Cambridge University Library is providing trial access to online databases of resources for LGBT+ studies, after pressure from students and CUSU’s LGBT+ campaign.

The Archives of Sexuality and Gender and LGBT Life database will be available online until 5th June and 2nd June respectively.

These announcement comes after PhD student Eric Cervini called for the UL to subscribe to a free trial for EbscoHost’s LGBT Life database in a post on Facebook, which drew support from Tom Ashford, President of CUSU’s LGBT+ campaign.

The Archives of Sexuality and Gender is a collection of primary sources illustrating “LGBTQ history and activism, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, health, political science, policy studies, human rights, gender studies, and more”. Secondary sources on these issues can be accessed through LGBT Life.

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Speaking to Varsity, Cervini said the announcement from the UL was “a great first step”. He continued, “The LGBT+ community at Cambridge deserves representation in all aspects of University life, including academic resources.”

Cervini expressed his hope that the introduction of the resources would prove to be more than a temporary measure: “We hope students of all backgrounds will explore these databases and then contact the UL by the end of the month to emphasize how the new materials will help their studies. We fully expect one or both of these subscriptions to be made permanent, and we thank the UL for its commitment to equality.”

A University spokesperson told Varsity that the trial was part of a long-term plan to diversify the UL's resources: "Since a number of databases exist covering LGBT+ studies, the UL has offered trial access to a number of them in the Easter term to allow the recommenders to provide feedback on them before a decision is taken on which to acquire."