91´«Ã½

June is Rainbow Book Month™

Rainbow Book Month™ is a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, genderqueer, queer, intersex, agender, and asexual community. Originally established in the early 1990s by The Publishing Triangle as National Lesbian and Gay Book Month, this occasion is an opportunity for book lovers and libraries with the very best in LGBTQIA+ literature.

At a time when books by and about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals are under siege and library workers are facing threats and harassment for serving these communities, Rainbow Book Month has never been more important. If your library is experiencing challenges to materials and programs serving the LGBTQIA+ community, please contact the 91´«Ã½ Office for Intellectual Freedom to report censorship and receive free confidential support. 91´«Ã½'s Fight Censorship page provides resources to prepare for and respond to challenges to library books, materials, and services.

Rainbow Book Month™ is an initiative of the 91´«Ã½, and is coordinated through its and the .

Customizable Publicity Materials and Templates

Get the word out in your community about Rainbow Book Month™ and your library's celebrations! 91´«Ã½ has developed these free, customizable publicity templates that are ready for your library to adapt and submit to your local media.

• Rainbow Book Month™ Press Release Template [DOCX]
• Rainbow Book Month™ Flyer [PDF]
• Rainbow Book Month™ Letter-to-the-Editor Template [DOCX]
• Rainbow Book Month™ PSA scripts [DOCX]
• Rainbow Book Month™ Radio PSA scripts [DOCX]

Rainbow Book Month Social Media Graphics

Share how your institution is celebrating Rainbow Book Month™ with the following social media graphics, and use #RainbowBookMonth to join the conversation!

• Rainbow Book Month Facebook Profile [PNG]
• Rainbow Book Month Facebook Post [PNG]
• Rainbow Book Month Twitter Profile [PNG]
• Rainbow Book Month Twitter Header [PNG]
• Rainbow Book Month Twitter Post [PNG]
• Rainbow Book Month Instagram Post [PNG]

Libraries Transform Social Media/Promotional Graphics

Celebrate the importance of inclusive stories year-round with the following downloadable graphics from the Libraries Transform campaign!

• Libraries Transform Facebook Cover [PNG]
• Libraries Transform Twitter Header [PNG]
• Libraries Transform Twitter Post [PNG]
• Libraries Transform Instagram Post [PNG]
• Libraries Transform Bookmarks [PDF]
• Libraries Transform Postcards [PDF]
• Libraries Transform Poster [PDF] [PDF]

LGBTQIA+ Book Awards and Bibliographies from 91´«Ã½

The 91´«Ã½ supports LGBTQIA+ literature through the Stonewall Book Awards (in Children's and Young Adult, Non-Fiction, and Literature categories), as well as two bibliographies including the Rainbow Book List and Over the Rainbow Book List. These awards and lists serve to recognize the very best in contemporary literature and serve as invaluable tools for building quality LGBTQIA+ collections.

• Stonewall Book Awards - The first and longest-enduring award for LGBTQIA+ literature
• - LGBTQIA+ Books for Kids and Teens
• - LGBTQIA+ Books for Adult Readers

Tools for Library Workers

Holding a book discussion or programming this June in honor of Rainbow Book Month™? Authors, publishers, school districts, reading organizations, and even the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund have put time and effort into creating reading guides specifically for book discussions. 91´«Ã½ has also created several resources around best practices for community-informed programming. Below are several tools which can be used on their own or as jumping off points.

• Reading Guides on LGBTQIA+ books for group discussions [PDF] (June 2016)
• (January 2019)
• ? [YouTube Video] (May 2021)

For general information, please contact:

For media inquiries, please contact the 91´«Ã½ Communications, Marketing & Media Relations Office. cmomedia@ala.org.