KEY SOURCES

THE WOMEN’S LIBRARY The Women’s Library at the London School of Economics holds the archives of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes ( NFWI). Search the catalogue at lse. ac.uk/library/collections/ featuredCollections/ womensLibraryLSE.aspx. It’s a wide-ranging collection, particularly informative about the administration of the NFWI and its national officers. HOME AND COUNTRY / WI LIFE The WI’s monthly magazine, Home and Country, was published from 1919 until 2006, when it changed its name to WI Life. It’s a rich resource not just for researching the history of the WI, but for getting a sense of contemporary social history. The Bodleian Library in Oxford ( bodleian.ox.ac.uk) holds an almost complete run. LOCAL ARCHIVES Local WIs are arranged into county federations; some of these hold their own archives, while others are deposited at county record offices. These collections are likely to include more personal documents, like minute books, meetings cards, lists of members and photographs. Look on thewi.org.uk for federation contacts. NEWSPAPERS Local newspapers have always been keen to publicise WI meetings and other events. Again, county record offices are the place to find these. Many local libraries also provide free access to britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, which can also be searched at findmypast.co.uk. ORAL HISTORIES If you would like to know whether a member of your family belonged to a particular WI, why not talk to current members? The collective memory at individual WIs can be remarkably long. Contact thewi.org.uk for links.