A love letter to libraries

What a privilege it was to be invited to the event hosted by the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities at State Library Victoria last month.

The stories shared by Jasper Peach, Sam Elkin, Carolyn D’Cruz and Anastasia Le about the impact libraries have had on their lives affirmed the love I have for my profession and filled my heart with joy. The panel discussion between Dr Todd Fernando, Jane Cowell and Dr Angela Savage was chock-full of soundbites and quotable phrases I wish I had captured —but their sentiments about libraries championing democracy, the drive for librarians and their communities to overwhelm hate with love, and how libraries have the power not only to change lives but save them, resonated strongly with the room — my peers and mentors, other ‘important queers’, and our allies.

As I walked home, feeling proud in my rainbow Libraries Change Lives t-shirt, I reflected on the love letters and stories shared, wondering what my love letter would sound like. It’s not a unique one, and I’ve held off sharing it for a few weeks, but here goes.

I started school in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, surrounded by a rich diversity of cultures. I absolutely loved Harmony Week because it meant I could try all sorts of new and amazing food we didn’t have at home. My contribution to the event was always a plate of scones (“because…