Week 14 Prompt Response
Consider yourself part of the collection management committee of your local library, or a library at which you would like to work. You must decide whether or not to separate LGBTQ fiction and Urban Fiction from the general collection to its own special place. Some patrons have requested this, yet many staff are uncomfortable with the idea - saying it promotes segregation and disrupts serendipitous discovery of an author who might be different from the reader. Do you separate them? Do you separate one and not the other? Why or why not? You must provide at least 3 reasons for or against your decision. Feel free to use outside sources - this is a weighty question that is answered differently in a lot of different libraries.
No, I would not separate them out and here’s why:
LGBTQ+ Fiction
Safety. It’s great to think that most libraries would be just fine, but that’s not always the case. Putting LGBTQ+ materials in their own space just makes it easier for bigoted people to identify potential targets. Am I being dramatic? Maybe. But queer people have been through enough, and letting them browse safely and inconspicuously feels like a simple thing to do.
I think there is also something to be said for serendipitous browsing. It hasn’t happened often, but I have occasionally picked up a novel and begun reading, only to be pleasantly surprised that the characters are LGBTQ+. That sort of spontaneous exposure can be delightful, and I would hate to take that experience away from others.
Do I understand the need/desire? Of course. If I only am looking for LGBTQ+ books, which I usually am, having to sift through all the fiction materials would be frustrating. An alternative is ensuring that all LGBTQ+ books are appropriately labeled in their MARC records so that a user could quickly and easily browse the LGBTQ+ collection on a computer.
Urban Fiction
My library does not have a large enough collection to justify moving the books to their own space. Again, creating a digital collection space would make online browsing easier, but a physical separation would not offer much.
I think a solution to wanting easily accessible LGBTQ+ fiction and Urban Fiction is to create displays, either permanent or semi-permanent. This way the books could be featured more obviously than remaining interfiled on the shelves, but would not be singled out as a genre.
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI never really considered the word safety with this. I am glad you saw this situation the way you described. All and I mean "all" patrons deserve to feel safe when looking at materials, and that goes for LBGTQ materials. If those who identify themselves in this group are targeted, we are only doing a disservice to our community. I hope that all libraries have a zero-tolerance policy with people verbally attacking others for just being themselves.
Great Job!
Bre
Hi Lauren,
ReplyDeleteYou make a really outstanding point about safety. I definitely don’t think it’s dramatic at all. Unfortunately, the world we live in can be very cruel and we have to think of the safety of our patrons and community members who are at high risk for that sort of intolerance. I also love what you said about “spontaneous exposure” to LGBTQ+ characters and themes. I agree with that so much because I think that type of unexpected interaction helps normalize those themes and experiences for people unaccustomed to engaging with them. LGBTQ+ people are normal people, just like everybody else, and I think one of the most respectful and beneficial things we can do is simply treat them as such by presenting their experiences as matter-of-fact realities that do not have to explain or justify their existence.
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI'm echoing those above but I didn't even think of the safety of people browsing those sections and that's such a great point. Safety is the most important thing!
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you... ideally I want the section separated for my own selfish ease of browsing but that's just really not possible in the reality we live in. It's frustrating to be sure, but there are some real evils in our world. And like you said, queer people have been through enough. I also don't think you're being dramatic, that situation could absolutely happen.
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a great point with creating online MARC records with these subjects present within the records. Having these present allows for access by patrons and allows for those who are really interested in the materials to find them rather than the fear of being targeted by bigoted people.
chose to display my LGBTQ and Urban novels, because I wanted them to have more accessable placement, to get more circulation, and make clear to our patrons the library's stance on acceptance but I did think of all of your reasonings as I was writing my response.
-Emma
Excellent job bringing forth a myriad of reasons (namely safety) and backing them all up. Full points!
ReplyDelete