Lesbian Herstory Archives

As we move into our next half-century, the Lesbian Herstory Archives is continuing to think about how to build, manage, and help as many people as possible access our collection. A huge piece of that is the physical structure we use to process and share the collection.

Since our inception in 1974, the Archives has occupied a few different spaces:

• the hearts and minds of the people who dreamt, planned, and brought it into existence;
• an ever-increasing portion of Joan Nestle’s Upper West Side apartment;
• a three-story limestone building in Park Slope, Brooklyn;
• and off-site storage spaces where we store the portions of our constantly growing collection which we can’t house in our building.

Starting this year, we’re beginning the process of thinking about where our next physical home will be. The last time we were in this position was 1985, when we started imagining and looking for a new place for the Lesbian Herstory Archives to live. It was a lengthy, but joyous, exciting process. From a ping pong fundraiser in Alaska, to a motorcycle trip across the United States, to house hunting in Brooklyn, to Lesbians rolling up their sleeves and working together to build the internal spaces we needed. Eventually, in June 1993, we opened the doors of our then-new space. Even better, just a few years later, thanks to the support of our many communities, we paid off the mortgage on the building.

We don’t expect the process of looking for a new home to move any faster this time around. We’re not actually in a hurry. We want to make sure that we’re deliberate and thoughtful in this process, but we also want to get started now, rather than waiting for a hypothetical future moment when it might be better/easier/faster/etc.

Why are we looking for a new building?

• The top reason is simple and very similar to the reason we needed a new building in the 1980s: we’re running out of space, not only to house the collection, but also for processing materials, for researchers, and for accommodating groups, events, and other activities where more than a few people want to be present in the space at the same time.
• The next key reason is that we want the space and collection to be more accessible to more people. Years ago, we made modifications to our current building to ensure that there was a lift and accessible bathroom on the first floor, but those improvements only make a portion of the building accessible. We want a building where every space is accessible to those who use mobility devices and/or have restricted mobility. We also want a building where volunteers don’t have to carry heavy materials up and down stairs, where air filtration is up to a better standard, and where the overall space capacity is higher. Unfortunately, no amount of money would make it possible for us to achieve the accessibility we’re looking for in our current building, the structure simply doesn’t allow for it, and so we need to look for a new space.

Do I need to worry about the Archives in the meantime?

No. We own our building outright. We have reliable off-site storage for the parts of the collection we can’t fit in our current space. And we’ve spent three decades making this building work for us, within its limitations. We’re okay. The goal of finding a new building is not driven by a pending emergency. Instead, we want to find a space that could be even better for our collection and for all the people who want to make use of it.

What can I do to help?

As we’ve said, we’re at the beginning of what will likely be a multi-year process. We’ll need the support and help of our community throughout. Here’s what you can do today to help:

• Give money to our Building Fund. Literally every penny helps, no donation is too small. Through thousands of donations over the course of a decade, we were able to purchase our current home in the 1990s. This time won’t be any different. Give today to help us have a more accessible future!
• Host parties, dances, game nights, and other fun events to help raise money for the Building Fund.
• Do you or someone you know have a building in New York City that might be a good fit that you want to give or sell to us? Reach out by email.
• Fill out our Building Fund Survey to help us dream this new chapter into existence. We got here because of our community, and we want to make sure we hear from you as we think about our next space.