Posted January 27, 2016
By Tina Creguer
LGBTQ issues were at the forefront of the news in 2015. A major U.S. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, high-profile transgender celebrity appearances, and many related stories dominated social news. Many media have declared the Rainbow Revolution in full effect. And while LGBTQ resources have been published for many years (the USC library began their collection in 1952), access to materials has been limited and not broadly publicized. In fact, libraries with significant LGBTQ collections remain small in number (see this map showing library locations).
But now, as stigmas fade and as people seek more information during this significant cultural shift toward acceptance, your library can be at the forefront of providing access to rich resources on sexuality with a vast new digital collection, Archives of Human Sexuality and Identity.
The collection connects scholars to a rich history of sexuality and identity and allows them to make never-before-possible connections in subjects such as queer history and activism, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, health, political science, human rights, gender studies, and much more.
All content is carefully curated by a distinguished advisory board:
- Jason Baumann, Coordinator of Collection Assessment, Humanities, and LGBT Collections (New York Public Library)
- Julio Capó, Assistant Professor, Department of History and Commonwealth Honors College (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
- Richard Godbeer, Professor, History, and Director, Humanities Research Center (Virginia Commonwealth University)
- Jen Manion, Associate Professor, History Program in American Studies, and Director, LGBTQ Center (Connecticut College)
- Donald W. McLeod, Head, Book & Serials Acquisitions, Collection Development, Canadiana Selector, Gender Studies Selector, and Liaison, Sexual Diversity Studies (University of Toronto Libraries)
- Laure Murat, Professor, Department of French and Francophone Studies, Director of the Center for European and Russian Studies (UCLA)
The collection includes such content as newsletters, organizational papers, government documents, manuscripts, pamphlets and other primary sources, organized into three parts:
- Part I: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940 – brings together approximately 1.5 million pages of primary source content on social, political, health, and legal issues impacting LGBTQ communities around the world, including the gay rights movement, activism, the HIV/Aids crisis, and more from top sources like Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, GLBT Historical Society, New York Public Library, Lesbian Herstory Educational Foundation, Inc., and others. (March 2016)
- Part II: Erotica and Erotic Literature, 17th-20th Century* (2017)
- Part III: LGBTQ History and Culture from the 18th Century Forward* (2018)
Get on the map. Join the revolution. Be prepared to meet a growing need for information about human sexuality – of every hue. Request your free trial today.
*Part II and Part III still being finalized by the advisory board.
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About the Author
Tina has been a library fan-girl since childhood, when she visited weekly with her family. She can be found many mornings standing outside her hometown library at opening time, waiting to nab a study room.