In October 2022, Illinois State senior Noah Virklan saw both an opportunity and an imperative to reach out to LGBTQIA2S+ students. Incidents of homophobia on campus and in the surrounding community, combined with rising anti-LGBTQIA2S+ violence and political backlash across the country, were causing many students to seek community at Illinois State. Though the University addressed these issues, many found the initial response wanting. Virklan sought to use his campus connections to speak directly to those affected. “Students were marching on campus and rallying on social media,” Virklan said, “and though faculty and staff were supportive of those efforts, campus-wide messaging needed to be stronger.”
Virklan, who serves as student representative on Milner Library’s Library Council, knew that Milner had resources to help. Students had used the library’s Make It Space to create buttons to wear during the demonstrations on campus, and the Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives planned to hold footage of the march. “It was blindingly obvious that the library was one of the safest places on campus,” he said. “But I wanted to also address some of the deeper psychological issues that these events caused.”
Virklan submitted a proposal for a book display featuring real stories—predominantly essays and memoirs—authored by members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Working with Special Collections Librarian and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Liaison Rebecca Fitzsimmons and Digitization Coordinator Karmine Beecroft, Virklan selected 40 titles, including 10 digital titles available as e-books, to comprise the display. “I saw this as both an opportunity to express solidarity and to let students know about these resources,” Virklan said. In the first week of the display being available, five of the titles were checked out, which Virklan sees as indicative of the need for these types of materials. “This represents a larger symbol within the community,” Virklan said, “and if anything, we know that if we do this again, we can go even further next time.”
The display is featured on Milner Library’s fifth floor. In addition to the display, Milner Library is committed to connecting the Illinois State University community with diverse, inclusive, and reliable resources—both inside and outside the library. Milner’s LGBTQIA2S+ topic guide facilitates access to these resources and provides support, awareness, and advocacy.
For more information about Milner Library’s resources, spaces, and events, visit Library.IllinoisState.edu.
