Even though, there weren't many female librarians or librarian assistants in the Library long ago, the Library now has eight women on staff including our fifth female librarian, fearless leader Jane Riley.
In 1768, 5 out of the original 105 members of the Library were women, the Leeds Library's second and third librarians were both women- Mary Robinson, the daughter of the first librarian Joseph Ogle who took over the job at 24 after her father's death, and her daughter whom she also named Mary. Mary Robinson II never married and retired shortly before her death in 1825.
In 1886, the national conversation about female library staff was kicked into favour by the Manchester Public Free Libraries system advertising for a "respectable, intelligent woman" to work as "assistant" in 1871. Census records reflect an increase in women with occupations listed as 'librarians' or 'assistant librarians' during the periods from 113 in 1841 to 22 by 1881. Despite this, the Library hadn't hired a single female staff member since Mary Robinson II retired over 60 years earlier. The library has two documents from 1886 that serve as microcosm for the wider national converstaion.
The documents: the motion letter 1 is a motion to be read at the 1886 Annual General Meeting (in which Library members met to discuss Library business with the Committee). One side of the paper contains the motion: "That the Committee be recommended to take into consideration the desirability of (...) one or more lady assistants". The other sides are signed by four female members and one male- Ellen Besquith, Lydia Walley, Jane Buckton, William Lupton and Ellen Heaton. All were middle-/upper class, white, and employed at least one servant. The motion is marked as 'carried unanimously', with the modification that the lady assistants cannot replace any of the 'boys now engaged' as was originally suggested.
Letter of support- letter 2 is addressed to the librarian, Mr. J. MacALister, from committee member Eustace Couder. Dated to 4th February 1886. He can't attend the Annual General Meeting but voices his support to the lady assistants motion: "as many of our subscribers are ladies (hiring a woman) would seem suitable"--"provid(ing)" the "young lady" is "quick &intelligent" and "pleasant & lady-like in her manner"- not like the "curt & supercilious" ladies working in the post offices.
The results - the committee didn't actually do anything despite the motion passing unanimously amongst the members. There is no mention of the motion of of lady assistants in the minutes/notes from the committee meeting directly following the AGM on 8th February. the Committee hired multiple male assistants throughout the following years.
With Thanks To:
Digital: Nageena Ghafori
Bibliography:
Exhibition Text: Niimi Day Gough
Information: Baker, T., ‘The Employment of Young Women as Assistants in Public Free Libraries’, in Tedder, H.R., and Thomas, E.C., (eds) Transactions and Proceedings of the Second Annual Meeting of the Library Association of the United Kingdom, London: Library Association (1880).
Images: All not cited below are courtesy of The Leeds Library.
Credits:
Created with images by Kathy - "A young Regency period woman in a pale pink gown" • robert - "book"