The Butterfly Project: Libraries Uplifting Black and Brown Trans Women

In response to several recent murders of young Black trans women in Prince George’s County, Maryland, one librarian responded with a concentrated effort to connect women from this community with targeted workforce development library services in a safe, affirming space at the Fairmount Heights Branch of Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. Partnering with a local trans advocate and leader, The Butterfly Project is blossoming into a robust, county-wide collaborative community effort to provide wrap-around support services for these young women. Participants will learn how a library program idea targeting a specific at-risk demographic can be transformed into a community-funded initiative connecting community partners and local law enforcement agencies with the library.