After a successful first year of programming, Queer Study Buddies is returning to McMaster University Libraries.
Queer Study Buddies is a weekly study hall event that welcomes 2SLGBTQ+ students to study, socialize, and participate in organized activities. The goal of the program is to create a space that encourages queer students to build community on campus.
“The events are for students who are looking to connect with their peers,” said Katie Compton, teaching and learning librarian at McMaster University Libraries. “We want to help students feel a little bit more seen, get some academic support through one another, and just feel more comfortable on campus and in the library as queer students.”
Queer Study Buddies begins running weekly on Sept. 16, 2025. The event is on Tuesdays from 1:30-4:30 p.m. in Lyons New Media Centre on the fourth floor of Mills Memorial Library. No registration is required, meaning students are free to drop in.
Successful initiatives during last year's events include collaborating with campus partners, hosting themed events for Halloween and Valentine’s Day, organizing activities including button-making and bookmark-painting, and providing a selection of queer books curated by McMaster University librarians for students to browse during the study hall sessions.
The initiative is organized by McMaster University Libraries employees Katie Compton, Grace Dobbie, Crystal Aisha Kerr, Andja Milos, Katie O’Donnell, and Kiara Weis.
The program began in the fall 2024 academic term and was inspired by a similar program at Robarts Library at the University of Toronto.
Andja Milos, library assistant, access services, says students can look forward to seeing new titles added to the libraries’ queer collection this year.
“Students will be able to find more stories that reflect their own experiences and allow their voices to be heard,” said Milos. “We want all patrons of the libraries to feel seen and represented, and it’s exciting to offer resources and stories that reflect diversity. Our goal is to create a space where everyone feels like they belong.”
The Queer Study Buddies team has set new goals for the 2025-26 academic year. They hope to increase the number of attendees, revisit successful themed events and activities, and further incorporate ideas from students and campus partners into the program.
A new addition to this year's events is the added support of peer mentors from the Student Success Centre’s Writing and Academic Skills team. Compton says having peer mentors available to students will further develop community building.
“The idea behind introducing peer mentors is to provide a low pressure, less stressful environment for students to collaborate and lean on each other for academic support,” said Compton. “This will allow them to pick up some new strategies for getting through their academic work and improve their academic writing skills. Hopefully they can take that outside of Queer Study Buddies and lean on each other beyond just in the program.”
Learn more
For more information about Queer Study Buddies, check the libraries' events webpage, email library@mcmaster.ca, or visit the services desk at Mills Memorial Library.
