UW-Parkside Library Shows Its Pride with New Display and LGBTQ+ Collection

June is Pride Month, a month dedicated to recognizing the history, achievements and ongoing inequities faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and others within the LGBTQ+ community. In honor of Pride Month, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Library invites the campus community to explore its LGBTQ+ collection. 

The collection was curated by UW-Parkside Parkside Librarian Laura Briskie, and cataloged by Dina Kaye, head of Library Collections.  While the library has LGBTQ+ resources available every day, the goal is to draw special attention to the materials this month to highlight LGBTQ+ voices.

Digital collections of resources “formed around a theme like LGBTQ+” allows users to browse large amounts of information, “scattered across fiction and non-fiction and various academic areas, created for various audiences, and produced in multiple formats— all in one location,” said Anna Stadick, UW-Parkside Library Director.  

“Librarians have created themed collections of new books, Racine and Kenosha history resources, Own Voice narratives, video games, and more,” Stadick said.  “We can also make dedicated collections for individual classes, so students have an accessible wealth of library resources.  

In addition to its LBTQ+ collection, the Library is featuring a Pride Month display that includes books, music, movies and video games by or about LGBTQ+ members with the aim of educating audiences on the LGBTQ+ community.  The display, which features a Pride Month banner and buttons, was designed by UW-Parkside student Olivia Weippert.    

 “My goal for this banner is to provide representation for LGBTQ+ members by incorporating all colors of the flag,” Weippert said. “I specifically wanted to uplift underrepresented members of our community. The items chosen for the display work to continue this representation by providing materials for representation and education.”