Sexual Minorities Archives

When I was at Trans Pride I had the pleasure of visiting the Sexual Minorities Archive booth hosted by archive curator Bet Power (whose speech at Trans Pride was extremely powerful and to point for the day!). I misplaced information from the booth (crazy and hot day) though have pasted a write-up of the archives from the Society of American Archivists website.

Sexual Minorities Archives
/New Alexandria Lesbian Library
Location: Private home
Address: P.O. Box 60402,
Florence, MA 01062
Phone: (413) 584-7616
Contact: Bet Power
E-mail: betpower@yahoo.com
Hours: By appointment only on week nights and weekends. Call or write a week in advance.
Wheelchair Access: yes, by request
History
Founded as New Alexandria Lesbian Library in Chicago, Ill., on July 12, 1974, as part of the lesbian Feminist Center there. In 1977 Bet Power became the curator; moved the collection to western Massachusetts in 1979. On January 1, 1992, the collection was expanded and renamed the Sexual Minorities Archives.
Information about holdings
Manuscripts: ca.50 collections
Organizational records: ca.100 boxes
Printed material: 3,000 items (660 periodicals sets; 200 signed volumes, first editions, or rare books)
Clippings/vertical files: 10 4-drawer file cabinets
Objects/ephemera: ca.1,000
Film/Video/Sound: several hundred titles
Photographs: thousands
Other holdings/notes: approx. 100 pieces of art; 300 comic books.

Time periods/geographical regions documented:
Early 1900s to present; bulk is 1930s to present. Covers entire USA, with some international materials. Strongest regions represented: Chicago, IL and Northampton, MA.

Significant People/organizations/subjects documented:
Documents the lives of all sexual minorities (lesbians, bisexuals, gay men, transgendered people, S/M leatherfolk, fetishists). Significant holdings: Lesbian Feminist Center archives, Chicago, IL late 1960’s to 1977; Womonfyre Books archives, including partial archives of the Common Womon Club, Northampton, MA, 1970’s to late-1980’s; SHELIX archives (Lesbian, BiWomen, and Transgender S/M group) late 1970’s to early 1990’s, Northampton, MA; East Coast Female-to-Male Group (ECFTMG) archives, 1992 to present, Northampton, MA
Collecting interests
All sexual minorities, especially (but not exclusively) US; individuals and organizations.

Use requirements
Free access to all sexual minority individuals and supporters.
Services
Research space, copying, reference assistance on site, and telephone reference.

Other services/notes:
Also video rental service. Copying is done overnight by staff only.
Indices, finding aids, collection descriptions
Card catalog for basic collection; some indices to lesbian periodicals (The Ladder and Lesbian Periodicals Index); indices to portions of the collection (e.g., Black lesbians and lesbian separatism). All indices in print format.