>> Megan Metcalf: Welcome,
everyone, to Pride Night Online.
And on behalf of the
Library of Congress,
I wish you all a happy Pride.
Thank you so much for joining
me this evening as we dig
into all things LGBTQIA at
the Library of Congress.
A quick note before we begin, we
are following this presentation
with a question and
answer session.
Because this event is being
recorded, any questions
or other participant
contributions may be publicly
available-- be made
publicly available as part
of the Library's archives.
So be nice.
So without further ado, I will
start with introducing myself.
My name is Meg Metcalf, and
I am the Women's, Gender,
and LGBTQIA studies librarian
and collection specialist here
at the Library of
Congress, where I work
in the magnificent
Main Reading Room.
My job as the librarian,
first and foremost,
involves connecting
people to the Library
and helping them understand
and access an absolutely
enormous collection
of materials.
And I am just one
of many librarians
and subject experts
here at the Library.
So if you learned one thing
from my presentation today,
I hope it's that Library
staff are here to help.
Before we jump in, I thought
I'd begin with just a little bit
of background on what the
Library is and where it is
and how the institution came
to collect LGBTQIA materials.
Many people aren't
aware that the Library
of Congress is a working,
public library open to all.
Established in 1800
by an Act of Congress
and originally housed
inside the Capitol building,
the Library is not much
younger than the country itself.
Today, the Library collections
include over 171 million items
in over 460 languages and
in virtually every format.
The largest library in the
world, our collections grow
about 10,000 items each day.
The Library moved
out of the Capitol
and into its own
building in 1897,
allowing our fast-growing
collections to flourish.
Reading rooms are organized by
subject, format, or language.
And each has subject
matter experts to assist you
in making use of
the collections.
To give you a sense of the vast
size, as well as the location
of the Library, here we have
an aerial view photograph.
Our three buildings here
on Capitol Hill are conveniently
located across the street
from the Capitol, next door to
the Supreme Court, with Senate
and House office
buildings on either side.
The buildings are connected via
and underground tunnel system.
And now, onto the main event.
The LGBTQIA collections
at the Library.
Throughout the presentation
today, I'll be referring back
to different sections
of this guide,
the LGBTQ+ Studies
Resource Guide.
This provides links
to collection items,
as well as research strategies
for various aspects
of LGBTQ research.
This guide is organized by
subject, format, and language.
The topics under the research by
subject part of this guide came
about based on frequently asked
research questions that I get,
as well as our Library
collection strengths.
A question I get asked
pretty frequently is when
and how did the Library start
collecting LGBTQIA materials?
And I get to say since
the very beginning!
People are often surprised to
learn that the Library's home
to such an extensive
LGBTQ collection.
Even the foundational collection
that we see catalogued here
of 3,000 items that came
to us in our establishment
in 1800 contained relevant
materials, especially the books
on Greek and Roman
philosophy and law.
And when the Capitol burned
in 1814 and our books along
with it, Thomas Jefferson
sold us his collection,
which contained a number of
works by his favorite thinker,
Cicero, who also happened to
publish the first reference
in Latin to a gay marriage.
As of 2021, I am happy
to announce there is now an
official collections policy
statement for LGBTQIA
studies at the Library
that further defines the
scope of these collections,
as well as collection
priorities.
You can read that online.
By the time the first library
building opened in 1897,
not only the collections,
but the art and architecture
of the building itself included
elements of queer history.
The walls of the Jefferson
building are covered
with the names and words of
the world's greatest minds,
including such queer historical
figures as Walt Whitman,
Lord Byron, Michelangelo,
Gerta, and more.
The only woman to be featured
just happens the be Sappho,
of the Isle of Lesbos.
Here we see the great Sappho
depicting Lyric poetry
in the Jefferson Building.
Visitors who enter through
the first floor entrance walk
directly by this fabulous mural.
Without Sappho, we wouldn't have
the terms lesbian or sapphic.
Can you imagine?
Now as I mentioned, there
has never been a time
when materials related
to sexuality
and gender were not collected.
However, the story
of the Library's Delta
collection is a great way
to understand how and why
the Library was able to build
such a large collection of these
materials beginning so early.
