Glasgow Women’s Library

Learning is at the core of the Library’s work. Our learning programmes and resources specialise in and celebrate the histories, creativity and lives of women.

We emphasise Lifelong Learning, the process of understanding that your learning continues, and we provide support to women at every stage of their learning journeys.

GWL learners are encouraged to share experiences and learn from each other and the other women that visit the Library to share their skills and knowledge. We work from the basis that learning can take place through the close identification with the experience of other women, past and present.

We deliver an innovative Lifelong Learning Programme, a friendly and accessible Adult Literacy and Numeracy Project and a dedicated Black and Minority Ethnic Women’s Project.

Our definition of learning

Learning at Glasgow Women’s Library is about increasing women’s confidence, skills, knowledge and understanding and in this way nurturing their desire to learn more.

Our Learning Mission

The GWL Learning team’s mission is to make the library, archive collection and programmes meaningful and relevant to all women. In our learning environment women share experiences and learn from each other and are encouraged to view their own and other women’s lives and achievements as historic and of importance.

The GWL Learning Team

All staff and volunteers at GWL share a commitment to support women on their individual and group learning journeys but the Learning Team are on the front line of developing and delivering learning opportunities as well as offering routes to learning and information beyond GWL to our learners, enquirers and other service users.

The GWL Learning team are:

• Adele Patrick, Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator and Creative Development Manager
• Wendy Kirk, GWL Librarian
• Kay McKie, Adult Literacy and Numeracy Development Worker
• Pauline Healy, Adult Literacy and Numeracy Tutor
• Syma Ahmed, Black and Minority Ethnic Women’s Development Worker
• Laura Dolan, Lifelong Learning Assistant

GWL also works with colleagues and partner organizations to offer a broad range of one-off and ongoing learning opportunities both at GWL and in an outreach capacity. For example, currently ESOL classes are delivered at GWL by colleagues from Langside College and an Introduction to Women’s Studies course is delivered by colleagues from Stow College.

We have worked with many community groups, museums, libraries and other organisations, from Friends of the Glasgow Necropolis to Glasgow Print Studio, from the National Library of Scotland to the Wayside Homelessness Centre.