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The Carter/Johnson Leather Library (CJLL) was created with a goal – save leather history.

Ok … so the story is a little more winding and convoluted than that, but the IDEA really was that simple. However, as with all good ideas – especially simple ones – it didn’t quite work out the way we thought it would when we dived head first into this noble endeavor.

It did not take long at all to discover that one could not just save leather history. In order to truly understand the leather history we have, you must also have a grasp of sexual history as a whole, as well as at least a minimal understanding of a great many variations of alternative lifestyles and how they have developed, morphed, and/or phased in and out over the years.  And of course, the more you know about all these things, the more you understand your leather history.

In other words, we have to save all the sexual history and the alternative history that supports that sexual history.

Yeah… it grew… a lot… rather quickly… without permission… *much put upon sigh*.

Anyway…

With the near doubling of the Library’s already impressive collection soon to be upon us, we paused for a moment and realized that our identity needed to take the same step forward that our collection was taking thanks to the awesome work, untiring dedication, and generous spirit of the Center for Sex and Culture.

We have to expand our horizons as much as we were expanding the materials available to our patrons, and more importantly, that expansion needs to be reflected in the one thing that everyone immediately sees and recognizes – our name/logo.

With much love to our past as the CJLL, we are stepping into our future as the CJLC – the Carter/Johnson Library & Collection.

The new logo will be implemented far and wide shorty, AND there are several variations of the logo currently in creation to ensure that every single person in our communities know they are welcome, loved, and included in the CJLC – here’s a couple that have been finished as a sneak preview!

Moreover, we will be contacting our Annexes to ensure they have their own specific variations of the logo to put to use in their endeavors very soon!

We know many of you are going to ask, “But what about our beloved original logo???”.

Have no fear – as the packrats of history that we are, CJLC is not abandoning the CJLL name or logo. Instead, we have decided to put it to use in the future. The specific use has not yet been decided, but some ideas that have been suggested are using the logo for a leather specific exhibit in the CJLC, or perhaps as the logo for a brand new section dedicated to the history of the Library itself.  Only time will tell, so stay tuned!

And one last thing, since we know you are gonna ask – Yes, you will be able to support the CJLC through purchases of all of the logo variations on merchandise very soon, so make sure you follow us on Facebook,  Twitter, or Instagram in order to get those announcements!

We have a dedicated new partner site that has offered us space in their shop so that we can offer you all the merch you ever wanted at no cost to us. The proceeds of every purchase from our section of the store are sent to us as a donation on a regular basis (so no pesky tax problems to be dealt with!)

So welcome, one and all – family, old friends, longtime acquaintances,  fresh new faces – to the new era in history preservation and sexual education that is the Carter/Johnson Library & Collection!