The British Library, home to the stories of women who changed the world
For Women's History Month, Mariann writes about her experiences of working at the British Library and taking part in strike action over low pay.
Working at the British Library, home to the stories of countless women who changed the world, fills me with pride. Every day, I walk past shelves that carry the voices of suffragettes, poets, scholars and ordinary women whose words were brave enough to survive. Each of them fought for a greater cause in their own way, much as we do today.
The same as many of my colleagues, I am in a role that is persistently demanding. We support readers, protect collections, manage complex systems, and look after a place that belongs to everyone – it’s a national treasure. Much of this work is done by women. It requires care, patience and emotional intelligence, as well as technical and professional skill. Yet too often, it is treated as something that should simply be given, rather than properly valued.
Over the years, our pay has fallen behind the cost of living. For many of us, that means making difficult choices: about heating, rent, childcare, or whether we can stay in the job we love. Women are more likely to be in part-time or lower-paid roles, and more likely to be juggling caring responsibilities.
Being part of a dispute is not something I ever imagined when I started working at the British Library. Like many women, I was brought up to be grateful, to play with my dolls and not to make a fuss. I certainly never imagined myself standing with a placard that reads “You cannot hush a librarian,” quietly but firmly insisting on a fairer future for our pay and our work. Standing up collectively has been uncomfortable at times, but it has also been unexpectedly empowering. There is something deeply affirming in knowing we cannot be labelled “difficult” anymore, simply for asking to be heard.
Women’s history is full of people who were told to accept less, and who gently but firmly refused. I don’t compare myself to them, but I do take strength from their example. They understood that dignity at work, financial security, and a voice in our own future are not luxuries, they are foundations for a fairer society.
This Women’s History Month, I hope we can remember that the British Library is not just a collection of books and manuscripts. It is also a community of workers, many of them women, who deserve the same respect and care that we give to the stories we protect.