Each year Madison Public Library celebrates Pride month in June with events, books, resources and the wider Madison community. However, we also have LGBTQ+ events happening year-round. See below for more information about how Madison Public Library celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride.
Madison Public Library provides free and equitable access to cultural and educational experiences. The library celebrates ideas, promotes creativity, connects people, and enriches lives, with an emphasis on promoting literacy and equity in library collections, services, and programs.
Past Events
We Will Always Be Here Interview
Youth Services Librarians Rachel Lavender and Savannah Carr worked with the Wisconsin Book Festival to put on an event about the book "We Will Always Be Here", written by local authors Jenny Kalvaitis and Kristen Whitson. The event had 98 virtual participants, and teens gathered at the Lakeview and Goodman South branches to have watch parties. Kalvaitis and Whitson talked about using primary and secondary sources in their work, and they also discussed the LGBTQ+ activism of Black and rural communities in Wisconsin. The book is available for checkout at Madison Public Libraries in both physical and eBook formats.
Resources
NEW! Madison Public Library welcomes and supports the LGBTQ+ community and understands that the fight for LGBTQ+ equity in America is far from over, especially for transgender people and queer people of color. Included in this guide are mental health providers, transition and sexual health resources, support groups, hotlines, and more. We hope this guide informs and empowers you to find the community and support that you need.
We're in the process of getting the guide printed and out in all of our libraries, as well as clinics around the city. Guide available in English and Spanish. Keep an eye on our website at madpl.org/lgbtqwellness to see the list of clinics the guide will be available at.
Change Your Name on Your Library Card
We have updated our library card application process to help support our trans and non-binary users whose names may be different than what's listed on their IDs. Madison Public Library requires a photo ID to get a library card, but if your name is different than the name on your photo ID, we can list your name in the primary name field of your account so that any holds and notices sent out will use the correct name. We can also replace your library card if the name listed is no longer that name you go by. We want to make sure all library users have a positive experience, so if you'd like to make this change, please reach out to us by calling or visiting your local library or by emailing madcirc@madisonpubliclibrary.org with your library card number and the name (first name, middle initial, and last name) you would like to use for your account.
Kanopy Collections
Did you know the library has a free video streaming service called Kanopy? They have high quality and diverse content, including Academy Award-winners, documentaries, TV shows, and much more! They also create specially curated lists for Pride Month and Juneteenth in June, as well as Disability Pride Month in July. Explore titles like Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Miss Juneteenth, White Like Me, and more. All you need is a library card and you can access these films for free- from the comfort of your couch.
LGBTQ+ Book Lists
Pride in the Community
Check back in May for 2025 events.
Reach Out & Read Podcast
LGBTQ+ children’s books play a crucial role in offering ‘mirrors and windows’ for all children and their caregivers, yet they remain not only hard to find, but often challenged by society. In Part 1 of our two-part series, we’ll explore the craft and creativity behind LGBTQ+ children’s literature with Lesléa Newman, author of 75 books including the well-known Heather Has Two Mommies, and Kyle Lukoff, author of Call Me Max and When Aidan Became A Brother.
In Part 2 of our series on LGBTQ+ children’s books, we talk to Dr. Jamie Campbell Naidoo, a professor at the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies. We discuss how to evaluate LGBTQ+ books for kids, common portrayals of ‘rainbow families’ in children’s books, balancing accessibility and privacy issues for books around these topics, and, of course why, year after year, LGBTQ+ children’s books continue to be the most challenged genre.
Local LGBTQ+ History
As we celebrate this month, we can also look back at the history of LGBTQ life in Madison and Dane County. Beginning with a few oral histories, this UW-Madison Archive collection features a diverse array of materials and voices from the LGBTQ community. Explore the collection for oral histories, personal papers, photographs, ephemera and organizational records related to LGBTQ life in Madison and Dane County from the 1940s to the present.
Our Lives
Billed as "Wisconsin's Source for LGBTQ News + People + Community + Culture Since 2007". Some libraries have current print issues for free, or check out all print issues from our collection back to 2011.