After an emergency meeting, the Feminist Library in Southwark now has a year to try and find a home for the collection

We were delighted to discover the existence of a Feminist Library in Southwark, but dismayed to find out its future is hanging in the balance. A sudden increase in rent charges in 2003 has left the library floundering, despite a dedicated group of volunteers working hard for its survival.

An emergency meeting was held, by the management committee on 24 February, in an attempt to rally support from the feminist community to help stop the collection being dispersed. It was decided that the committee would give themselves a year to try and find a solution for housing the collection as well as hopefully retaining autonomy for the library. It was also suggested that the library was made open to the public, with volunteers stepping forward to help with administrative duties and putting together a new website.

The collection, started in 1975, includes a large archive from the Women’s Liberation Movement, with lots of second-wave material from the late 1960s to 1970s. With more than 5,000 non-fiction works, 2,500 fiction works from all over the world and 1,500 periodicals dating from 1900, the collection is particularly strong in the arts (the poetry collection contains lesser-known and self-published female poets as well as better known works), politics, women's history, and mental and physical health – the Feminist Library recently acquired the collection of the Women's Health Library, as well as already holding the Matriarchy Collection, and the Marie Stopes/Birth Control Collection.

With seven new volunteers joining the committee at the emergency meeting, it looks like support is assured. Gail Chester, a member of the management committee, said: "It was gratifying to see such a strong turn out of feminists who support the library and want us to keep going." And Jess McCabe, also on the committee, added: "The feminist community has demonstrated it wants us to keep on plugging away at keeping the library open, and that's what we intend to do."

The Feminist Library is currently housed at 5 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7XW5. Visit www.myspace.com/feministlibrary or email feministlibraryappeal@gmail.com to find out how you can volunteer.