The Pride Collection

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About the Collection

The Pride Collection highlights books, movies and magazines of special interest to people in Toronto's 2SLGBTQ+ (two-spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex) community. While there are 2SLGBTQ+ materials available at every branch in the city, the most complete collection is held at Yorkville Branch.

Topics

The Pride Collection contains fiction and nonfiction about the culture, history and life experience of 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

Topics include:

Formats

Formats include books, DVDs and magazines. All materials are in English.

Location

Yorkville Branch
22 Yorkville Avenue, near Yonge Street,
416-393-7660

2SLGBTQ+ materials can also be found at library branches across the city.

History

February-March 1990 - Shawn Venasse, publisher and editor of Out Magazine, wrote to TPL's Chief Librarian Les Fowlie, expressing concern about the lack of a gay and lesbian library or collection at TPL. Following Venasse's presentation to the City of Toronto Library Board on March 14, 1990, the Board asked staff to investigate establishing a collection.

October 1990-May 1991 - The library's Adult Services Coordinator, Bruce Worden, prepared a proposal to establish a Gay/Lesbian collection. A final report presented by Linda Steinberg, Branch Head of the Northern District Branch, was accepted by Library management. Adult Collections Librarian Tom Jordan oversaw development of the collection. In May 1991, an initial collection of 600+ titles debuted at the branch in time for Toronto's first officially recognized Gay Pride Day.

June 1996 - On the recommendation of Norm Kester, founder of advocacy group the Lavender Librarians, and TPL librarian Bill Vrantsidis, the collection was moved to Yorkville Branch where it is currently housed.

June 2019 - In June 2019, in consultation with the Pride Alliance, an employee-run resource group, the name was changed from the LGBT Collection to The Pride Collection. The name change coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, the pivotal event of the modern 2SLGBTQ+ rights movement.

As of 2019, the Pride Collection is the largest circulating 2SLGBTQ+ collection in Canada, featuring some 3,500 adult, teen and children's titles in multiple formats. A dedicated team of Adult, Teen and Children's selectors maintains and develops the collection.

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