Volume 18 Issue 2
September 2013
ABN 41 769 220 943
The W om en ’s Library
Newsletter
THE WOMEN’S LIBRARY NEEDS YOU
At a time when hard won rights are falling down all
around us, women are confronting misogyny, rape culture and sexism in public and private life and
there seems to be less and less space for us, as
women, to meet, to connect and to learn and value
our herstory, spaces like TWL become increasingly
precious.
AT THIS TIME, TWL IS AT RISK.
The small, dedicated and increasingly exhausted
volunteers working to keep TWL afloat need the help
and support of the
women’s community. Our validity
and usefulness is being questioned and
our right to
the space we have occupied for thirteen years is at
risk. If community support does not become a reality
we may well cease to exist.
CAN YOU HELP KEEP TWL ALIVE?
I appeal to all those women out there who may not
use us regularly but who like to know we are there,
to the women who attend our groups and events and
the women who drop in, visit, come in to read, sit
or chat. Show your support by becoming more involved, by taking out a membership, joining our management committee, volunteering some time, using our
bookshop and supporting us to keep the library
alive.
I appeal to the feminist groups, women's groups, and
women's services to support us and become involved—
use our space, take out a group or agency membership, contribute to our newsletter, join us on facebook, access our website for information, give us
any ideas and suggestions about how we may remain an
integral part of the women's community.
To shamefully steal song lyrics ,‘sometimes we
The Women’s Library acknowledges the
traditional owners of the land—
the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.
We stand on Aboriginal Land.
don’t know what we got till it’s gone.’
This is your opportunity to show your support and
ensure that TWL remains a keeping place for our
herstory, a safe place for our community and a place
to continue to nurture women’s growth.
Shirley
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N e w s l et t e r
HOW CAN I HELP?
TAKE OUT A MEMBERSHIP:
Our memberships have been discounted..
Contact TWL 9557 7060 or email
[email protected] or check out our website.
JOIN ‘FRIENDS OF TWL
For regular updates on the library and opportunities to
support events, projects and day to day running.
E mail [email protected] to be put on our loop or
leave a message on our facebook page.
VOLUNTEER:
Ring Lee on 9557 7060
USE OUR BOOKSHOP AND RECOMMEND US TO
YOUR FRIENDS
At $2 for any book in the place you can’t go wrong!
USE OUR SPACE FOR YOUR MEETING, GROUPS
AND GATHERINGS
TWL’s warm, comfortable and inviting space is
available for a minimal cost ( group membership and
gold coin donation) to community, not for profit groups
which fit with our philosophy
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR NEWSLETTER:
Want to write a book review, send us some writing or
tell us about an event you are running
The Women’s Library AGM
Annual General Meeting
Election of the Management
Committee
Afternoon Tea
Entertainment
When: Saturday 12th October
Time: 1 pm
Where: TWL
8-10 Brown Street\
NEWTOWN
All welcome
Enquiries: 9557 7060
0497090321
OFF THE WALL ART SPACE:
ARE YOU A WOMAN
ARTIST? WOULD YOU LIKE TO
EXHIBIT IN A FRIENDLY SPACE?
“OFF THE WALL’ ARTSPACE IS
AVAILABLE FREE TO WOMEN ARTISTS.
SUPPORT US ON FACEBOOK
IN THE HOUSE
https://www.facebook.com/newtownwomenslibrary
HAVE AN ART EXHIBTION AT TWL:
The Off the Wall Art Space is available to any woman
artist. WE can help with you organize an opening, assist
with hanging (the art) and the only cost is 10% of any
sales.
DONATE:
Any donation, large or small is welcome. If you want to
make a regular donation consider our WOLF
(Women’s Library Friends) regular sponsorship
BORROW A BOOK OR TWO, HAVE ABROWSE IN
OUR JOURNAL ROOM OR COME IN AND SAY HELLO
I became a feminist as an alternative to
becoming a masochist—Sally Kempton
LESBIAN OPEN HOUSE
TUESDAY NIGHTS 7P.M
FOR INFORMATION: 96993027 OR E MAIL
[email protected].
