Oak Park Library's pioneering effort gets national nod

[Shana A]

Oak Park Library's pioneering effort gets national nod

http://www.wednesdayjournalonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=10&ArticleID=16716

The Oak Park Public Library recently won a national award for its transgender materials, a specialty collection that's a first in the U.S.

The Gordon M. Conable Award is given out each year by the Public Library Association, acknowledging an individual or public library that, according to the association, has "demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights."

With the award, announced Feb. 2, the library will get a plaque and a check for $1,500. They'll use the money to further build the collection, and to raise awareness about it.

[Julie Marie]

Bleue attended the January Illinois Gender Advocates meeting in Oak Park.  She spoke about the collection, encouraged us to come and passed out information about the collection.  Oak Park is pretty progressive and has the largest LGBT population percentage outside Chicago.