Gerber Hart Library and Archives

Gerber Hart Library and Archives Gerber/Hart is an LGBTQ library and archives - one of the largest such organizations in the United States.

02/2021 - Gerber/Hart is resuming its regular hours of operation for walk-in patrons and for viewing exhibits. Researchers (those making use of archives collections, periodicals, or items from Special Collections) should still make appointments by emailing [email protected]. Hours of operation are Wednesdays and Thursday 6-9 p.m., Fridays 12 noon-4 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Gerber/Ha

rt Library and Archives was founded in 1981 to be a depository for the records of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-identified (LGBTQ) individuals and organizations, and for other resources bearing upon their lives and experiences in American society. Gerber/Hart Library and Archives has since grown into being the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ circulating library with over 14,000 volumes, 800 periodical titles, and 100 archival collections. Hosting various programs and events that support its beliefs that knowledge is the key to dispelling homophobia and that affirming information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons is critical to fostering pride and self confidence, Gerber/Hart Library and Archives seeks to not only preserve and protect items of LGBT individuals and organizations, but to be a conduit for change. Recently relocated in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Gerber/Hart Library and Archives serves the research and recreational reading needs of the Chicago metro area and the Midwest, and through participation in the Interlibrary Loan program, people throughout the U.S.

It’s September! Here’s where you can find Ge**er/Hart this month!On Thursday 9/10 stop by Ge**er/Hart for a beautiful ev...
09/01/2026

It’s September! Here’s where you can find Ge**er/Hart this month!
On Thursday 9/10 stop by Ge**er/Hart for a beautiful event about poetry and archival discovery with Elizabeth Hoover and Noa Micaela Fields - copies of both poet’s books will be available for sale from Women & Children First! (Elizabeth Hoover Noa Fields Women & Children First)
Saturday 9/12 join Ace Book Club virtually or in-person at Ge**er/Hart as they discuss Nothing Wanting by KJ Cerankowski! (Kate 👔📚🤓)
Sunday 9/20 we’ll be co-presenting a beautiful short film series at Reeling Film Fest! Get your tickets to Memento Vivere at the link in our bio! (Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival 🌈)
On 9/24 come celebrate 45 years of Ge**er/Hart at the Sapphire Gayla at Rockwell on the River! Snag your tickets today and help support our next 45 years!
On 9/27 we’ll be partnering with Read & Run Chicago on their first true crime event at Haymarket House with author Gera-Lind Kolarik. Join to learn about 1980s Chicago leather culture, Uptown neighborhood history, and how Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community came together to alert each other to serial killer Larry Eyler well before he was found by the police (Read & Run Chicago™️ HaymaRead & Run Chicago™️nHaymarket House’ll be bringing materials to a screening of Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency with Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens at the Music Box Theatre! (Music Box Theatre Annie SpMusic Box TheatreeAnnie SprinkleaBeth Stephensatgerberhart

Join us at Reeling Film Festival this year!Ge**er/Hart is so excited to be co-presenting the Shorts Program: Memento Viv...
08/31/2026

Join us at Reeling Film Festival this year!
Ge**er/Hart is so excited to be co-presenting the Shorts Program: Memento Vivere on Sunday September 20th at 12:15 PM at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema.
It is important to remember, especially now, that Q***r Life is not new, it is not a fad or a phase, and it is eternal; memento vivere—remember life, remember to live. These shorts remind us where we came from and who we have to thank for our progress; our q***r ancestors and our friends.
Join us for five beautiful short films:
HERE, Q***R AND ON TV (dir. Cassandra Herrman, Kelly Whalen; U.S.) Here, Q***r, and On TV
PLENUM (dir. Charlene A. Carruthers; U.S.) Charlene A. Carruthers, PhD
THE GLORIA! PROJECT (dir. Kelly Burkhardt, Kemar Jewel; U.S.) THE GLORIA! PROJECT
ONCE UPON THREE FEMISITES (dir. Regner Ramos, Josh Anton, José Vélez-Arocho; Puerto Rico) Cüirtopia ®!(꒪ꇴ꒪|||)
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANS ELDERS (dir. Ashton Culp; Canada)
Reeling Film Festival ( ) is the second longest-running film festival of its kind, and prides itself on showcasing the best LGBTQ+ films and videos each year. Check out their full lineup and get your tickets to Memento Vivere at the link in our bio!

