Brighton &Hove libraries are committed to providing a service to the whole community' through the provision of information and book collections to reflect the entire city population. We are looking for interested members of the LGBT community to join our consultation group' which meets bi-monthly to ensure that the library service is responding to the needs of the community. Contact 01273 296932 for details of forthcoming meetings and how to get involved.

Both Brighton library and Hove library have separate sections of LGBT interest books' and there is also a circulating collection' which moves around the community libraries' as well as a small selection of books on the mobile library.

Recently' over 300 new books have been added to the main sections in the two central libraries' and the circulating collection has also been revamped. New titles include contemporary fiction' including books from the Diva range and the Prowler press for gay men' as well as a wide range of information books' covering subjects such as lesbian parenting and gay health issues.

A specialist collection of transgender interest books were added to the collections at Hove and Brighton libraries in the last year' in collaboration with the Clare Project' and these have proved popular. Information about local and national helplines and groups is included in every copy. We are currently working on a Pink Parenting list' covering books on getting pregnant' dealing with prejudices' having LGBT parents of children' as well as LGBT friendly books for children and for teenagers. This should be available in the next few months.

Community news magazines' The Pink Paper' G-Scene and 3Sixty are available in all the libraries' as well as reading copies of Diva and Gay Times. A successful reading group for the LGBT community meets at Hove library on the third Tuesday of each month' at 7pm. New members are always welcome to the reading group' which is informal and friendly' and attempts to read a wide range of lesbian and gay interest fiction.