The Women’s Library was created in 1992 by a group of women passionate about providing literary resources and a safe space for women. The Library is maintained by a Management Committee and dedicated volunteers.
The Library has a significant collection of books and pamphlets: everything from popular fiction by women through to specialist non-fiction covering issues from health, sexuality and popular culture to politics, history and human rights. We have collections of lesbian fiction, resources on domestic violence, a historic collection of feminist/lesbian journals, and much more. Most books in our collection are donated and each woman working at the library is a volunteer. There is an archive of feminist periodicals and texts. Book loans are for two weeks and members can borrow up to six books at a time. DVDs can be borrowed for one week. Renewals can be made by phone. Long distance borrowing is also available.
All material in the collection have been donated from private collections and small women’s presses. Books are sorted according to our accessioning policy, and where a book is not suitable for the collection or is a duplicate, it will be placed in the second-hand bookshop.
We aim to house:
- Published and unpublished works of fiction, with emphasis on fiction produced by Australian women
- Published and unpublished works of non- fiction, with particular attention to collecting in areas of special interest to Lesbian and Feminist women
- Journals, with particular emphasis on journals produce by Australian Lesbians and Feminists
- Ephemera (posters,tickets, leaflets etc)
- Photographs, letter, diaries, posters, and audio-visual material
Management
The Women’s Library is managed by a group of dedicated women who give both their time and energy.
Second Hand Books
The library runs a popular second-hand bookstore with around 5,000 titles – everything from the latest crime fiction through to classics as well as travel, history, biography, health, drama, cooking, children’s books and more – all selling at just $2 each.
Groups at the Library
The library is also a comfortable and modern meeting space available for all sorts of women’s groups.
Non-profit groups pay a group membership fee to use the space, and are asked to collect a gold coin donation from each woman who attends a group.