The QPIRG-McGill Alternative Library is a community library and archive of radical materials in Tiohti\u00e0:ke (Montr\u00e9al). It is dedicated to lending and archiving rare, independently published, formally unconventional, and intellectually marginalized books, periodicals, media, and zines that contribute to QPIRG-McGill\u2019s anti-oppression mandate and support its working groups. The library also promotes creative solutions to justice issues through its skill-sharing activities, community-building projects, and educational resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To learn more about the scope of the collection and how it’s classified, read our collections development policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n The Alternative Library shares an online catalogue with other alternative libraries and community organizations in Montr\u00e9al. Currently all books and textbooks available through the Library have catalogue records, while the zine collection is in the process of being catalogued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Browse the catalogue<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tip: Click on the drop-down menu \u201cDefault\u201d and choose \u201cTitle\u201d, \u201cAuthor\u201d, or any field for a specific search query.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n Books and zines are free to borrow home. Archival materials, such as periodicals and loose leaf documents, and media, such as CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes, are available for research purposes and on-site consultation only. For help with research, contact us via email: library@qpirgmcgill.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Checkout form<\/a><\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n No strict borrowing duration, although we would appreciate it if you could return borrowed materials within 2 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To return materials, drop them into the “Return” box located in the library or hand them to an on-site library volunteer. No need to fill out any form.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n The Alternative Library is home to an ever-growing collection of 500+ zines, dating back to 1989. The collection has a focus on Montreal student groups, although it includes zines from all over the world. We are currently in the process of creating catalogue records for the zines in Librarika, but the entire collection is available for browsing in-person at 3516 Av du Parc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To help users explore the collection, a series of subject-based finding aids were authored in February 2025 by graduate students taking INFS 645: Archival Principles and Practice, taught by Prof. Gracen Brilmyer. These are not comprehensive lists of all the zines in a particular subject. Rather, they are useful starting points for further research and curated selections of zines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you to finding aid contributors and Prof. Brilmyer for these browsing tools!<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n To suggest materials for the library, please fill out the form linked below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of our Free Textbook Loan Program, we encourage suggestions of textbooks and course materials. All students in Montr\u00e9al are welcomed regardless of school or level, although requests from McGill University students are prioritized. All textbook suggestions are welcomed regardless of their relevance to social and environmental justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggest a purchase<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n To donate books, zines, or other materials related to social and environmental justice, send us an email at library@qpirgmcgill.org<\/a> or drop by the library. We do not accept unsolicited, unannounced donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of our Free Textbook Loan Program, we encourage donations of textbooks and course materials. For each accepted textbook, you receive modest compensation in return (1 book = $5 in cash). To donate textbooks and course materials, visit the FTLP page here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n The Programme d'emprunt de manuels scolaires<\/a> is a student-led initiative of QPIRG-McGill Alternative Library. Students donate their textbooks to QPIRG-McGill in return for a modest compensation. Every semester, we lend these books out free of charge to students upon request, with extended borrowing periods. We aim to address the lack of access to physical textbooks and lessen the financial burden of higher education. Our program is independent of the Course Reserves collection of McGill Library and partly funded by the Arts Undergraduate Society through the Arts Undergraduate Improvement Fund.<\/p>\n\n\n What does it mean to be a library? A library is a site of gathering where everyone should feel welcome to be, read, and exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This project aims to sustain and accelerate our community\u2019s engagement with the diverse collection at QPIRG-McGill Library by physically distributing a selection from our inventory across Montr\u00e9al-based resource centers, libraries, bookstores, and pop-up events. It also helps us reflect on the state of our alternative library and rethink modalities of knowledge sharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, isn\u2019t it the role of the library to disperse as much of the knowledge it holds as possible, just like the perseverance of dandelions, a species that still lives on despite terminating efforts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dispersal, not removal. Towards a mobile library that breathes, connects, and persists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you work at an organization that would like to collaborate with us? Do you have any suggestions for organizations and spaces that would host this project? We are always looking for community partnerships. We provide all promotional materials and lend you a curated selection of books from our collection; in return you provide a physical space to host our library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact us for collaborations: library@qpirgmcgill.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n This project is a regularly updated compilation of trans-affirmative support networks, services, and resources in and beyond Montreal, Canada. The list is divided into ten categories: Immediate support; On-campus; Off-campus, Montreal; Quebec-wide; Canada-wide; Online; Books; Legal matters & safety; Human extraordinaires; Miscellaneous. It is currently an online database hosted on a Google Sheet document, which can be accessed through the library\u2019s linktree (link in bio). We acknowledge that our list is not exhaustive, so we welcome all feedback and suggestions from the community to help refine and grow the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCatalogue<\/h2>\n\n\n
How to browse the catalogue<\/summary>\n
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User Guide<\/h2>\n\n\n
Check out materials<\/summary>\n
Returns<\/summary>\n
Zine Collection<\/h2>\n\n\n
Zine Finding Aids<\/summary>\n
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Suggest a purchase<\/h2>\n\n\n
Donate<\/h2>\n\n\n
Library Projects<\/h2>\n\n
Programme d'emprunt de manuels scolaires<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
Dispersal Project<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
Trans Resources Database<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n