The main library at Western University isn’t known for its purple sofas and funky art work. But they’re there, at the back on the main floor, inside a unique library space that’s reopened after a four-year hiatus.
The Pride Library, which houses thousands of books on queer literature, is Canada’s only library dedicated to queer theory and literature. It closed in 2019 for renovations and stayed shuttered during the pandemic.
“This is a space of history and recollection, but also of forward-looking, global thinking, around queer issues,” said James Miller, founder of The Pride Library and professor emeritus of languages and cultures.
The Pride Library began in 1990 when Miller was teaching a gay and lesbian course at Western University and noticed that the school’s collection on queer literature was sparse.
He donated 60 volumes from his personal collection as a resource for his students. Today, there are more than 15,000 books at The Pride Library in 18 different languages ranging from Arabic to Thai.
With its quirky posters and comfortable setup, The Pride Library was a popular hangout spot for students pre-pandemic, according to Miller, who hopes they’ll be back now that the doors are open again.
He added that seeing students being carefree in a queer-positive space would’ve been unfathomable back in the 70s and 80s, when he was a professor.
“One of the things that really pleased me about the way The Pride Library was working socially, was that students would come in and sit in here and do their organic chemistry homework and feel perfectly at ease.” Miller said.
Since the library re-opened last Thursday, Jacquelyn Watton, a library assistant has been in and out, picking up theoretical books on queer theory and history for students.
“This library means so much to me. It’s just a place where people can gather,” said Watton. “Personally, I found some books that are important to me as well.”
So far, the plush purple sofas and velvet chairs have remained largely untouched, Watton said they will be discovered again and trusts students will be back to use it as a hangout spot.
“I look forward to [seeing] people, especially the people that came up to the desk every day to ask about how they can get in and when [the Pride Library] is going to open.”