The City of San Diego Public Library (SDPL) invites San Diegans of all ages to celebrate Pride at the library. From a limited-edition Pride library card to family fun at this year’s Pride festival, SDPL has a full week of events planned to celebrate San Diego’s LGBTQIA+ community and this year’s Pride theme: “Thrive.”

“The San Diego Public Library is an inclusive and welcoming place that reflects the diversity of San Diego,” said Library Director Misty Jones. “We are proud to support the LGBTQIA+ community and offer programs that encourage people to share their own stories and learn from the experiences of others.” 

As part of this year’s celebration, SDPL will host two family-friendly Pride-themed storytimes on Saturday, July 8, at the Kensington-Normal Heights Library and Wednesday, July 12, at the Oak Park Library. Both programs will start at 10:30 a.m. and will focus on celebrating diversity and individuality through age-appropriate stories and songs.  

SDPL will also offer a limited-edition Pride library card. After receiving 89 submissions in the 2023 Pride Library Card design contest, this year’s winning design was created by Claude Castañeda. It features a performer, a Pride flag, music notes and a sun and moon. For the design, Castañeda took inspiration from the theme of this year’s Summer Reading Program, “Find Your Voice.” 

“I’d like this artwork to remind everyone to continue to be true to themselves in the face of adversity and find their own voice and space within our community,” said Castañeda. “By being visible, genuine, and by continuing to fight, I know we’ll persist in instilling change and further action for a place where we can all be ourselves and thrive.” 

Patrons can pick up the Pride library card for free at any library location starting Saturday, July 8, while supplies last. The card will also be available at the SDPL Lit Café at the San Diego Pride Festival at Balboa Park on July 15 and 16. The Lit Café will host Pride storytimes, rainbow craft times, face painting and interactive workshops.  

Visit the SDPL Pride page for more information on the library’s Pride celebration, book recommendations and community resources. 

The celebration is particularly significant in the face of push-back about librarys’ Pride displays. Protestors removed Pride exhibit books out of circulation at the City’s Rancho Peñasquitos Branch Library. Other Pride-themed displays or areas in libraries have been untouched, including in Mission Valley where the branch had many community members contribute to the Pride wall which celebrated individuality.

San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert and the Library Foundation SD launched an effort to raise funds to equip San Diego Public Libraries with books and other resources for Pride displays after the Rancho Peñasquitos Branch Library incident.

“While I was deeply saddened and disappointed to see Pride displays in our public libraries targeted in this way, I am proud of the way our community responded with such an outpouring of support and generosity to help replace the books for all to read” said Councilmember von Wilpert. “This response continues to demonstrate that love, dignity and respect for all of our neighbors remain core values of our community.”

The Library Foundation SD, which supports library efforts to help San Diegans learn new skills, pursue lifelong ambitions, and achieve a better life, is responsible for fielding and disbursing all donations made for new Pride displays. The City of San Diego has pledged to match 100% of all donations received by the Library Foundation.

“The Library Foundation SD is very disheartened by the actions of those who took it upon themselves to ban access to books celebrating diversity, identity, and representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. We believe there is no place for exclusion, book banning, or censorship, and stand firmly with the San Diego Public Library to uphold the ideals of intellectual freedom,” said Patrick Stewart, Chief Operating Officer of the Library Foundation SD. “Our library and the Library Foundation values the opportunity for all San Diegans to see themselves in the books and programs the library provides, and will continue to create avenues of support for these values.”