LGBTQ+ Resource Center Coordinator Becca Osborne displays a few of 500-plus titles
in the center’s lending library. Inside Higher Ed recently included Ferris’ center
among those promoting student belonging and inclusion on campus.
With over 500 titles in its lending library available free to students, faculty and staff, the Ferris State University LGBTQ+ Resource Center was recently highlighted by Inside Higher Ed for its proactive stance on inclusivity and greater understanding on campus.
LGBTQ+ Resource Center coordinator Becca Osborne said with the notion of the resource being part of their name, she was pleased to find various materials on hand when she became the first full-time leader of the operation.
“I went about adding books for multilingual readers and added publications on new topics since I arrived in November 2022,” Osborne said. “We have reacted well to the variety of books since they include nonfiction memoirs, workbooks and fictional writings that promote and even provoke thought and conversation. I am also proud of our nearly two dozen titles designed for a children’s audience. We will continue to address appropriate subject matters with the best books we can acquire for the library.”
Osborne said other printed materials available through the LGBTQ+ Resource Center are more focused or intended to offer direction and support in times of need or crisis.
“We have a one-page safety document for those seeking binders to present a more masculine appearance,” Osborne said. “The information addresses proper items for purchase, assuring an appropriate fit, and use of these garments. The center’s mission is to present our resources with details and information that serve our friends and guests, whether they are looking for basic community resources or a link to a crisis call center where they live.”
The LGBTQ+ Resource Center is in Room 120C of the David L. Eisler Center, along the Rankin Atrium. Learn more about the center and its programs here.