LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — The Edith Garland Dupré Library at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) has received a grant that will be used to expand its collection of books, artifacts, manuscripts, and oral histories that reflect Louisiana’s LGBTQ+ community, according to a press release.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) $10,000 grant was awarded as part of the American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries. The American Library Association (ALA) initiative is funded by the NEH and serves the purpose of helping libraries during the pandemic.
“Libraries have faced significant hardships throughout the pandemic – from budget cuts to staff furloughs to building closures – especially in our communities of the greatest need,” said ALA President Patty Wong. “This crucial support from NEH will enable our beloved institutions, and the dedicated people who run them, to rebuild and emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.”
Grants were awarded to 200 libraries across the country, including public, university, and K-12 libraries. The Edith Garland Dupré Library will use the grant to fund “Queering the Collection: Expanding and Archiving LGBTQ+ History in Southwest Louisiana.”
Zachary Stein, head of Special Collections at the library, and Dr. Marissa Petrou, an assistant professor of history and director of UL Lafayette’s Guilbeau Center for Public History, will lead the project.
The library will increase its holdings, providing resources for faculty members and students. That includes students pursuing the University’s minor in gender and sexuality studies and the Department of History, Geography, and Philosophy’s graduate concentration in public history. The expanded collection – and guest lectures – will also assist University scholars and the public in conducting research on LGBTQ+ history in the state.
Learn more about the NEH-funded grants for libraries.