In many cases, the Library
was collecting these so-called
"obscene" materials decades
before other libraries
or museums would begin
to acquire these items.
How did this happen?
Well, the Library of Congress
Delta collection was a
restricted collection
that contained thousands
of items considered obscene.
And much of this
material concerned sex,
sexuality, and gender.
Many of these items came to the
Library, a federal institution,
after being seized for
obscenity by the customs bureau
and the postal service.
Some also came in
through copyright.
According to scholar Dr. Melissa
Adler, it remains unclear as to
when the collection was first
formed, but it may have been
as early as the 1880s, and it
remained restricted until 1964.
The collection included not
just books, but motion pictures,
photographs, playing cards,
handkerchiefs, and
other materials.
So in some senses, this
served to segregate
or closet LGBTQIA
materials at the Library.
But in other ways, it
preserved these resources
for future generations at a time
when other libraries would
have simply destroyed
or not even considered
collecting this material.
There is still a Delta
collection in rare books
and special collections with
some of the original items.
As many of these were privately
printed and limited quantities,
and as it turns out,
quite rare and valuable.
Many of the periodicals and
duplicate titles were sent
to the general collections,
where they remain to this day.
These titles are
requestable for use
in the general collections
reading rooms.
So what rare items of queer
history were preserved
because of the Delta collection?
let's look at an example.
Here we have the book
and catalogue record
for Venus Catina, a rare book
with phenomenal illustrations
formerly
in the Delta collection.
By examining the
catalogue record,
I was able to learn much more.
Not only did I confirm
that this title had been
in the Delta collection, but
I was able to learn even more
about the book's publication
history and provenance.
I see here that a
cataloguer noted
that this was a limited
item printed in less
than 1,000 copies,
and even noted
which number copy we
have here at the Library.
I also learned that the first
13 were signed by the author,
and had a different
cover and binding.
I have only found two other
libraries in the world
that have this original
1928 limited edition.
So this is just to illustrate
that while the collecting
methods
of the Delta collection weren't
exactly what we would consider
ideal or even ethical today,
what resulted was a
collection much older, broader,
and more inclusive than we
might have otherwise collected.
This included a number of
early LGBTQ periodicals
and independent publications.
Next, I'm going to spend a
fair amount of time talking
about the significance of LGBTQ
periodicals, as they are some
of the earliest examples
of queer voices in print.
The Delta collection created
a precedent for the collecting
of trans and gender
nonconforming materials.
So even after this collection
ceased, there was some sort
of understanding that the
Library does in fact know how
to collect and care
for these materials.
This included early
trans periodicals,
like Turnabout magazine
and Glad Rag from the UK.
If you look closely,
you can see our copies
of Turnabout magazine have
Delta collection scrawled
on the cover in pencil.
Which I've tried
to highlight here,
it is somewhat difficult to see.
Another title from the Delta
collection was The Ladder.
The Ladder was published
by the first official
lesbian rights group
in the United States,
the Daughters of Bilitis.
It was the first US lesbian
periodical distributed
nationally and internationally.
We are able to provide
access to a complete run
of The Ladder here at the
Library, which is significant
and rare for several reasons.
One, The Ladder was
self published
by the Daughters of Bilitis.
Originally, they were
using typewriters
and mimeograph machines.
So, early on, they didn't
have the technology, funding,
or the people power available
to produce a large print run.
Secondly, as we mentioned
before,
this item would not have been
something a Library would have
collected, especially as many at
the time considered any mention
of sexuality to be obscene.
Letters to the Publisher of
Daughters of Bilitis indicate
that many people
had issues early
on with getting this
magazine delivered.
And they were certainly not the
only magazine that had issues
with the post office
refusing to deliver it.
One magazine was the first
nationally distributed gay
periodical in the United States.
The magazine had trouble
with the law and the state
of California considering
it obscene,
with the postal service seizing
and refusing to deliver issues.
One launched a case that
made it to the Supreme Court,
and in 1958, the Court
ruled that writings
that supported a quote,
"homosexual lifestyle," unquote,
were not inherently obscene
and thus were eligible
for protection by
the First Amendment.
