History

NJLA Executive Board was petitioned in early 1995 by members interested in gay and lesbian issues in libraries around the state. The Lesbian and Gay Round Table was approved by the Board and became official as of April 1995.

Goals

• To promote fair treatment of gay and lesbian library staff and clients, including enforcement of the NJ antidiscrimination law, advocacy for domestic partner benefits for library employees, and advocacy for library services for the gay and lesbian residents of New Jersey.
• To help NJ librarians develop their collections in all media through informational programs and materials focused on gay and lesbian experiences.
• To campaign for better access to gay and lesbian materials through subject-heading reform at local and national levels.
• To foster informational exhibits and programming in libraries devoted to gay and lesbian topics.
• To aid communication and networking among colleagues working on gay and lesbian issues and topics in the library world

Activities

Upcoming Projects

• Cooperative projects with the New Jersey Gay and Lesbian Archives
• Sponsoring Leslea Newman as a keynote speaker at the 2001 EMA conference
• Sponsoring M.E. Kerr as a keynote speaker at the 2001 NJLA conference

For more information contact: in Central Jersey - Valerie Mead, in North Jersey - Marijah Sroczynski, in South Jersey - Kathy Anderson . To join the NJLA Lesbian and Gay Round Table, contact the NJLA office at 609-394-8164.