Collection development and women's heritage: The case of the Fawcett Library

Abstract

The first part of the paper traces briefly the history of the Fawcett Society and the development of its Library, which was intimately associated with the movement for women's emancipation after the vote was won. The Library is shown to have acted both as a repository for women's achievements and as an information resource for the campaigns of the day. Under the forty-two year guidance of its first librarian, Vera Douie, the collections and the reputation of the Library grew, but, with the advent of inflation, in inverse proportion to the purchasing power of the funds at its disposal. A protracted search for a viable new institutional base for the Library ended when it was rescued by the City of London Polytechnic in 1977. The second part of the paper discusses the objectives of the Library and the collection development issues facing it at a time when financial and space constraints coincide with expanding interest in Women's Studies and a vast increase in the output of feminist publications. It is suggested that there is a need for national and international library networks to maximise resources for this huge and protean field of studies. Some steps taken in this direction in Britain are noted.