This landmark ruling was the
first Supreme Court ruling
to deal with homosexuality and
to address free speech rights
with respect to homosexuality,
opening the door
for a proliferation of
queer culture and print.
Another early periodical,
we also can provide access
to a full run of the
Mattachine Review.
The Mattachine Review was a
national publication published
by the Mattachine Society,
one of the first gay
rights organizations
in the United States,
founded in 1950.
They began publishing the
Mattachine Review in 1955.
What I find even more
compelling are the lesser known,
local publications.
Local chapters of the National
Mattachine Society created their
own publications like
The Homosexual Citizen,
which was published jointly
by the Mattachine Society
of Washington DC and Florida.
These early digest sized
publications resembled in form
and function what we
think of today as zines.
Self published and printed
in limited quantities,
these periodicals were made for
expression, community building,
and raising personal and
political consciousness.
Traded from person to person.
And wouldn't you know,
the Library also has
a zine collection.
The Library of Congress zine
collection began formally
in 2016, with LGBTQ+ as a
focus for our collection.
These self published materials
can provide crucial perspectives
from people traditionally left
out of the cultural record.
This tradition of self
publishing extends also
to our comic book collection.
Accessible in newspapers, and
current periodical reading room,
is the world's largest public
collection of comic books,
with more than 140,000 items.
This collection includes
indie and underground titles,
like Gay Comix, Tales
of the Closet,
Love and Rockets, and more.
Alison Bechdel prints are held
in the Princeton
Photographs Division,
though her comic books
circulate and can be requested
to the general collections
reading rooms.
The Library collection of queer
periodicals continued in the 80s
and 90s, like the
titles we see here.
And we are still subscribing
and adding new titles
to the collection
as they emerge.
But what about finding
trans and queer history
in older printed sources?
Like newspapers?
Let's take a look
at how you can do
that using our free
database Chronicling America.
Here are just a few
examples of the kinds
of articles you can find
by adjusting your search
terms to the time period.
For every story we've uncovered,
there are so many more
just waiting to be found.
If you make a discovery
on Chronicling America,
please share it back with
us via Ask a Librarian,
or tag ChroniclingAmerica
on social media.
Some tips and tricks for your
newspaper research journey,
the terms homosexual and
heterosexual did not exist
until 1868, and lesbian and
gay came about even later.
So for early research, you
will want to develop a list
of historical vocabulary
for the specific era
and region you are
interested in.
I've included some helpful terms
to try, but I did also want
to provide some caution.
Not only some of these
historical terms offensive
today, but when you undertake
this research, you will find
that when the earliest
accounts are in the news,
it's often because an
individual was outed.
Usually not consensually, mostly
by medical or legal authorities
or another individual.
Fair warning, there
are also many stories
that include a fair
amount of violence.
So now, that being said, let's
take a look at an example
of how periodicals,
like newspapers,
and other Library collections
can help us discover,
reconstruct, and reclaim
our LGBTQIA histories.
When Ralph Kerwinieo was outed
as trans by his jealous wife,
his arrest and public outing
made national headlines.
The front page stories
you see here were found
by searching his name
in the Library's historical
database Chronicling America,
which looks like this.
This free tool includes
copyright free, digitized papers
from every state from
1777 to present day.
So what did I learn about Ralph
by searching Chronicling
America?
What I learned about
Ralph from the newspapers
in Chronicling America was
that Ralph was Native American
and married to his
first wife for 12 years.
I also found pictures of
Ralph and both of his wives.
The newspapers contained
interviews and direct quotes,
and we learn that Mary, the
first wife, was not comfortable
when Ralph said that he really
did feel that he was a man.
Eventually, they split
up and he married again.
And his first wife became
jealous and turned him
into the police,
where he was arrested.
The information found in
these papers can sometimes be
conflicting, which
is why you will want
to confirm what you find
using other sources.
For example, city directories,
telephone books, obituaries,
church records, travel
documents,
arrest and court
records, and census
and government documents can
illuminate the who, where,
and when LGBTQ people
lived, worked, and traveled.
From the census records,
I was able to confirm
Ralph's age and date of birth.
But I also learned that both
of his parents were black
and that his wife was
also Native American.
The census also listed
where Ralph and Mary lived
and worked during
the census years.
