After a two-year closure, the Out on the Shelf (OOTS) library is reopening at last.
The organization, which aims to provide a safe space for queer and trans community members and their allies, announced Tuesday their library would be reopening Nov. 20, 2022, kicking off with a free open house.
They were forced to close the doors of the library in March of 2020 due to the “great challenges” brought on by the pandemic, such as “ever-changing quarantining guidelines and recommendations, volunteer capacity and availability often changes significantly from one month to the next,” they said in a news release.
OOTS chair Barry Moore said it’s taken “a lot of work” to get it going again, and they’re excited to finally see it happen.
“Having a space, especially downtown, that is specifically for queer people that we’re using regularly is what’s really important about (the library),” Moore said. “We don’t necessarily have a space like that otherwise.”
Their collection houses over 2,000 multimedia pieces, ranging from documentaries to children’s books, and all focused on queer community and history. The space is used not only as a resource, but as a place to socialize and hold events, with over 130 active members and about 30 volunteers.
However, Moore said they’re hoping the reopening will help them bring in even more volunteers so they can extend their hours.
“So we might start with a more limited schedule, maybe two days a week at first, and work our way up to a more full schedule,” as they get more volunteers, he said.
The open house starts at 2:30 p.m. on the second floor of 10C Shared Space at 42 Carden St.
It will include special guests as well as workshops and activities, which will be available for sign-up in the coming weeks. It will be followed by a Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil hosted by OOTS, Guelph Queer Equality and HIV/AIDS Resources and Community Health.
More information including library hours will be available in the coming weeks as well. For updates, you can follow OOTS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
