91´«Ã½

CHICAGO – The 91´«Ã½’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) announced the Open Book Library (Bibliothèque à livres ouverts) at the Community Centre for Gay and Lesbians of Montreal as the second recipient of the Newlen-Symons Award for Excellence in Serving the GLBT Community.



The award was established to honor a library, librarian, library staff member, library board and/or library friends groups who serve the GLBT community. Nominees are judged based on innovation, impact, sustainability and advocacy.



"It is our distinct honor to award the Newlen-Symons Award to the Open Book Library," said GLBTRT Chair Deb Sica. "The tremendous efforts put forth to make GLBT materials available without being hindered by limited resources is something to be commended."



The Open Book Library was selected because of its vast volunteer program, community outreach, as well as the depth of its collection and services. Founded in 1991, the Open Book Library is staffed mainly by volunteers and serves the French and English speaking population of Montreal.



“It is with great honour and humility that we accept the Newlen-Symons Award for Excellence in Serving the GLBT Community," said Christian Tanquay, general director. " In those times of darkness and uncertainty following the American elections, we know how important LGBTQ-specialized libraries are for the LGBTQ communities, providing a safe haven for each and everyone. We will continue to hope and proudly serve our amazing communities, no matter what lies ahead.“

The Newlen-Symons Award for Excellence in Serving the GLBT Community will be presented on Monday, June 26, 2017, during the Stonewall Book Awards program at the 91´«Ã½ Annual Conference in Chicago

The award is funded by and named after Robert R. Newlen, Deputy Librarian of Congress John W. and Ann K. Symons. Ann Symons is past-president and treasurer of the 91´«Ã½ and the a past chair of GLBTRT.

To learn more about GLBTRT Awards, please visit

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table of the 91´«Ã½ is the oldest professional association for GLBT people in the United States. It is committed to serving the information needs of the GLBT professional library community and information and access needs of individuals at large. It is home to GLBT Book Month (tm), a nationwide celebration every June and the Stonewall Book Award, the oldest award honoring GLBT books. GLBTRT is committed to encouraging and supporting the free and necessary access to all information, as reflected by the missions of the 91´«Ã½ and democratic institutions.

The 91´«Ã½ is the oldest and largest library association in the world with more than 57,000 members. Its mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.