On years there was no census,
the city directories can provide
at least an address, occupation,
who they were living with,
and whether they lived or
rented a home or apartment.
So you can see on the bottom
we see Mary and Ralph,
the first wife, living together
here on 7th street in Milwaukee.
And just above that in the
city directory right here,
the CLK stands for
clerk, so it tells us
that Ralph was a
clerk at that time.
So these records are important
because in most cases,
these are the only sources
we can find on LGBTQ folks
from earlier time periods.
That being said, there are
some larger collections
of personal papers and archives
of both people and
organizations.
However, in many cases,
the records that have been
preserved are those of white,
cisgender, and middle
and upper class people.
But there is a major benefit
to having these large
print collections to study.
And that is that they can
offer a much fuller picture
of a person or organization's
life and beliefs.
The Library of Congress
collections contain
over 74 million manuscripts.
And wouldn't you know it, a
number of these happen to be
or include LGBTQIA
people or topics.
These collections are cared
for and made accessible
in the manuscript
division, pictured here.
The manuscript reading room
is quite possibly the easiest
to find in terms of location.
In the Madison Building,
the entrance
to the reading room is directly
in front of you to the left.
Not only are the
collections here impressive,
but they have a brilliant
staff of historians
and librarians there to help
you navigate these collections.
They are a joy to work with,
so go ahead and get in touch
with them at
Ask.LOC.gov/manuscripts
if you are interested in
any of the collections I'm
about to mention
on the next slide.
So, I won't go into each
and every collection,
as we just don't have the time.
But I did want to point out some
significant historical moments
researchers can find in
the manuscript collections.
You'll see on this page, we
have the court proceedings
of Thomasine Hall, an intersex
servant in colonial Virginia
who was put on trial
in the 1620s.
This item is part of the
Thomas Jefferson's papers.
Another fascinating collection
is the Anna E. Dickinson papers.
The abolitionist
whose family home was
on the Underground Railroad
was an early feminist, orator,
and believe it or
not, mountaineer.
She was known for her
relationship with Sally Ackley,
with whom she lived
for over 40 years.
This collection is a
great example of one
that has been digitized, so I
encourage you to check it out.
Especially the juicy
correspondence.
Search LOC.gov for
Anna E. Dickinson
and that digital collection
should be the first result.
I've also shared the
link on the page here.
The origins and history
of LGBTQIA Pride
and the United States
can also be found
in the manuscript collections.
In particular, you can
find planning documents,
correspondence, flyers,
and films related
to the first Pride, originally
called the Christopher Street
Liberation Day.
These items can be found
in the Lilli Vincenz
and the Frank Kameny papers.
Search LOC.gov for Gay and
Proud to watch the documentary
of the very first Pride march
in New York City in 1970.
This film was directed
by Lilli Vincenz.
These collections on LGBTQIA
activism can also be found
in reading rooms from
across the Library.
While the manuscript division
is particularly strong
in holdings related
to the pre-Stonewall
US homophile movement,
and early gay liberation,
the American Folk
Life Center is home
to the National AIDS
Memorial Quilt archive,
which includes over
200,000 items.
Here we see the Library
of Congress panel made
by Library employees in
honor of those lost to AIDS.
And for a wealth of
information on AIDS activism,
the Library can also
provide access to databases
which index the records
of activist groups
like Act Up and Queer Nation.
The picture collections number
more than 16 million images.
This includes photographs,
historical prints, posters,
cartoons, documentary drawings,
fine prints, and architectural
and engineering designs.
You can get started searching
our prints and photos
at LOC.gov/pictures,
or LOC.gov/photos.
A recent survey found
that nearly 25%
of the Library's performing arts
special collections include a
connection to the
LGBTQ+ community.
You can see the full
survey online,
as well as links
to the collections.
These items are made accessible
in the performing arts
reading room on the first floor
of the Madison Building.
Collection materials include
costume designs, play scripts,
sheet music, compositions,
instruments, and more.
And here we see we
have the lyric sketches
where Jonathan Larson is doing
the math for Seasons of Love
for the Broadway musical Rent.
