Our Mission
Queer Liberation Library fights to build a vibrant, flourishing queer future by connecting LGBTQ+ people with literature, information, and resources that celebrate the unique and empowering diversity of our community.
Our History
In 2017, I first walked into Out on the Shelves Library in Vancouver, British Columbia, just a few months into my graduate program there. I was bowled over by the knowledge that I was standing in a room full of books that were for me, about me, and represented me and mine. The fast friends I’d made in my library program all lurked in the stacks after the meeting was over, just to stay in that space and breathe the air of a room where we could truly relax, even if just for a moment. I wanted there to be more of these spaces and resources. More libraries with queer people in mind. More classification systems and cataloguing practices that centered marginalized voices. I learned that there are very few in North America. So I daydreamed for a few years about making one myself.
Five years and a global pandemic later, I was working in digital libraries. During the pandemic, it became so clear how vital and necessary digital services are, and I was able to begin my career in that area as a result. Late at night, unable to sleep, this idea came to me, gathering all the disparate pieces of the thoughts that I’d had before into sharp, beautiful, crystalline focus. A queer library. A digital queer library. Online and accessible to anybody with a computer or smart phone. The privacy of your own personal device and the long-distance community offered by the Internet. All of these pieces made sense together. So I sent a long and rambling voice memo to my friend (and now fellow steering committee member), Erik.
“We could totally do this!” I said, excited, but not completely serious. I’d had plenty of good, fun ideas like this that I’d let flow past me.
“Yeah. We could.” Something in the certainty and clarity in Erik’s voice made me pause. His tone made me stop and wonder if this idea was different.
Over the next few months, we reached out to our friends: a diverse and multi-talented group of people with the varied skillsets necessary to bring an idea like this to life. Our steering committee grew and we settled on the name Queer Liberation Library, because queer liberation is our history and our future.
As we build this library, we hope that it will be a way to bring our community closer together in a time when neoliberal capitalism seeks to isolate us and right-wing extremists seek to eliminate us.
We will not be banned or removed.
-Kieran, Founder
Our Steering Committee
Amber (She/her)
In the immortal words of Evie Carnahan, “I am a librarian!”
While not occupied with one library or another, Amber can be found growing edible plants on her balcony, throwing herself into the air at ice rinks, and listening to music way too loud. Known for laughing so hard she cries, Amber is also a big supporter of art (all varieties), a four day work week, and waking up a little bit but still having time to go back to sleep.
Favorite book: throw a queer sci-fi or fantasy at her and see if it sticks like spaghetti
amber@queerliberationlibrary.org
Avi (they/them)
Spreadsheet King
“I never met-a-data I didn’t like!” – actual quote. Avi is in a long-term, love/hate relationship with knowledge organization, classification, and rules in general. They’re happiest when figuring out how to wrangle standards into describing marginalized communities respectfully and accurately, or making brand new, creative, and context-specific systems for their own communities. (That’s you!) Avi spends too much of their time and money on: indie graphic novels and comics, yarn, RPGs of all sorts (tabletop, J, etc), thinking about outer space, music (concerts, vinyl, and a number of instruments they cannot play), traveling to new places to check out their local bookstores, holographic stickers, and basically all media about evil women.
Favorite book: Harrow the Ninth (and the entire Locked Tomb series) by Tamsyn Muir
avi@queerliberationlibrary.org
Erik (He/They)
Business Gay
The most notable moment of Erik's life is when a happy billing error left him with 194 free Audible credits. Having tasted the paradise of listening to any and all queer urban fantasy novels without regard to his checking account, Erik hopes to use the skills he acquired as a ruthless careerman to bring that paradise to the masses. When not ignoring the ethical implications of his career in Marketing Technology, Erik enjoys audiobooks, dnd, mad goofs, and periodically proclaiming how nice the weather is in California to his friends living in colder climates.
Favorite Book: A Lightning Struck Heart by TJ Klune
erik@queerliberationlibrary.org
Fern (they/she/he)
Social Media Gremlin
When not chronically online, Fern is busy writing stories, being the mom friend, and playing D&D. They’re always down for a nice cup of tea and a walk through crunchy autumn leaves. Would destroy on Bake Off (if not for, you know, the crushing anxiety). Probably a real life hobbit? Who can say.
Favorite book: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
fern@queerliberationlibrary.org
Kieran (he/they)
Founding Idea-Haver
Queer librarian by day, queer librarian by night. In his spare time, Kieran likes to play music, climb rocks, read books, pet cats, and drink coffee. A Virgo. Tell them about your favorite grocery store.
Favorite book: These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
kieran@queerliberationlibrary.org
Laura (she/her)
Book lister in residence
Laura has never been chill about anything once in her life. She loves Brooklyn, dogs, comics, women’s sports, and anything queer on television. She’s a chaotic reader who is typically reading 10-35 books at a time. Ask her the last book she cried while reading (it was probably yesterday), how she feels about the CW network ceasing to exist (BAD), or if she wants to give you a list of book recommendations (YES).
Favorite book: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
laura@queerliberationlibrary.org
Lindsay (she/her)
Non-profit Witch
Lindsay's day job is in non-profit development and she's happy to lend some fundraising skills to QLL. When not doing her best to subvert capitalism for a good cause, you can find her watching women's soccer and basketball or trying new squashes at the farmer's market.
Favorite book: Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
lindsay@queerliberationlibrary.org
Zee (they/he)
Design Lich
Zee is an elder punk and metalhead, as well as a secret weeb. Or, not so secret judging by the anime stickers on their car. They are also vegan and sober, possibly just to have the moral high-ground. Science and Magic!
Favorite book: VALIS by Philip K. Dick