What We Do
The Renegade Library started as an idea between friends. A public space, shared with people in the queer community, focused on literature that reflects their identities. Safe spaces for a group that rarely knows if they'll be welcome. As librarians in the public field for several years, we've worked hard within our own organizations to promote diverse viewpoints and voices, but in the end we wanted a space that was all our own.
Pop up libraries are not new. Little Free Library has created small libraries for communities across the country, and librarians have taken libraries to places like bus stops, payphones, and parks. These spaces are meant to fill a need in a community, and in urban areas, where people are spread out, public transportation can be unreliable, and we just aren't sure where to meet people, these pop ups can go to places when people can't come to us. Bringing books, programming, and even just a place to be social can help build and strengthen the LGBT community in places where we aren't sure if we have any friends.
The Renegade Library is still in its early stages of building a collection, but we rely on the support of LGBT publishing, the queer community, and the people in our own lives who recognize the value of this cause. Libraries are built on the needs of the people in the community they serve, and your support is the number one way we can be sure we're serving that community to the best of our ability.
In the next few months we plan to begin meeting regularly at the Montrose Center in Houston. Once our collection is built, details ironed out, and space rented, we'll be able to make further announcements. We look forward to seeing you!