The recorded sound reading room
is located inside the performing
arts reading room, and also
provides access to a variety
of historical sound
materials, including vinyl LPs
from Olivia Records, founded
by lesbians for lesbians
in Washington DC in 1973.
Other types of recorded
sound collections here
at the Library unload
the archive of poetry
and literature, a digital
collection with works
from LGBT poets like Audre
Lorde, James Baldwin,
and Adrienne Northeast Rich.
The Veterans History Project
contains oral history interviews
with a number of LGBTQ veterans.
Find those collections on
their website, and learn how
to record your own oral
histories at LOC.gov/vets.
And last, but certainly
not least, we have books
and printed materials.
We have over 40 million
in our collection.
You can find digitized
books at LOC.gov/books.
The most comprehensive search
we have for finding our books,
however, is our catalogue.
Get started at
catalogue.LOC.gov.
Here I found a book
by anthropologist Matilda Cod
Stevenson, who worked closely
with two spirit Zuni leader
We'wha, known to those
in Washington DC
as Princess We'wha.
I searched by title
to find this book,
but you can also search the
catalogue by author, keyword,
or call number to find
books on your topic.
If the item has been
digitized, you should be able
to find it under links.
As you see here.
If you want to search
only digitized books,
as well as other materials,
I can show you how to do
that on our website at LOC.gov.
Using the search box at the
top of the page, you can search
across all digitized
collections in all formats.
You can also use the
dropdown menu to the left
of the search box to limit
your search to a specific type
of item, like Princeton
Photographs.
This page will also link
you to our catalogue
when you select Library
Catalogue,
to all of our reading
room homepages
when you select Researchers,
and to a full list
of curated digital collections
when you select Digital
Collections.
Digital collections include not
just digitized primary source
materials, such as the
Anna E. Dickinson papers,
but also collection of
today's primary sources,
like websites and social media.
There are two LGBTQ+
dedicated web archives.
The first is the LGBTQ+
studies web archive,
which I began in May 2018.
There are currently 300 sites
in the public facing collection,
and more being crawled
that will be added later.
The archive collects and
preserves online contain,
which documents LGBTQ
history, scholarship,
and culture in the United
States and around the world.
You can select collection
items to browse all sites
in the collection, or you can
search within the collection
by using the box at
the top of the page.
Another collection is
the LGBTQ+ politics
and political candidates
web archive,
which captures digital
content related
to LGBTQ+ political
candidates and issues and topics
at various levels of
government with a focus
on lesser known local
and state politics.
This archive preserves
a representative sample
of what is being called the
rainbow wave, which refers
to the previously
unprecedented number
of LGBTQ+ identified candidates
openly running for office.
These websites provide a record
of individuals attempting
historic firsts
in American politics.
Alright. So now that
we've talked
about what the collections
contain,
let's talk about how
you can use them.
I'm happy to announce that the
Library has recently begun the
process of reopening.
So while our procedures and
hours are a bit different
than they normally are, we are
once again providing access
to the collections of the
world's largest Library
in person in our reading rooms
by appointment, as
well as online.
The Library reading rooms
are the physical spaces
where the collections are
used and sometimes stored.
The reading rooms are organized
by subject, format,
and language.
The full list of reading
rooms, as well as links
to their home pages,
blogs, events,
and research guides can be
found online at LOC.gov/RR.
They all have wonderful
collections, as well as staff
to help you navigate it.
You may be wondering who
can use the reading rooms?
The answer is anyone 16
or older can register
for a free reader
registration card.
All you need is a photo ID.
At this current phase of
reopening, reading rooms
and reader registration
is requiring appointments.
So we have the links there
online so you can give us a call
and make an appointment
and come on in to see us.
So, if you're wondering
which reading room you need
or where you can
start, don't worry.
It can be overwhelming
to figure out where
to access the materials
you're interested in.
What's actually more important
is knowing what you are looking
for before you can
know the where.
How do you do that?
Search the catalogue
for the subject
or topic you are interested in.
If there's an item you'd like
to see, look for the part
of the page where
it says request in.
That will tell you
exactly where you need
to go to see the material.
If you're still not
sure, that's okay.
Most people start in the main
reading room on the first floor
of the Jefferson Building.
