http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040913/asp/calcutta/story_3746768.asp A library all about sexual minority NISHA LAHIRI 13th september 2004 : The Telegraph, Calcutta Research work, case studies, journals, magazines, novels, anthologies, folklore... the list from any library. What's different about this one is that it's a resource centre for organisations and individuals involved - either professionally or personally - with sexual minorities. The Calcutta chapter of Saathii, an NGO working in the field, has started the library on its Salt Lake premises. Be it homosexuality, transsexuality or HIV/AIDS, people have free access to either educate, spread awareness or do research. The reference catalogue lists all the material available. When complete, it will also be available online. Partly funded by the Elton John AIDS Foundation - the proposal was sent last year and the funding is for a year, from March 2004 to February 2005 - it has a collection of anything that the Saathii team can lay its hands on. "I used to work in another NGO, where there was a library. People would constantly want books to check that there is a history of homosexuality, that it's not a sin, nor is it illegal in many countries," says Anupam Hazra, one of the two in charge of the library. "So we decided to have one here, for our partner organisations in Calcutta, as well as in Orissa and Manipur, who have far less to work with. Even though they can't access the library, if there is any specific information they want, we will supply it from the support centre," he adds. There are the latest reports from organisations like UNAID, as also journals like Pukaar by the Naz Foundation for South Asian sexual minorities in the UK, and Trikone, published by a similar NGO by the same name in San Francisco. There is fiction and non-fiction work, Indian and otherwise, dealing with historical to personal points of view. Plus, there are the self-help books and information guides, as well as a directory of NGOs in West Bengal connected to HIV/AIDS, Saathii Red Ribbon Pages. The library is not a lending one, but the bonus is a section on multimedia material (videos and VCDs). There are documentaries and docu-features, including Piku Bhalo Aachey by Saathii, Many People Many Desires by a Bangalore-based NGO and Gulabi Aina, which ran into censor trouble in India. A fun feature is the Saap Seedi game, a snakes-and-ladders replica by the Mumbai-based Humsafar Foundation to educate people about the safety factor. "Some of the books are bought, others are donated. The best source is studies and research presented in international conferences," sums up Pawan Dhal of Saathii, at the Sector I, CD block support centre. ========================== Dr.P.Vyasamoorthy, Advisor, Virtual Information Centre, ICICI Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Shameerpet Mandal, RR District, Hyderabad 500078 INDIA Email: vyasamoorthy@icicikp.com Phone - Office: +91(40)23480053 Fax: +91(40)23480007 Phone Residence: +91(40)27846631