Goodbye to the Women's Press Library

Saying Goodbye to the Minnesota Women’s Press Library

Friday night I met with an amazing group of book women to commemorate the library at the Women’s Press in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The library has stood at its present location for 20 years and shelves about 10,000 books in which the majority are written about women, by women and for women. The Women’s Press is moving to a new location and does not have room for the library.

When I walked in the door I was greeted by Mollie Hoben, one of the founding women of the Women’s Press. Mollie instructed me to go downstairs into the library and chose ONE book to take home with me and keep. One book out of 10,000 was not an easy choice but in the end I settled for a book that contains 3 books and several short stories by the powerful writer, Flannery O’Connor. I am very happy with my choice.

How do you say goodbye to a library? About 15 women were present to share memories and say goodbye to the library. Eventually it was determined that one object should contain the spirit of the library and move to the new location and employ a place of honor there. The object chosen was the overdue card catalog box and each of the women put in the card from the book they chose to take home with them. We then toasted with wine the spirits of all the women and books that enjoyed time in that space. It was a very fitting salute to an inspiring library dedicated to women. I am definitely going to miss the library and the book spirits there but am looking forward to new beginnings in the new building.

Congrats on 25 years in Business, Mollie and Glenda! Here is to another 25 more!
The Women’s Press is a newspaper publication you can subscribe too and as well as their BookWomen publication. Check out their publications and the history of the press here.
I am so proud to have met Glenda and Mollie 9 years ago and cherish their influence in my life. They are truly great BOOK WOMEN.