Once Upon a Time Books on Homosexuality were Locked Up at the Library

If staff even bothered to purchase them in the first place.



Gay pride celebrations to include decades of history in Rochester.  (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 7/18/2013)

Excerpt:    In high school, Sandy Maddicks, now 73, went to the library to look up homosexuality. She handed the librarian the numbers of the books she was looking for. 

“She told me, ‘I’m sorry, those books are locked up,’ ” she said. “Where do you go? It really wasn’t spoken about.” 

A lot has changed over Maddicks’ lifetime. And as the Rochester lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community prepares to celebrate gay pride this weekend, a special emphasis is being placed on examining that change.

Monroe County Library System