Librarians here can help
you plan your research trip
and connect you to
resources across the Library,
referring you to other
reading rooms as necessary.
One of the best ways to
connect with the librarians
and staff here is through our
free Ask a Librarian service.
This email based service is
available to anyone anywhere.
To get started, just
head to Ask.LOC.gov
or select Ask a General
Question.
To send a question to one of our
reading rooms or specialists,
select the Ask a Specialist tab
and choose a reading
room from the list.
Also on Ask.LOC.gov, we offer
live chat with our librarians 12
to 4 Monday through Friday.
You can find the links
to our research guides
and video tutorials, as well
as research orientations
like the one today.
We answer all manner of
questions via this service,
but you can also use
it to ask for help
with something specific,
or to request an online
research consultation
or orientation for
you or a group.
Many of the resources
and research strategies
that I've shared with
you today can be found
on the LGBTQ studies resource
guide that we shared earlier.
So I would encourage
you to explore it,
especially the research
by subject
and research by format tabs.
I keep this resource updated
as I continue to discover
and acquire materials
for the Library.
I hope this presentation
has encouraged you
to start exploring
LGBTQ history.
If you want help to get started
exploring our collections,
head to LOC.gov/RR
or LOC.gov/visit,
or ask us a question
at Ask.LOC.gov.
That concludes my presentation
portion for this evening.
Thank you so much for
everyone who attended.
And I'm ready to take questions!
>> Thank you so much for
a great presentation.
We do have a handful of
questions in the Q&A.
And I would remind
anyone who's listening,
if you have any questions,
please feel free
to post them in the Q&A.
Which you can find at the
bottom of your screen.
So the first question
is were you surprised
by how much material you
found in the collection?
And does any state or
do any states stand
out in their reporting
of LGBTQIA+ materials
in newspapers?
>> Megan Metcalf: Wow,
I love this question.
Yes, I was surprised.
And because, you know, I have
both a bachelors and a masters
in gender studies and I had
never had a chance to kind
of turn that lens
onto the collection.
And I will say it was sort of
a number of gradual surprises
in the sense that when you are
working with the collections
of the world's largest library,
it's going to take
you a very long time
to figure out what's here.
So there were a lot of fun
surprises along the way.
For example, I found a
signed Allison Bechdel book
in the stacks just hanging
out, which she's very,
very famous lesbian
comic artist.
And I will say, so for
newspapers, in terms of states,
when I look at the
state by state level,
generally I can find
something from every state.
But what's interesting is that
the tone is very different.
So, we-- you know, we're
looking at the story earlier
of the trans man in Milwaukee,
and it's very interesting to see
that the authorities there seem
to understand that Ralph lived
as a man and was a man and they
seemed to sort of accept that.
Whereas other states, that
was very much not the case.
So you can learn a lot
about local, state,
and federal politics
through the newspapers.
So I don't think there's one
state that stands out right now.
I will say I was surprised
to see how many German
materials there were.
We do have a very large
German collection here,
and they're sort of foundational
in the area of LGBTQ studies.
And I was absolutely
just astonished.
I feel like I'm spending
too much time
on one question, though.
Sorry. Nerd stuff.
>> No, that's-- I
think that's great.
So we have another question.
Kind of relates to the
collections themselves.
So if there's a website
that we think should be part
of the web archive, i.e.,
a queer archive that's not
yet listed, how can we reach
out to suggest adding it?
>> Megan Metcalf:
Oh, I love that.
So you can always make
suggestions via Ask a Librarian.
I've gotten a lot of
suggestions there.
Of course, you can
also email me directly.
One thing to note is that
the sites that you see
on the public facing
side are all sites
that I've been capturing
for a year
or more before they're
allowed to go
into that public
facing collection.
So, I'm working on getting a
spreadsheet of all the sites
that are not public facing
and maybe putting
it on the lib guide.
Because for the 300
sites that are there,
there's several hundred more
sites that are in the collection
but not live on the website yet.
So the long answer, long, email
me or just ask a librarian.
>> Great. So what LGBTQIA
collections are in rare book
in addition to the
materials that were originally
in the Delta collection?
>> Megan Metcalf: Oh, they
have so many great collections.
They have a lot of
first editions.
