MISSION
The Bi Pan Library is a physical archive and online directory of media created by and about bi, pan, and m-spec people. Our goals:
- Increase access to bi, pan, and m-spec media and history.
- Create resources suited to the needs of bi, pan, and m-spec people.
- Provide research assistance to students, educators, queer organizations, researchers, journalists, parents, and community-seeking bi, pan, and m-spec people.
Read more about the project’s free services and schedule your virtual visit.
HISTORY
The Bi Pan Library collection was begun privately by Bren Frederick in 2015, born out of a frustration at the lack of history, literature, and arts resources for the m-spec community, especially disabled and/or poor community members.
“I am not the only disabled person who feels cut off from queer culture, or the only bi/pan person who was unsure how to connect with their history and community, or the only academic who cannot afford paid access to resources. The need for access is clear, and we will make it happen.” — Bren Frederick, Bi Pan Library Founder
By 2018, Bren’s collection included 150 bi/pan books, and she took on a personal challenge of reading exclusively bi/pan books and authors for the entirety of 2019. Mid-challenge, she stumbled across an article by Christina Neuwirth, who also happened to have committed to “reading bisexually” in 2019. After reaching out via email, they quickly became friends and collaborators on Bren’s then-private “Bi Pan Library” research project.
The collection’s website and Instagram were finally launched in 2020. The site is currently run by Frederick with assistance from Neuwirth. Read a personal letter from founder Bren Frederick here.
Today the Bi Pan Library holds over 800 books alongside magazines, films, and zines. The collection also includes a selection of pins, flags, shirts, and other ephemera.
LOCATION
The physical collection is kept in private storage in WA, USA and materials are currently available for virtual visits by appointment only. Our goal is to eventually expand into a brick-and-mortar location, or collaborate with a larger queer archive to make our collection available in-person to the general public.
The Bi Pan Library sits on unceded ancestral lands of the Duwamish people, who have cared for it across generations. Today, the Duwamish people remain unacknowledged by the federal, state, and local governments and do not have just access to their land’s resources. We stand in solidarity with First Peoples of this area by paying monthly rent to Duwamish tribal services, which supports revival of Duwamish culture and wellbeing of the Duwamish Tribe.
MEET THE STAFF
Bren Frederick (she/her)
Library Founder
Bren is a genderqueer bisexual scholar who has been studying and collecting bi, pan, and m-spec literature since 2015. In her free time she is a writer, jumpsuit-wearer, handcraft enthusiast, and that one friend who stops to Google things in the middle of conversations. Bren lives in WA state with her partner, their three cats, and an army of bookshelves.
Christina Neuwirth (she/they)
Collection Assistant
Originally from Austria, Christina is a researcher, writer and bookseller based in Scotland. She decided to read only bisexual books in 2019 and hasn’t stopped. Her debut novella Amphibian was published in 2018 by Speculative Books. She lives in Edinburgh with her partner and a big ginger cat.
MISSION
The Bi Pan Library is a physical archive and online directory of media created by and about bi, pan, and m-spec people. Our goals:
- Increase access to bi, pan, and m-spec media and history.
- Create resources suited to the needs of bi, pan, and m-spec people.
- Provide research assistance to students, educators, queer organizations, researchers, journalists, parents, and community-seeking bi, pan, and m-spec people.
Read more about the project’s free services and schedule your virtual visit.
HISTORY
The Bi Pan Library collection was begun privately by Bren Frederick in 2015, born out of a frustration at the lack of history, literature, and arts resources for the m-spec community, especially disabled and/or poor community members.
“I am not the only disabled person who feels cut off from queer culture, or the only bi/pan person who was unsure how to connect with their history and community, or the only academic who cannot afford paid access to resources. The need for access is clear, and we will make it happen.” — Bren Frederick, Bi Pan Library Founder
By 2018, Bren’s collection included 150 bi/pan books, and she took on a personal challenge of reading exclusively bi/pan books and authors for the entirety of 2019. Mid-challenge, she stumbled across an article by Christina Neuwirth, who also happened to have committed to “reading bisexually” in 2019. After reaching out via email, they quickly became friends and collaborators on Bren’s then-private “Bi Pan Library” research project.
The collection’s website and Instagram were finally launched in 2020. The site is currently run by Frederick with assistance from Neuwirth. Read a personal letter from founder Bren Frederick here.
Today the Bi Pan Library holds over 800 books alongside magazines, films, and zines. The collection also includes a selection of pins, flags, shirts, and other ephemera.
LOCATION
The library’s physical collection is kept in private storage in WA, USA and materials are currently available for virtual visits by appointment only. Our goal is to eventually expand into a brick-and-mortar location, or collaborate with a larger queer archive to make our collection available in-person to the general public.
The Bi Pan Library sits on unceded ancestral lands of the Duwamish people, who have cared for it across generations. Today, the Duwamish people remain unacknowledged by the federal, state, and local governments and do not have just access to their land’s resources. We stand in solidarity with First Peoples of this area by paying monthly rent to Duwamish tribal services, which supports revival of Duwamish culture and wellbeing of the Duwamish Tribe.
MEET THE VOLUNTEERS
Bren Frederick
LIBRARY founder (she/her)
Bren is a genderqueer bisexual scholar who has been studying and collecting bi, pan, and m-spec literature since 2015. In her free time she is a writer, jumpsuit-wearer, handcraft enthusiast, and that one friend who stops to Google things in the middle of conversations. Bren lives in WA state with her partner, their three cats, and an army of bookshelves.
Christina Neuwirth
Library Assistant (she/they)
Originally from Austria, Christina is a researcher, writer and bookseller based in Scotland. She decided to read only bisexual books in 2019 and hasn’t stopped. Her debut novella Amphibian was published in 2018 by Speculative Books. She lives in Edinburgh with her partner and a big ginger cat.