Located near Ryerson University, the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (CLGA) is the largest independent LGBTQ* archives in the world. In 2015 a team that included 2 librarians and an archivist from Ryerson University Library and Archives (RULA) received a Teaching About Diversity Fund from Ryerson. They then began to collaborate with the CLGA to develop an online educational portal about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ* ) communities and histories. This web-based resource is being used for teaching and learning at Ryerson but is also available to the broader public. Select collections from the CLGA and RULA were digitally archived into an online database that illustrates the stories of the LGBTQ* liberation movement, primarily in Toronto, but also situated within the Canadian and international context. This project provides an example of an academic library working with a community organization to support and foster community building and diversity.
Learning Outcomes
1. Best practices for establishing partnerships between your institution and a community organization
2. Promoting diveristy for teaching and learning at your institution
3. Selecting archival material for digitization and managing staff workflows
