We have been a sanctuary, gathering space, and protector of our collective queer history since 1997
About Us
The Lavender Library, Archives, and Cultural Exchange — commonly referred to as the Lavender Library or LLACE — is a lending library and archive housing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) books and magazines, various media, and archival materials. We host book clubs, support groups, open mic nights, craft markets, and other community events year-round and have grown to be an integral part of the Sacramento cultural community.
Located in the Lavender Heights district of Sacramento, the Lavender Library serves patrons in the greater Sacramento Valley and Northern California. We are 100% volunteer-operated, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and a designated United Way recipient agency.
Since our founding in 1997, LLACE has been a sanctuary, and gathering place for the LGBTQ+ community, and has held our collective queer histories. The library’s visionaries and founders hoped for a future where the LGBTQ+ community in Sacramento could thrive.
As the United States faces a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ violence, rhetoric, and legislation, our commitment to fostering a safe community has only grown.
We are proud to keep banned books on our shelves, host inclusive events, and create a sober and low-cost alternative to building queer community.
Our Story
The Lavender Library was founded by a core group of seven local community members in the late nineties as a research and information institution for Sacramento’s LGBTQI community. The founding took place during a tumultuous time for the LGBT Community Center (then the Lambda Community Center) as it struggled to stay open. Fearing imminent closure (luckily, that did not happen!), community members moved the small library from the Center to its first location at the B Street Theater. The founders considered several other names before settling on the Lavender Library, including: River City Community Library, Sacramento Alternative Library, Capital Library Archive Project (CLAP), and Sacramento Library and Archive Project (SLAP). Two years later in 2000, the Library moved to its current space at N at 21st Streets.
One of the original primary champions of the Library, Gail Lang, was a beloved member of Sacramento’s local LGBTQ community. When she passed in 2003, she left the Lavander Library funds that have helped it stay open over the years. Today, the Library lives on as an important site for community, knowledge, and engagement.
Mission
The Lavender Library collects, maintains, preserves, and circulates materials to patrons in a safe and friendly environment. The library promotes an understanding of gender and sexual diversity, and collects and preserves the community's history, writing, and memorabilia, by documenting for current and future generations the people, places, and events of Sacramento through the ongoing development and maintenance of the collection and the LLACE archival program.
Vision
We envision a safe, inclusive, and supportive LGBTQ+ community in the Greater Sacramento region.
Our Values
We value inclusivity - creating a safe and accessible place for all people to be comfortable in, allowing honesty and authenticity.
We value community - connecting people and organizations, building relationships and partnerships, and providing event space and support.
We value social justice - taking a stand to support non-dominant populations and historically marginalized groups (specifically QPOC), promoting nonviolent resistance, awareness, and activism.
We value LGBTQ+ stories - local, national, and international history, books and magazines, video and audio recordings, oral histories, storytelling, and archives.
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We rely on community members like you to help us keep the lights on, make rent, purchase new books, digitalize our archive, and pay for operating expenses like this website.