So, I almost fainted when they
let me hold the first edition
of The Well of Loneliness
by Radclyffe Hall.
I had never seen that before.
So they have just a
phenomenal collection.
They also have their
artist books collection,
which has a number of
queer items in there.
They have, I forget
what the name of--
the Gene Berry collection
is also full
of great LGBTQ materials.
And they have very,
very knowledgeable
staff in this area.
So I would definitely
encourage you to reach
out to the folks in rare books.
And they also have
research guides as well.
So I don't think they
have one on LGBTQ yet,
but you can certainly find
a list of their collections.
>> Great. So, since
it's often referred
to as the invisible orientation,
a participant is wondering
if you have found material
that deals with asexuality.
I know that the terminology's
more recent,
but I would really love to
know that I have some notable
or historical aces in my corner.
>> Megan Metcalf: Oh, yeah.
I love this question.
So, we actually-- something
kind of fun along these lines is
that we were actually able
to share the Asexual
Manifesto that had been lost.
And somebody on Twitter
said where did this go?
And librarians kind of put their
heads together and realized
that it had actually
been digitized
because we provide
access to many databases
in this-- on this subject.
And one of them is the archives
of sexuality and gender.
Which includes a lot of
materials on like asexuality
and organizing around it.
We also have asexuality
as a subject heading.
So if you search that in a
catalogue, it should link you
to relevant materials.
And then of course, there's
also historical terms,
which I probably want to
reference in secondary text
and see what search terms
they're using for whatever era
of time that you're looking at.
That's a great question.
>> So we also have a question
about whether the Library
includes media in video
and television broadcasts?
>> Megan Metcalf: Yes.
Yes, yes, yes.
Millions. So, we actually have
an entire facility in Culpeper,
VA just for our motion
picture and film.
So we have the motion
picture reading room,
as well as recorded sound.
And they have all the way
from the earliest
films to present day.
They-- and in recorded
sound, they even have
like wax cylinders and different
recording technologies before,
you know, the mediums
we know today.
So they're actually
really, really cool.
Really, really cool.
>> Okay. So are there materials
about LGBTQIA+ individuals
from around the world?
>> Megan Metcalf: Yes.
So we collect in
over 460 languages.
And we have our areas
studies reading rooms.
So we have the Asian reading
room, the Hispanic reading room,
the European reading
room, and the African
and Middle East reading room,
and all of those reading rooms
have relevant collections.
But also language experts.
Because one thing I can't do is
search in a foreign language.
So I've definitely
leaned on them.
Especially when I'm interested
in adding foreign language
sites to the web archives.
Or I'm trying to do
collection development.
We definitely worked
very closely
with our international
collections.
>> And kind of a
follow-up question to that,
is there a timeline to refer
to as to what was going
on simultaneously in countries
around the world or just
in the United States in
terms of like LGBTQ history?
>> Megan Metcalf: That's great.
We don't have one
here at the Library.
But that would be
a great resource.
Maybe I got to get
to work on that.
>> So, here's where we test your
knowledge of the Library itself.
How many of the Library's
holdings are online so far?
>> Megan Metcalf:
Oh, that's great.
It's hard to describe because
for every item that's online,
there's just millions
and millions of pages
that can't be digitized
for many reasons.
So, we put up as much
as we can, but for--
because we are the
home of US copyright,
if something is protected
by copyright,
we cannot digitize that.
So, I don't know what
percentage it is,
but it's changing every day.
I'm not a numbers person, I'm
better with words, but I do know
that we are vigorously
digitizing
and in fact the Anna
E. Dickinson papers
that I shared earlier went
through a crowd transcription
process
so that those files
will be more accessible.
So, more every day.
>> And another question
about the Library.
So in the modern era, we
have so much published online
and through multiple formats.
How do you know what the
Library should collect
and do you seek out
rare materials?
What are your or the
Library's criteria?
>> Megan Metcalf: Great!
So, we actually shared the
link a little bit earlier
in the presentation to the
collection policy statement.
That took four years to write.
With me at the head
of the committee.
And get approved.
And the collection
policy statements,
we have these in every area.
And what that does is it's a
major review and assessment
of what the Library has
and what it should have.
