About the Library

The Terry Mangan Memorial Library is home to more than 2,000 volumes of LGBTQ texts, making it the largest lending library of its kind in the state. Built entirely on donations, the original seed collection was gifted to The Center in 1976 in memory of Terry Mangan, one of Colorado’s first gay activists and archivists.

From leisure-reading fiction to LGBTQ history and everything in between, the Terry Mangan Memorial Library houses a diverse collection of books, magazines, journals, and other materials. The library can be found on the first floor of The Center and is open to the public. All materials are available for circulation.

How to Use the Library

Peruse the Online Catalog

In association with the Colorado State Library and Regis University Library, the Terry Mangan Memorial Library has recently launched a comprehensive digital library catalog. Thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers contributing numerous hours processing over 2000+ volumes, the catalog includes all of the publications which make up the physical library. The directory allows users to search and reserve titles in real-time.

Register & Check Out Books

New users can register for a library card online or in-person at The Center on Colfax. To register online, click here. Once you've completed your registration, you will be able to reserve titles online before picking them up in-person from The Center.

Additinally, all of our front desk greeters are equipped to register users, check out volumes, and return books all through an automated barcode system. This system is hosted via an open source software which is integrated with other regional libraries to help expedite cataloging and make borrowing materials more accessible to everyone.


Donations to the Library

The Terry Mangan Memorial Library is currently at capacity for book donations. While we greatly appreciate contributions from our community, at this time we ask that you please look into donating your gently used books to the Denver Public Library. This page will be updated when we are ready to accept book donations again.


About Terry Mangan

Terry Mangan was one of the five cofounders of The Gay Coalition of Denver, along with Jane Dundee, Mary Sassatelli, Lynn Tamlin, and Gerald Gerash. Terry was chair of the Political Committee which met with members of Denver City Council to protest arrests of gay men by Vice Squad during the late 60s and early 70s. The committee documented more than 300 arrests by the Denver Vice Squad during those years. Under Terry’s leadership, the committee organized a massive protest Denver City Council on October 23, 1973. The protest was documented in the film Gay Revolt at Denver City Council And How It Changed Our World, produced by Gerry Gerash. About 15 minutes into the documentary, Terry gave a brilliant speech describing typical arrests at that time based on the criminal court records. Terry was also the Gay Coalition's archivist. Terry worked for the Colorado Historical Society. His book Colorado on Glass won the award for the best book of 1976, Colorado's centennial year. Terry died in 1978.


This project has been funded by The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Telling the Full History Preservation Fund, with support from National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the National Trust of the National Endowment for the Humanities.