Contact: Katie Cerqua, kcerqua@vbgov.com
Type of Initiative: Inclusion/Tolerance 
Community Partners: Cox High School Gay-Straight Alliance, Virginia Beach City Public Schools 

Description: 

Library Attends Cox High School "Love is Love" Event

Youth librarians Matt Haddox and Great Neck Librarian Matt Lighthart represented Virginia Beach Public Library at the Cox High School Gay-Straight Alliance event, "Love is Love," on Monday, Jan. 30. They spoke to about 300 teens and adults, sharing the message that libraries are for everyone. They provided information about library resources, including LGBTQ titles, volunteer opportunities, availability of e-books and other digital media. In addition to library card applications, they provided buttons that said, "Don't judge a book by its cover," and gave attendees free LGBTQ books to keep. Event attendees were happy to discover that the public library has LGBTQ materials and provides a wide variety of materials with diverse viewpoints.