Feminist Librarianship: Principles, Practices and Provocations

This title will be available Spring 2026. You may place an order and the item will be shipped when it becomes available. Customers outside of North America (USA and Canada) should contact Facet Publishing for purchasing information.

ALA Member
$44.99
Price
$49.99
Item Number
978-1-78330-803-3
Published
2026
Publisher
Facet Publishing, UK
Pages
256
Width
6"
Height
9"
Format
Softcover

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  • Description
  • Table of Contents
  • About the author

Foreword by Amina Shah, National Librarian of Scotland

At once a reappraisal of the centrality of women within libraries and a call to arms for their acknowledgement, this is an urgent, inspiring and essential book for all LIS professionals.

Women constitute 75% of library and information workers and yet their achievements and contributions to the LIS sector are often unspoken, overlooked, and undervalued in every sense.

This agenda setting book - the first of its kind in the UK - combines case studies from libraries of all sectors to illuminate the feminism-infused principles and practices that shape the profession. With powerful, thought-provoking contributions from more than twenty feminist thought leaders and librarians, the book articulates the strong link between libraries and female empowerment, evidencing the case that investment in libraries is an investment in women. Chapters explore

  • how libraries can catalyze women's creativity;
  • menstrual literacy in bloody brilliant libraries;
  • intentionally inclusive practices in a feminist library partnership;
  • attachment theory, feminist practice, and giving girls what they need to thrive; and
  • eco-feminism and sustainable libraries.

Foreword – Amina Shah, National Librarian of Scotland

Chapter One: Saints and Stereotypes: Of men, lions, and holy women in the library world - Jennifer Horan

Chapter Two: Turning the Page on Cliché: Uncovering female borrowing patterns in the Books and Borrowing database - Dr Cleo O'Callaghan Yeoman

Chapter Three: Glasgow Girls: Following in our foremothers' footsteps at the Mitchell Library - Clare Thompson

Chapter Four: Notes from a New Professional I: History Her Story - Leah Higgins

Chapter Five: Dear Reader: Taylor Swift and the joy of legal deposit - Dr Sarah Mackay

Chapter Six: Going With and Against the Flow: Menstrual literacy in bloody brilliant libraries - Kirsten MacQuarrie

Chapter Seven: A Day in the Life of a Feminist Librarian - Silvia Spaltro

Chapter Eight: Safe and Seen in the School Library: Attachment theory, feminist practice and giving girls what they need to thrive - Pamela McLean

Chapter Nine: Child-led, Librarian-held: Early empowerment of tomorrow's young women through the serious work of play - Francesca Boyd-Thorpe

Chapter Ten: Called to Challenge: How libraries can catalyse women's creativity - Jemima Frankel and Joy McLean

Chapter Eleven: Ms Information: intentionally inclusive practices in a feminist library partnership - Gill Ryan

Chapter Twelve: A Five-Part Feminist Feature: Glasgow Women's Library - Dr Adele Patrick, Wendy Kirk, Donna Moore, Gabrielle Macbeth and Caroline Gausden

Chapter Thirteen: More Than One Way to be a Man: A Call to Action for Colleagues - Sean McNamara and Kavan P. Stafford

Chapter Fourteen: Lighting Up Lives: A Feminist Librarian's Response to Toxic Masculinity - Anaïs Cayzac

Chapter Fifteen: World-Changing Work: Planting the seeds eco-feminism needs to flourish in libraries - Kirsten MacQuarrie

Chapter Sixteen: Razzle-dazzle 'em! Why ethical AI can't be left to the tech bros - Dr Emily Munro

Chapter Seventeen: Notes from a New Professional II: Interviews on Imposter Syndrome - Leah Higgins

Chapter Eighteen: Beyond the Small Print: finding the words, losing the preface - Amanda Wright

Conclusion

Kirsten MacQuarrie

Kirsten MacQuarrie is Sector Development Manager at CILIP Scotland, developing CPD opportunities and advocating for over 1000 members across Scotland and beyond. In November 2021, Kirsten founded Winspiration, CILIP Scotland's ongoing program of feminist events, interventions, and provocations for library professionals. Amongst other achievements, Winspiration has highlighted the hidden herstories of iconic LIS women like decolonizing cataloger Dorothy Porter and, through the #NotOurJob campaign, made CILIPS the first professional association in Europe to take a public stand against sexual harassment in libraries. Kirsten was honored to appear on the CILIP125 list, which marked the 125th anniversary of CILIP's Royal Charter by highlighting a new generation of librarians, information and knowledge management professionals who drive positive change, make a difference and have an impact across all sectors. She is an author and a chartered librarian whose debut novel Remember the Rowan (Ringwood, 2024) was a finalist for The People's Book Prize and is currently longlisted for The Highland Book Prize. Kirsten's writing has been published by New Writing Scotland, the Scottish Poetry Library, Gutter Magazine, Scottish PEN, the Women's History Network and others, and she has been shortlisted for a Vogue Magazine Young Talent Award, selected as an Editor's Choice for the John Byrne Award and twice winner of the Glasgow Women's Library Poetry Prize.