The Sparrows Nest

On Wednesday 23rd September 2009 one of The Sparrows' Nest collective had the pleasure of attending a meeting of NORLA - Network of Radical Libraries & Archives - which aims to share experiences of archiving and making available collections of radical materials. Apart from The Sparrows' Nest, participants included individuals from the Bishopsgate Institute (our hosts ,whose library is currently being refurbished), The Women's Library at London Metropolitan University, The Feminist Library, The Peace Pledge Union and 56a Infoshop, which are all based in London. Read more for links to their archive pages plus more about NORLA and future plans.

There will soon be a shiny new NORLA website and a conference is planned for May/June 2010. An idea was raised for one of the forthcoming network meetings to take place outside of London as there are members of NORLA elsewhere in Britain e.g. Bradford, Bristol.

Links:

• http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk/
• http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/thewomenslibrary/
• http://www.feministlibrary.co.uk/
• http://www.ppu.org.uk/archives/
• http://www.56a.org.uk/archive.html
• http://thesparrowsnest.org.uk/

Here is the text of the NORLA launch leaflet from a couple of years ago:

Launch of the Network of Radical Libraries and Archives

Aims and Objectives

• To provide a united voice for radical, minority and independent libraries and archives across the country.
• To provide a forum for radical libraries and archives to network, join forces, pool knowledge, give each other moral support and even share resources.
• To actively promote and ensure the preservation, collection and conservation of radical and minority library and archive material to ensure it survives for generations to come.
• To promote and facilitate the availability and dissemination of this material to the general public.
• To collectively campaign for and highlight issues of concern to radical libraries and archives.

Library workers across England and Wales have launched the Network of Radical Libraries and Archives (NORLA) to share experiences, promote and defend radical collections. Radical libraries and archives are an invaluable public space and inspiring community resource for positive social change. In recent years, however, they have been particularly vulnerable to hostile market conditions.

NORLA was initially set up following the experience of volunteers at the Feminist Library in Southwark. The Feminist Library has faced continued uncertainty, culminating in a situation whereby volunteers found themselves locked out of the premises by their landlord, Southwark Council [see Feminist Library Newsletter 1 (October 2007), p. 2]. This occurred two weeks after reopening in May 2007, following escalating costs and rent increases which proved prohibitive. This situation continued until February 2008 when public pressure, including the intervention of local MP Simon Hughes helped to restore access. While this is excellent news it is only a temporary measure for a year while interested parties seek a longer-term solution to the Feminist Library’s future.

Volunteers at the Feminist Library quickly realised that their situation was far from unique. This case has highlighted the need for mutual support. Several other radical libraries and archives are at similarly risk of closure or reduced hours. They are linking up through NORLA to campaign for a sustainable future in a climate of funding cuts and a shortage of affordable accommodation for their holdings. The network is also a forum for Library staff and volunteers to share ideas and raise awareness of the resources that are available. Radical libraries and archives are primarily run on the commitment and dedication of staff and volunteers, supported by the good will of their readers and donors. Many collections boast untold treasures of social, political and economic interest among their rare and unique holdings such as the Feminist Library’s 1970 transcript of the first Women’s Liberation Conference (at Ruskin College, Oxford), the Women’s Library’s Sheila Rowbotham papers, and the papers of the British Humanist Association papers held by the Bishopsgate Institute.

So far the network is made up of specialist libraries of national (and international) interest such as the Women’s Library and the Working Class History Library, holdings that are outside the remit of local authorities or business such as the Bishopsgate Institute, Peace Pledge Union and William Morris Gallery & Vestry House Museum, and independent collections in Social Centres, such as Brighton’s Cowley Club, 56a Infoshop in Southwark, London and Bristol’s Kebele. Also affiliated are a number of representatives of radical collections managed within the academic sector such as the holdings at the University of Bradford.

NORLA is a national network, although meetings are held in London. The network is currently in the process of setting up a website including a database of our members’ details, and an e-mail discussion list. For further information and for practical ways to get involved, please contact: Stefan.dickers [at] bishopsgate.org.uk, 020 7392 9292; or Una Byrne at the Feminist Library unabyrne74 [at] hotmail.com