The Kason Mordechai Smith Inclusive Books Library and LGBTQIA+ Archive
Established in 2025. Dedication information about Kason Mordechai Smith should go here, perhaps reusing some of the copy we design for the dedication plaque.
Our mission and purchasing statement should go here. What is the goal of the Inclusive Library? What kind of books do we strive to put into our collection? This is also the first ever archive of LGBTQIA+ history specific to Montgomery County, MD.
Book of the Month
This month’s featured title was chosen by our CEO, Phillip Alexander Downie! For June, he has selected:
Giovanni’s Room, the Deluxe Edition (2024)
by James Baldwin
A deluxe edition of James Baldwin's groundbreaking novel, with a new introduction by Kevin Young and special cover art designed by Baldwin's friend and contemporary Beauford Delaney.
Giovanni's Room is set in the Paris of the 1950s, where a young American expatriate finds himself caught between his repressed desires and conventional morality. David has just proposed marriage to his American girlfriend, but while she is away on a trip he becomes involved in a doomed affair with a bartender named Giovanni. With sharp, probing insight, James Baldwin's classic narrative delves into the mystery of love and tells a deeply moving story that reveals the unspoken complexities of the human heart.
Available Titles
See what we have stocked and come check it out from our physical library! Search availability using our library ILS system.
We’ll sign you up for one of our Center library cards absolutely free, and it takes no time at all.
Café Con Lychee
by Emery Lee
Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno have always been at odds. Their parents own rival businesses—an Asian American café and a Puerto Rican bakery—and Gabi’s lack of coordination has cost their soccer team too many games to count.
Stuck in the closet and scared to pursue his own dreams, Gabi sees his family’s shop as his future. Stuck under the weight of his parents’ expectations, Theo’s best shot at leaving Vermont means first ensuring his parents’ livelihood is secure.
So when a new fusion café threatens both shops, Theo and Gabi realize an unfortunate truth—they can only achieve their goals by working together to cook up an underground snack operation and win back their customers. But can they put aside their differences long enough to save their parents’ shops, or will the new feelings between them boil over?
A Peacock Among Pigeons
by Tyler Curry
Signed by the author! An LGBT-themed hardback children's book that tells the tale of learning how to stand out when you can't fit in. This children's story teaches the importance of celebrating our differences and learning to love the feathers you live in.
Peter the peacock doesn't know how it happened, but he found himself growing up in a flock of pigeons. Surrounded by a world of grey, he found himself feeling less than his peers and was embarrassed by his feathers. After he fails to blend in, he decides that it's time to learn to fly on his own.
Along the way, he meets new bird friends from all different flocks that teach him a lesson he will never forget.
Coming Soon
by Author
Here’s a description of the book! This is where we will host our collection.
Request a title
Is there something you want to read? Do you have other suggestions for growing our Inclusive Library? Submit your comments here and we’ll make sure your request is honored.
You can also contact the team at hello@mocopridecenter.org at any time. We’d love to hear from you!
COMING SOON!
MoCo Pride Center is currently collecting stories from LGBTQIA+ community members about the hidden history of Montgomery County, Maryland. Check back here soon to view that rich tapestry we’re weaving with help from folks just like you. We have always been here, and we will not be erased.
Tour the Archive
Other Resources
Pride at Maryland Public Libraries
Look up Pride events and collections at your local library! We’ve collected resources from major county public libraries in Maryland, and are hoping to expand library linkages soon. There’s even a guide to help you get your own library card in Montgomery County. Go forth and read for free!
Silver Spring LGBTQ Book Club
A book club for LGBTQ+ people in Silver Spring and surrounding areas in MD and DC. The club reads a variety of genres, not limited to LGBTQ-themes, and meet once a month to discuss a book and socialize.
A good way to meet other LGBTQ people in the area! Members suggest books to read and the club selects upcoming books as a group.
Here are some more cool things we recommend:
Rainbow History Project
Rainbow History Project’s mission is to collect, preserve and promote the history and culture of the diverse LGBTQ communities in metropolitan Washington, D.C.
They are an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization and membership is free. Check out their upcoming events and tour their collection!
Connie Morella Library (Bethesda MCPL)
Visit our local chapter of the Montgomery County Public Library! MoCo Pride Center and the Connie Morella Library frequently collaborate on Pride Month programming as well as other special events throughout the year. Visit their calendar for information on book and textile clubs, more Drag Story Hours, and local author events!
Loyalty Bookstores
Loyalty works to create an inclusive, welcoming environment and provide books and goods for the home because, well, books are home. By creating a team of local vendors and community partners in Washington, DC and Silver Spring, MD that center Black, PoC, and Queer voices they create singular shopping and event experiences.
Queer Liberation Library
The Queer Liberation Library (QLL) is fighting to build a vibrant, flourishing queer future by connecting LGBTQ+ people with literature, information, and resources that celebrate the unique and empowering diversity of our community.
You can browse their collection or apply for a library membership to check books out!
Donate to our library!
Click below to make a donation that will help us stock the books that our community members request. Thank you for your support!
Got books? We also take physical donations! Reach out directly at hello@mocopridecenter.org to coordinate a book pick-up or drop-off.