Earlier this week the Boston Public Library (BPL) announced that it had received a $1M bequest from Howard Cooper, a former resident of Dorchester.
The bequest will provide immediate-use funding to expand the current LGBTQ+ circulating collection, hire a researcher to review the Library’s historic collections for LGBTQ+ materials and hire an intern to work specifically on LGBTQ+ community history as part of the Boston Community History Project.
At a time when many communities are closing public libraries, banning books that share the stories of LGBTQ+, and threatening violence at story hours read by drag queens, this is welcome news. Perhaps it also should serve as a reminder to our community, how much of a bubble we all live.
I’m very thankful for the generous donation of the late Howard Cooper and the many others who value the role of public libraries, librarians, and those who encourage the pursuit of knowledge and learning through reading books.
BosGuy 