The threat that the Women’s Library, London will be reduced to operating a skeleton service or even face closure and the transfer of its collections if a sponsor cannot not be found by the end of 2012 is a national disgrace.
The collections have been officially designated as collections of outstanding national and international importance.
The Women’s Library, together with the Parliamentary Archives, was awarded Unesco Memory of the World status for the collections jointly held in regard to the campaign for women’s enfranchisement in Britain. The library is the major repository for the rich and varied history of women in Britain.
People from all walks of life have willingly donated items, and scholars from all over the world visit its reading rooms. The library also operates as an important cultural centre, and genuinely reaches out to a wider audience than researchers and writers.
Given its importance it should be a national library, supported by state funding. The education secretary, Michael Gove, should take the initiative and save this vital resource for future generations to come.
June Purvis, professor of women’s and gender history, University of Portsmouth
The collections have been officially designated as collections of outstanding national and international importance.
The Women’s Library, together with the Parliamentary Archives, was awarded Unesco Memory of the World status for the collections jointly held in regard to the campaign for women’s enfranchisement in Britain. The library is the major repository for the rich and varied history of women in Britain.
People from all walks of life have willingly donated items, and scholars from all over the world visit its reading rooms. The library also operates as an important cultural centre, and genuinely reaches out to a wider audience than researchers and writers.
Given its importance it should be a national library, supported by state funding. The education secretary, Michael Gove, should take the initiative and save this vital resource for future generations to come.
June Purvis, professor of women’s and gender history, University of Portsmouth
