Lilac Library

New York State’s Largest Community Center LGBTQIA+ Library Collection

We are the home of the largest publicly available LGBTQIA+ library collection of its kind in New York State. The agency’s library contains over 10,000 items including fiction, non-fiction, biographies, rare books, early homophile publications, magazines, films, music, and a complete physical run of the Empty Closet.

You can check out books!

Borrow:

  • Each item may be checked out for 3 weeks

  • Items can be renewed in person, over the phone, or by email

  • You may check out up to 5 items at a time

  • Fines may be assessed for lost materials

We have items including books, movies, and music available in our collection for you to borrow.
Come visit during open hours to get your own Lilac Library Card– getting a library card and borrowing privileges are free!

Donate

  • We welcome donations of items featuring queer content or made by queer creators

  • We do not accept duplicates at this time, please check out collection to see if we already own an item

Need to renew your items? Have questions about what can be donated to our collection? Contact us at library@gayalliance.org

Photo Credit: Natalie Fox

Browse the Collection

Stop by during open hours to browse our library collection.
Our friendly volunteers will help you find the item you are looking for or give you a recommendation to discover something new!

Photo Credit: Natalie Fox