May 17, 2021

FREE. FOR ALL.

Quatrefoil Library has reopened, now with free membership.

Add Q Library to the List of Free Things to Do in Minneapolis

In one of the most significant changes in its 35-year history, Quatrefoil has launched free membership. 

The change officially went into effect June 1, 2021.

Paid membership has been part of the library since it opened in 1986. Under that system, patrons paid an annual fee to gain borrowing privileges. Families paid a bit more; seniors and students a bit less.

Free membership is intended to encourage more people to get involved in the library and its activities, said Claude Peck, Quatrefoil board president.

“We are so grateful to those who have supported us through paid memberships, sometimes over many years,” Peck said. “But we also hear from people who don’t feel they can afford the dues. With this move, we welcome everyone, regardless of ability to pay.” 

Free membership is just as it sounds. Anyone who signs up gets a permanent Q Card that allows them to borrow books and DVDs. The hope is that younger people and those with lower income will take advantage of Quatrefoil’s unique collection, one of the nation’s largest. 

Nonprofit Quatrefoil “competes” with excellent library systems in the Twin Cities, which are tax-supported and free. That provides another impetus for the library and community center to “go free.”

“When Quatrefoil opened 35 years ago, finding books about our lives was difficult,” said Quatrefoil librarian Kathy Robbins. “While those titles are easier to find today, Quatrefoil offers a depth and breadth of queer materials available nowhere else in Minnesota — all in a place where everyone is welcome to explore and enjoy LGBTQ books, movies and periodicals. Free memberships will encourage more folks to use Quatrefoil’s amazing collections.”

Those who want a Q Card will fill out a short application form and a Terms of Service Agreement (you can fill this out at the library or click here to print and fill-out at home). Borrowed materials should be returned by their due dates, and patrons pay for lost materials. Lost cards may be replaced for a $5 charge. We will continue to ask for a donation of $2 per DVD borrowed. Anyone interested in supporting free membership with a tax-deductible donation can do so here.

Updated Q Library Hours

After being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic, Quatrefoil has reopened Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., and hopes to expands its hours in the coming months. Stop in, say hi, and sign up for your new Q Card. For those who prefer borrowing books without entering the library, Quatrefoil continues to offer curbside pickup.