Wonderful visit from Chicago Women's History Center today!
08/30/2026

Wonderful visit from Chicago Women's History Center today!

Today at 1! Join Ge**er/Hart’s Play Reading Club from 1 PM – 3 PM as we read along to Last Summer at Bluefish Cove by Ja...
08/29/2026

Today at 1! Join Ge**er/Hart’s Play Reading Club from 1 PM – 3 PM as we read along to Last Summer at Bluefish Cove by Jane Chambers (1980). We’ll divvy up the roles, read aloud, and have a short discussion after.
A few copies of the script will be available for use, but please bring a phone, laptop, or other device to read the online .pdf if you can!
The elevator is located at the end of the hallway (past the Howard Brown front desk), and Ge**er/Hart’s Raffety/Tran Community Room is just outside the elevator doors through the hallway on your right.
Learn more about the play in these images or at our website!
See you soon!

Unearthing archival treasures!Volunteers Roland and Sharon are pictured here with a steamer trunk from the William B. Ke...
08/28/2026

Unearthing archival treasures!
Volunteers Roland and Sharon are pictured here with a steamer trunk from the William B. Kelley and Chen K. Ooi collection.
William B. Kelley was a pioneering gay rights activist for over 50 years. This trunk, with attached ticket from 1960, was from his early days in Chicago. Bill was an early member of Mattachine Midwest writing and editing its newsletter. In addition, he organized the first National Gay and Le***an Conference (1966), co-founded the Chicago Gay Crusader newspaper and Illinois G**s for Legislative Action (early 1970s), attended the first White House gay rights meeting (1977), co-chaired the Illinois Gay Rights Task Force (late 1970s), and co-founded the National Le***an Law Association (1988).
Bill’s collection was donated to Ge**er/Hart after his death in 2015 by his partner Chen K. Ooi. His collection contains incredible records of LGBTQ+ activism in Chicago and has served as a critically important resources to researchers. The collection is the largest in Ge**er/Hart’s archives at over 250 linear feet. Learn more about Bill Kelley and his lifetime of activism in Season 1 of our podcast Unboxing Q***r History.
Sharon will be processing these items in the coming weeks, and we can’t wait to share more treasures with visitors to Ge**er/Hart.

Save the date! We are so excited to announce Ge**er/Hart’s third Q***r History Symposium on Saturday, October 3rd, from ...
08/27/2026

Save the date! We are so excited to announce Ge**er/Hart’s third Q***r History Symposium on Saturday, October 3rd, from 9 AM to 4 PM!
Like last year, this full day symposium will highlight artists, researchers, students, and community members who have utilized Ge**er/Hart’s collections in the past year.
This year, we’ll be moving to a much larger venue: the Hoover-Leppen Theatre at the Center on Halsted!
Opening remarks from Jack Schneider, curator of “City in a Garden: Q***r Art and Activism in Chicago” from the MCA. Closing remarks by historian John D’Emilio. Panel discussions on Arts in the Archives, Archival Silences, Q***r Road Trips, and more!
Full Schedule to come soon! Tickets will go on sale next week and are limited and on a sliding scale basis. Lunch and coffee provided. We’ve sold out the last two years so make sure to pounce once tickets go on sale next week!
This project was supported by a Community Partnership Programming Blaze Grant from Center on Halsted (Center on Halsted )
More details to come soon - we can’t wait to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month with you!
***rhistorysymposium ***rhistory

We're incredibly grateful to the volunteers and board members who have been diligent supporters of Ge**er/Hart and contr...
08/26/2026

We're incredibly grateful to the volunteers and board members who have been diligent supporters of Ge**er/Hart and contribute to the legacy of 45 years! Community is the foundation of our legacy, and we’re stoked to honor two very special friends of Ge**er/Hart for their persistent contribution to our mission. Please join us in celebrating the two honorees, Carrie Barnett and Roland C Hansen!