And so the collection
priorities are set by me,
the recommending officer.
And my background is in
women's and gender studies.
And I also have my
master's in library science.
And that's where I
learned to do that.
>> Awesome.
Okay. So, now we just have a
question about the presentation.
Can the PowerPoint be
sent to viewers via email?
It's so interesting, and
I want to be able to look
at all the references later on.
>> Megan Metcalf: Oh-- I
mean I can send it out.
Sure. And it will be-- we
will post this as well.
This will also be posted.
And also, most of the things
that I've shared today
are linked on that guide.
And if you are confused at
any point, please reach out.
Because I hope that you can
tell how enthusiastic I am
about this.
It's my life's work,
it's my passion,
and I'm very much looking
forward to connecting
with people who care
about this stuff, too.
So please get in touch.
>> And the other thing is
since the Library is reopening,
we have a comment that
we should mention some
of the subscription databases
that you can only access onsite
at the Library and that
make a trip to the Library,
aside from just the
beautiful architecture
and the amazing people,
worth the trip.
>> Megan Metcalf: Okay, so I'm
not going to bore you too much
with librarian jargon.
But I will say that most
of LGBTQ historical collections
have historically been not
in libraries and archives,
but in independent queer
community archives.
Now we have recently bought
a database, the archives
of sexuality and gender,
that went around to those little
community archives, like the--
well some of them are
bigger than others.
Like the Lesbian
Herstory Archives
and One out in California.
And they digitized
all of these--
it's millions and millions
and millions of pages
of primary source materials of
queer history from every state,
every part of the world.
And these databases you can
only use at the Library.
So if you want to
come and search them,
I would definitely
encourage you to do that.
Or just sit outside and
use our WiFi and get
on some of these databases.
So, if you want to see
the list of our databases,
I have them linked on
the resource guide.
We also have a list
on eResources.LOC.gov.
And I have curated a
list of LGBTQ databases.
>> Great. Are there any books
or articles for younger learners
about LGBTQIA+ and their
parents and guardians?
>> Megan Metcalf: I actually
get this question a lot.
And based on the age of
the child, or the topic
that they're interested in,
I'll usually just send a list
of things I know are good.
Or things I know have
been well reviewed.
However, our education outreach
team did just put together a
primary source set
for like teachers
and educators on LGBTQIA.
And I don't have
that link handy,
but I can definitely make
sure that's up on the guide.
They are definitely working more
on sort of the younger readers.
But it's a little tricky
because some states,
that's part of the curriculum,
and in some states
it's the opposite.
So, I do know that DCPL
in DC has a really
robust LGBTQ program.
And they have put together
a lot of resources as well.
So if you're local to DC, you
might want to check out that.
>> Great. What is your
favorite item in the collection?
>> Megan Metcalf: Oh my gosh.
Oh my goodness gracious.
Ugh. Okay.
Well, this is really nerdy.
But there is this item
called Checklist 1960
and it was put together
by Barbara Greer,
who was a lesbian librarian
who edited The Ladder
for a long time.
And was just, as Barbara
Giddings called her,
a mad, mad bookworm.
When I found this
at the Library,
I had never seen it before.
I had never heard of it before.
And basically what it was,
was published in 1960 a list
of lesbian books
and with reviews.
And so I'm sort of-- I'm
attached to that sort of--
you could see that
it was mimeographed,
you could see that
it was handmade.
And somehow, we have
it here at the Library.
So I'm very attached to like
early zines that I find.
And of course, also
the early trans
and gender non-conforming
periodicals that I found,
especially the ones that are
in a foreign language
I would say are--
they're tied for first.
>> Great. Well if there
are no other questions,
I want to thank you so much
for an amazing presentation.
If you want to ask any
questions, you can always reach
out to librarians using Ask
a Librarian at Ask.LOC.gov.
Or you can reach directly out
to Megan at her email address,
which is on the screen
right now.
Thank you so much
for joining us.
There are additional
LGBTQIA Pride month resources
that I have put in the chat,
which includes, you know,
all sorts of collections
that we have put together
in one location for
your reading pleasure.
I wish you all a
wonderful Pride.
And a great evening.
>> Happy Pride!