![]() But if you manage to assemble enough of women’s private archives, then you can create a social history of a specific period by examining the combined private papers,” says Ertug. “Throughout history, women have left fewer written sources relative to men. One of the most interesting and special collections in the WLICF is the Women’s Private Papers Collection that encompasses personal belongings such as diplomas, academic works, official papers, letters, diaries, drawings, pictures, and much more. The Women Artists Collection consists of paintings, photographs, statues, ceramics, and art installations donated by artists which adorn the interior walls of the library, turning the library into a continuous exhibition hall. The Rare Works Collection consists of over 300 rare items found in auctions and bibliopoles, including signed copies of first editions and a stone print poster from the Turkish War of Independence calling for women to join the resistance. There are items from around hundreds of authors, 22 of whom produced their works in the pre-Republic period. The Women Writers Collection consists of women’s literary works plus personal belongings of writers such as handwritten book drafts, diplomas, plaques and pictures. While each collection has its own significance, some more prevalent examples are their Women Writers Collection, Rare Works Collection, Women Artists Collection, and a collection about women’s organisations that documents the operations of approximately 700 women’s organisations from the Turkish Republic. (Courtesy of: Women’s Library and Information Centre Foundation) ![]() “We mostly rely on donations for acquiring the works in our care, but some items are ones we have specifically picked from bibliopoles and auctions,” says Ertug.Ī picture from early 20th century brought to the WLICF in a 1992 exhibition by photographer Mediha Erten Askin called "Evvel Zaman Suretleri" (Once Upon a Time). The library has a total of 16 collections that consist of a wide range of women’s works including books, newspaper clippings, magazines, photographs, posters, ephemera, audio materials, thesis-dissertations and articles.Ĭurrently, WLICF is home to approximately 15,000 books, 8,000 ephemeras, and around 500 periodicals. WLICF’s mission was to preserve, investigate and make accessible women’s history in Turkey dating to the late Ottoman Empire through works created by and concerning women. The library opened its doors on April 14th. The foundation was established on 8 March - International Women's Day - by Fusun Akatli, Jale Baysal, Asli Davaz, and Sirin Tekeli along with Ertug. “We felt a pressing need for a place where we could preserve these documents, and consequently the movement, so we began working to form a foundation.” “In the 80s, the women’s movement was gaining momentum in Turkey, but we noticed that women’s efforts were largely unseen as the documents they produced withered in the pages of newspapers and magazines,” Fusun Ertug, one of the founders and chairwoman of the foundation, told TRT World. The Women’s Library and Information Centre Foundation (WLICF), established in 1990 as part of the women’s movement in Turkey, consists entirely of works created by, for, and about women. ![]() ![]() In a historic building by the Golden Horn, Turkey’s first and only library dedicated to women’s works has for three decades been shining a light on the lives and struggles of Turkish women. The Women’s Library and Information Centre Foundation located in Istanbul bears witness to 150 years of the women’s movement in Turkey, providing a new perspective to the country’s history.
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