Photo courtesy of Lucy Gellman
Photo courtesy of Lucy Gellman
The Rainbow Library Community Reads Project is an initiative that sends LGBTQ+ affirming K-12 text sets to schools and libraries across Connecticut, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington State - for free!
Request a Rainbow Library
If you are a full-time staff member at a Connecticut, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Utah, or Washington State library or school, use this form to request your Rainbow Library today! Supplies are limited, and sets are provided on a first-come, first served basis.
Among 2019 Rainbow Library recipients, 97.5% agreed that “the Rainbow Library made my school or library a safer and more inclusive place for LGBTQ+ young people.”
Visit Your State's Page
E-Books
Check our our e-Books page to access LGBTQ+ affirming K-12 e-Books through your local library.
Rainbow Library News
“The Rainbow Library Project donated over 7,500 books to schools all across the country... It was so worth the wait. The books are fantastic. Inclusivity and representation - the gift of this library really does that."
“Rashael Apuya, teen services librarian, and Crystal Hicks, collections librarian, said they wanted to create a space that fosters inclusion and safety for the LGBTQ+ young adult community. They said one way they try to create space is through the young adult queer-book collection.
"For freshman Ro Mize, having the Rainbow Library makes them feel more accepted and represented within PHS. 'I like being able to see myself in a character in a book. A lot of the time during school, I feel a little bit isolated and there’s not a lot of things that I can relate to, but I feel like I can when reading these types of books.”
“Books are a foundational tool for building reflection, empathy and curiosity,” Rady says. “When reading LGBTQ texts, teachers can have classroom conversations that promote deeper understanding and affirm kids’ self-worth.”
“Patrick Dunn, executive director of the New Haven Pride Center, said he has been excited to be [a Rainbow Library] partner. 'I think it’s a brilliant, brilliant idea,' he said. 'It can literally save a kid’s life.'"
"GLSEN Connecticut, which supports making K-12 schools safe and inclusive for LGBTQ students, is leading a “Rainbow Library” initiative, which would give books for various reading levels with LGBTQ characters and themes to 114 school libraries in the state."