The library is funded from membership fees, sponsorship,
donations, grants and fundraising events. While City of
Sydney Council is very supportive of us, we don’t
receive any external funding. There are three choices of
financially supporting the library:
Individual membership
WOLF sponsorship
One off donations
We are currently seeking sponsorship from women within
the community. We offer WOLF (Women’s Library Friends)
Sponsorship, . The Women’s Library is a registered charity
and donations over $2 are tax deductible. As a WOLF
sponsor you will receive a tax receipt at the end of the
financial year for your tax records and our eternal
Gratitude. Contact TWL for more information
V o l u m e
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N o
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AROUND THE LIBRARY
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Movie Madness
Thanks to a small grant
from LINC (Lesbians
Incorporated) TWL has been
able to purchase a projector
and sound system so we are
hoping to have some movie
nights/afternoons in the
coming months.
Afternoon Tease 2
Our first ‘Movie and
Conversation’ event will be
on 9th October at TWL. The
movie is yet to be decided
Our second ‘Afternoon Tease’ was well attended despite being on election day! Our wonderful readers—Mif, Gabe,
Lisa and Freddie– entertained everyone and a good
discussion and delicious afternoon tea followed.
What’s Been Happening This Month
TWL has been consistently open thanks to our wonderful volunteers.
We have been busy organising the Afternoon Tease and preparing for our
AGM. Our facebook page is alive and well and many thanks to Steph for
keeping it up and running. Everyone involved with TWL is a
volunteer and our amazing Lee keeps our roster going and trains and organises our volunteers. The committee is also entirely voluntary and we
are always seeking new women wanting to contribute. Please give me a
call or ring the library if you are able to give some time, energy and
commitment to TWL.
Meet our Amazing Volunteers
Meet Freddie – She's a volunteer at the Women’s Library
and has recently joined the management committee.
Freddie works as a casual primary school teacher and is
a member of La Voz: a women’s drumming group who
drum for positive health in women and who regularly
perform at community events. She supports the Greens
Meet steph - she's new to Australia having migrated with her
partner from Canada. Steph works for Actionaid Australia
and volunteers at the women's library, taking shifts when she
can, managing the TWL facebook page, and sitting on the
managing committee. she has two kittens, two gardens and too
many spiders in her terrace house rental.
but her favourite colour
is rainbow.
THE BEST LITTLE BOOKSTORE IN NEWTOWN
ALL BOOKS $2.00
HARDCOVERS AND
PAPERBACKS, FICTION AND NON
FICTION
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We’re On The Web:
www.thewomenslibrary.org.au
TWL has a proud herstory
within our community.
SUPPORT US TO CONTINUE TO MAKE
HERSTORY.
The Women’s Library seeks support from the community to remain open
The Women’s Library (TWL) in Newtown, a safe gathering space for women, is at risk of losing our space in
mere months. TWL has been housed for thirteen years in a building owned by City of Sydney Council and we
need to continue to demonstrate that we are still valued by community if we are to remain in the building
and continue to exist.
The dedicated band of volunteers working to keep TWL afloat need the help and support of the women’s community. TWL’s validity and usefulness is being questioned and our right to the space we have occupied for thirteen years is at risk of being taken from us. If community support does not become a reality soon, we may well
cease to exist.
Shirley Kent, member of the TWL committee and long term volunteer, The Women’s Library, says: “Like
mainstream libraries, TWL has had to evolve to meet changing community needs and become a community space. We host a number of diverse groups and provide a safe meeting place, a chill out space,
opportunities for volunteers, low/no cost events and a supportive and safe environment.”
TWL was established by a group of dedicated women and it will take a group of
dedicated women to keep the space alive. Becoming involved and showing that TWL
is alive, well and a valued and important community space will help us to argue
strongly to retain our existing space.
Women Hold Up Half the Sky