💎Meet Awardee: Carrie Barnett first joined the Ge**er/Hart Board of Directors in 1990. Co-owner of Chicago’s erstwhile q***r bookstore, People Like Us Books, she was interested in the community’s access to q***r books. During her time on the board in the 90s, she served as treasurer and board chair. Carrie returned to the board in 2012 as part of the team that reopened the library at its current Clark Street location. She chaired the board until 2018, when she moved to Columbia, Missouri. Her proudest contributions are working with Norman Sandfield on his donation for the Sandfield Exhibition Gallery and with Chen Ooi to secure the William B. Kelley and Chen Ooi Collection for the archives. Carrie was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 1998. The Friendship and Freedom Award has historically been presented to recognize long-standing and exemplary support of the mission of Ge**er/Hart.

💙Meet the Awardee, Roland C. Hansen. He began volunteering with Ge**er/Hart in 1982, just 4 years after moving to Chicago. While volunteering at the Sheffield location, he worked on what was called The Vertical File, now known as Ephemera. When his full-time role at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago became more involved, he still stayed active with Ge**er/Hart by donating materials, attending book sales and fundraisers, and even helping move into the Paulina location. Once he retired from the Columbia College Chicago Library in 2015, Roland came back to Ge**er/Hart to volunteer. He enjoys working with the many who visit the Library and says this is the perfect extension of his Library career. The John H. Mueller Volunteer Service Award, created in 1994, recognizes volunteers for their exemplary commitment to our mission and service to our patrons.

This Saturday! Join Ge**er/Hart’s Play Reading Club from 1 PM – 3 PM as we read along to Last Summer at Bluefish Cove by...
08/24/2026

This Saturday! Join Ge**er/Hart’s Play Reading Club from 1 PM – 3 PM as we read along to Last Summer at Bluefish Cove by Jane Chambers (1980). We’ll divvy up the roles, read aloud, and have a short discussion after.
A few copies of the script will be available for use, but please bring a phone, laptop, or other device to read the online .pdf if you can!
The elevator is located at the end of the hallway (past the Howard Brown front desk), and Ge**er/Hart’s Raffety/Tran Community Room is just outside the elevator doors through the hallway on your right.
Learn more about the play in these images or at our website!
See you Saturday!

Tomorrow! Join us at Ge**er/Hart at 1 PM to celebrate historian John D’Emilio’s newest book, Making Gay History: Memoir ...
08/21/2026

Tomorrow! Join us at Ge**er/Hart at 1 PM to celebrate historian John D’Emilio’s newest book, Making Gay History: Memoir of a Scholar-Activist.
Copies of the book will be available for sale at the event from Women & Children First Books.
Making Gay History recounts John D’Emilio’s career as a public historian, activist, and academic. Tracing his involvement in developing LGBTQ history from the 1970s to the 1990s, D’Emilio paints a q***r history both personal and national that helps us understand how the LGBTQ movement has grown.
A pioneer in the field of LGBTQ history and the history of sexuality, John D’Emilio is the author of several books, including Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America; Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940-70; and Memories of a Gay Catholic Boyhood: Coming of Age in the Sixties. He has served twice as president of the board of Ge**er/Hart Library and Archives, and his book, Q***r Legacies: Stories from Chicago’s LGBTQ Archives, is based entirely on research in Ge**er/Hart’s collections.
See you tomorrow (8/22) at Ge**er/Hart!
Women & Children First

Address

Chicago, IL

Opening Hours

Wednesday 6pm - 9pm
Thursday 6pm - 9pm
Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+17733818030

Website

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