Introducing the Bitch Media Community Lending Library!

What’s an office with over 800 page-turning books to do? Lend them out to the public, of course! That’s what we here at Bitch Headquarters decided to do after we realized that our 13-years-in-the-making book collection, covering topics such as feminist theory, media studies, art, queer and gender studies, history, and sociology, was too impressive to hoard to ourselves. So last summer, an admirable group of radical librarians offered to come into the office and catalog our books for us so that we could start lending them out. We got ourselves an account on LibraryThing.com (which you can use to view our online catalog by clicking here), designed some library cards, and now we’re up and running. And don’t worry–even if you’re not in Portland, there are still ways to get involved.

Although our books cover the gamut of all things feminist, that’s not to say we don’t have a few holes here and there. That’s why we started a wish list through the website of local indy bookstore (and Bitch sponsor) Powell’s. Click here to see our growing list of books we really wish we had. If you have a couple extra bucks and are feeling generous, buy it for us! We’ll put your name on the inside cover and everything, and donations are tax deductible. And don’t forget–thrift stores are a great place to find awesome books. Trust me–you’re gonna have to dig through a lot of Danielle Steele to find some Ntozake Shange, but it’ll be worth it when you’re getting change back from a dollar bill for a classic. And if you read an awesome book that you think we should have, email us at library@b-word.org to tell us about it. Just remember, our idea of what belongs in a feminist library is pretty open, but please try to avoid books like Smart Girls Marry Money–we already get enough of those from annoying publishers. 

We’re really excited about the potential our library has to grow into an awesome community resource and meeting space. If you live in Portland, or are just passing through, be sure to swing by. We’ll also be highlighting books from our collection on the blog, so even if time or space is preventing you from getting here, you’ll still be hearing about books that have the Bitch Media Library’s stamp of approval. Our library’s open hours are:

Mondays and Wednesdays, 4-7pm
M-F 11-5 by appointment (which can be made by emailing library@b-word.org.)

Click here to check out our library page on the website, where you’ll find some more information and can keep up-to-date on library happenings and hours. Thanks so much to Lana Thelen, Renee Bartley, and Denise Pasquinelli, the three radical librarians who helped get this project moving. You can check out what Radical Reference is all about by clicking here. And also a big thanks to our volunteer librarian, Bess Korey.