine and other publications with a total print run of 500 or less
Copying Items from our Collections
You will be asked to fill in a permissions form outlining the copyright rules.
Photocopying
| Cost per sheet | |
| B&W A4 | 20p |
| B&W A3 | 40p |
| Colour A4 | 40p |
| Colour A3 | 80p |
Personal Camera
Use of personal camera in the research space is free.
Digitisation/Scanning Service
- £20 per 30 minutes of scanning
- Scans will be emailed using WeTransfer
- Size up to A3
- Format JPEG, PDF or TIF depending on the item or your planned use
Not all of our collections are suitable for copying and/or scanning due to condition and we reserve the right to refuse to copy items.
Research Services
For research enquiries that require more than 30 minutes, there is an hourly fee of £40. We may not always have the staff capacity to provide this service, if this is the case we can recommend external researchers.