Rainbow Book Month™
June is Rainbow Book Month™
Rainbow Book Month™ is a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, genderqueer, queer, intersex, agender, and asexual community. Originally established in the early 1990s by The Publishing Triangle as National Lesbian and Gay Book Month, this occasion is an opportunity for book lovers and libraries with the very best in LGBTQIA+ literature.
At a time when books by and about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals are under siege and library workers are facing threats and harassment for serving these communities, Rainbow Book Month has never been more important. If your library is experiencing challenges to materials and programs serving the LGBTQIA+ community, please contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom to report censorship and receive free confidential support. ALA's Fight Censorship page provides resources to prepare for and respond to challenges to library books, materials, and services.
Rainbow Book Month™ is an initiative of the American Library Association, and is coordinated through its Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services and the Rainbow Round Table.
Customizable Publicity Materials and Templates
Get the word out in your community about Rainbow Book Month™ and your library's celebrations! ALA has developed these free, customizable publicity templates that are ready for your library to adapt and submit to your local media.
Rainbow Book Month Social Media Graphics
Share how your institution is celebrating Rainbow Book Month™ with the following social media graphics, and use #RainbowBookMonth to join the conversation!
For Our Libraries Pride Social Media Graphics
LGBTQIA+ Book Awards and Bibliographies from ALA
The American Library Association supports LGBTQIA+ literature through the Stonewall Book Awards (in Children's and Young Adult, Non-Fiction, and Literature categories), as well as two bibliographies including the Rainbow Book List and Over the Rainbow Book List. These awards and lists serve to recognize the very best in contemporary literature and serve as invaluable tools for building quality LGBTQIA+ collections.
- Stonewall Book Awards - The first and longest-enduring award for LGBTQIA+ literature
- Rainbow Book List - LGBTQIA+ Books for Kids and Teens
- Over the Rainbow Book List - LGBTQIA+ Books for Adult Readers
Tools for Library Workers
Holding a book discussion or programming this June in honor of Rainbow Book Month™? Authors, publishers, school districts, reading organizations, and even the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund have put time and effort into creating reading guides specifically for book discussions. ALA has also created several resources around best practices for community-informed programming. Below are several tools which can be used on their own or as jumping off points.
- Open to All: Serving the LGBTQIA+ Community in Your Library (PDF)
- Libraries Respond: Services to LGBTQ+ People
- Libraries Respond: Drag Queen Story Hour
- Hateful Conduct in Libraries: Supporting Library Workers and Patrons (January 2019)
- Are you ready to celebrate Rainbow Book Month? [YouTube Video] (May 2021)
Inquiries
For general information, please contact:
For media inquiries, please contact the American Library Association Communications, Marketing & Media Relations Office. cmomedia@ala.org.
