Frequently Asked Questions

The QT Library is a brick-and-mortar LGBTQIA+ lending library and sober community space for all ages coming to Boston, MA in June 2024. Just like a public library, the QT Library will be a warm and welcoming physical space where our community can gather around shared interests and free resources.

The Q stands for Queer and the T stands for Trans. We're here to serve, support, and celebrate the queer and trans community — our community!

Also, QT looks like “quiet” and sounds like “cutie,” which is, ya know, great.

While all are welcome at the QT Library, we’re focused on providing resources to the queer and trans community of Boston and beyond. To that end, the resources we provide will be authored by and curated by members of the queer and trans community, with foundational commitments to abolition, intersectionality, and accessibility grounding our curatorial and programmatic practice. We're aiming to serve patrons of all ages and identities, including families (both inherited and chosen), queer and trans parents, queer and trans elders, queer and trans youth, those seeking family, or those aiming to deepen or repair existing family relationships.

Here’s the easiest, simplest version of an answer to that big, big question:

1. Raise a lot of money — $50,000 to start!

2. Rent a space in a Boston area neighborhood.

3. Work with the community to fill the space with everything it needs: Books! Plants! A coffee machine! Computers! Cozy places to sit!

4. Hire an all-star staff of well-paid community members with great benefits.

5. OPEN! THE! DOORS!

We don’t know yet – but what we do know is this:

We’re looking to rent or buy commercial space in Boston proper.

We want to ensure that the library is public transit and pedestrian accessible, enriches the civic wellbeing of the local community, does not contribute to the displacement of current neighborhood residents, and is, of course, safe for our queer and trans community members to access.

We are striving for a Boston placement where all feel enthusiastic to show up as their full selves, so we are waiting to declare a specific location until we are confident that all will feel embraced in the space.

If you would like to connect with us about free or low-cost space rental opportunities in Boston, please reach out.

While we don’t have a building yet, it’ll be fully physically accessible when we open. This is foundational to our vision for the space, and we see accessibility as an imperative and all-encompassing core value.

Accessibility to us means:

• COVID precautions (including masking requirements, strict cleaning protocols, top-of-the-line air filtration, and limited-capacity hours) in line with community expectations and public health standards

• physical accessibility centered in all space design decisions

• no police presence (we keep us safe!)

• no tolerance of harassment, abuse, or bigotry of any kind (including bystander and de-escalation training for staff, volunteers, and the community)

• designated “quiet spaces”

• an accessible website and virtual presence

• ongoing accessibility reviews for all programs and practices

We’ll be accruing funds through a combination of individual donations, foundation grants, government grants, and values-aligned business partnerships.

We are committed to keeping our doors open to all and to eliminate any and all barriers to entry, access, and participation, including financial. Our programs will be free or pay-what-you-can and our lending library will not charge membership or late fees.

We would be so grateful if you could make a contribution of any size to the QT Library or buy us a book on Bookshop.org.

We’re also looking for creative & unorthodox funding strategies and solutions. If you would like to support us in our fundraising endeavors by making a connection to a potential funder or in-kind donor, please contact us at hello@qtlibrary.org.