The fantastic cultural hub that is the Women’s Library is built on the site of London’s old East End washhouses. Get down there for talks, events and exhibitions

Looking for an easy-going regular reading group with a focus on women’s authors and issues? Want to find out What Women Want?
 Fancy delving into the history of female suffrage in Britain? Then get yourself down to the fabulous Women’s Library, built on the site of the old East End washhouses, with a new extension that houses an open-to-all Reading Room.

“The library was established in 1926 after the campaign for equal suffrage was born,” explains Fiona Duffy, the library’s Head of Development. “Collections were donated by the campaigners. They donated their personal collections of books and papers.”

Originally called The Fawcett Library, after The Fawcett Society which set it up, the library continued to collect and receive donations on all aspects of women’s lives. “If you wanted to look at women’s lives in the UK, you’d come here first. You can browse books post-1920, all on open access in the Reading Room, free of charge,” explains Fiona. “We hold the national collection of women’s history and are the oldest and biggest collection in Europe,” she continues. “We have more than 60,000 books and pamphlets (the earliest from 1592), more than 3,000 periodicals (the earliest from 1745), ephemera, leaflets and posters from over 4,000 women’s organisations, more than 460 unique archives dating from 1770, and 5,000 museum objects.”

Pretty impressive stuff, and in recognition of this, the library has just been awarded ‘Designated’ status, which demonstrates its national and international importance. The collection covers everything from women’s rights, suffrage, health and education, to employment, reproductive rights, sexuality, family and the home. In addition to this the library puts on regular events and talks. The current exhibition Prostitution: What’s going on? has been long listed for the Gulbenkian Prize 2007 for museums and galleries.

Prostitution: What’s going on? marks the centenary death of the Victorian social reformer Josephine Butler, who campaigned for the rights of prostitutes and explores the issues around prostitution and trafficking, past and present. “We try and pick current issues and contextualise them with our historical material,” says Fiona. “At the moment we are working with the Home Office on prostitution. We deliver training to their staff who work on this issue, and they are helping us develop a source pack for schools. We work with all sorts of organisations to inspire debate and learning.” The exhibition runs until March 31, when it will be followed by What Women Want, which draws from the library’s material and looks at what women have campaigned, fought and longed for. Regular talks and events include the Reading Group, a two-day Creative Writing Festival, and a Zine Fest!, film screenings and tours and walks.

The Library also has strong ties with the Women’s Institute. “We hold the archive for the NFWI and we’re helping with a touring exhibition that tells the national story of the WI,” explains Fiona. The NFWI exhibition is currently at Newport Museum and Art Gallery in South Wales.

www.londonmet.ac.uk/thewomenslibrary
The Women's Library, London Metropolitan University, Old Castle Street, London E1 7NT, 020 7320 2222