One of the greatest barriers traditionally faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons is access to accurate and reliable information about our own lives. Born into predominately heterosexual families, many of whom are still intolerant or unknowing about sexual orientation and gender identity, we have to seek information and support from our other "family," the community of people who share our identity and experience.

Fortunately, during the last twenty years there has been tremendous growth in the numbers and kinds of publications available that document our real lives, argue our politics, reclaim our history, and help us to understand who we are.

Recognizing how vitally important this information is to our community, the Out & Affirmation Center maintains the largest single collection of LGBT books and other information resources in Berrien County. In addition to hundreds of donations and loans from members of our local community, the Arcus Foundation of Kalamazoo awarded us a generous grant in 2005 to help make our library into a sizeable, relevant, and useful set of resources.

Our materials are available to the public free of charge, and we allow local community members to check out items for two weeks at a time with renewals if needed. Recognizing that some folks still may not be free to carry around or hold these materials at home where others might see them, we also provide a quiet and comfortable reading space at the Center and we can hold books in reserve for multiple reading sessions. We also have equipment available for viewing videos and DVDs here at the Center.

Also, recognizing that books aren't cheap and that finances can be tight for members of our community, we welcome your requests for us to obtain materials that we don't already have. We believe that one of the best ways to learn which materials are most important to the community is to hear from you directly. Let us know, and we'll do our best to locate what you want to read.