The mandate of the Nellie Langford Rowell Library, under the umbrella of the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, is to be open to all students, faculty and staff, as well as the broader community.
The Nellie Langford Rowell Library stands as a safe, inclusive, and empowering space for women-identifying and LGBTQ2S+ persons in the York community and beyond who are engaged in feminist and feminist-adjacent research and learning.
Since its transfer to the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, the library has been transformed into a living, functional, multiple-use space for small events, while still remaining faithful to its original mandate to serve a community of feminist readers at large.
The Nellie Library is the best academic space to find various feminist references, proof-read my assignments and print out essays between classes. The library also provided me safe shelter where I could take a deep breath when I felt hurt or isolated as a racialized student. While working virtually, the Nellie staff kindly provided Nellie Cafés, which provided me with academic resources and creative workshops. My most unforgettable experience with the library was during the first undergraduate student conference in March 2021. As the first presenter, I shared my research and received productive feedback.
Thank you to everyone working in the Nellie for the meaningful learning opportunities and encouragement. Because of their assistance, I was able to graduate with my BA Honours.
— Milan Kang, BA Hons, 2021
