Philadelphia’s Gayborhood is home to a hidden gem of American history and the nation’s oldest LGBTQ+ lending library.
“The center opened here in Philadelphia in 1976 and one of its first programs was to build a library,” said John Anderies, director of the John J. Wilcox Jr. Library at the William Way Community Center.
The John J. Wilcox, Jr. Library at William Way LGBT Community Center highlights its unique role as the nation’s oldest LGBTQ lending library. Founded in 1976, the library offers more than 14,000 books and DVDs focused on the diverse lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals.
The library’s opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, excluding public holidays, and is staffed by volunteers.
“Someone recently came by looking for a DVD because they have a monthly movie night with their friends, so they wanted a movie,” said volunteer Scott Edwards.
The center also has an archive dedicated to preserving Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ legacy.
“There are things like newspapers and magazines, ephemera, individuals, personal papers, whether they are a writer or a photographer, for example, whatever they have created during their lifetime or collected over time,” says Anderies.
The archives reveal rare historical material such as personal papers, photographs and recordings from one of the first gay radio programs in the US
“There’s so much here that you don’t even know it exists until you come in and look at it,” said volunteer Natalie Manes.
