Lgbtq Librarianship In The 21st Century

Libraries are at the heart of many of the communities they serve. Increasingly, it is important for them to adjust to serve minority groups, including LGBTQ+ communities. This collection presents original scholarship on the emerging directions of advocacy and community engagement in LGBTQ+ librarianship.

Building upon the legacy of Gay and Lesbian Library Service (1990, "invaluable"--Library Journal; "recommended"--Booklist), this current anthology brings the discussion into a 21st century context by broadening the community base served and by examining the role of the Internet and Web 2.0 in libraries and archives. Many chapters include personal accounts of individuals' experiences to illustrate the importance of library services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer/questioning users. Specific topics include: library services provided to LGBTIQ youth; collection assessment and the process of gauging user satisfaction; the classification of LGBTIQ resources in the Dewey Decimal Classification system; attempts to restrict access to LGBTIQ resources through challenges, censorship, and Internet filtering; and workplace concerns of LGBTIQ library workers. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Librarians need to understand the needs and abilities of differently abled patrons, and anyone responsible for hiring and managing librarians must know how to provide an equitable environment. This book serves as an educational resource for both groups. Understanding the needs and abilities of patrons who are differently abled increases librarians' ability to serve them from childhood through adulthood. While some librarians are fortunate to have had coursework to help them understand the needs and abilities of the differently abled, many have had little experience working with this diverse group. In addition, many persons who are differently abled are-or would like to become-librarians. Disabilities and the Library helps readers understand the challenges faced by people who are differently abled, both as patrons and as information professionals. Readers will learn to assess their library's physical facilities, programming, staff, and continuing education to ensure that their libraries are prepared to include people of all abilities. Inclusive programming and collection development suggestions will help librarians to meet the needs of patrons and colleagues with mobility and dexterity problems, learning differences, hearing and vision limitations, sensory and cognitive challenges, autism, and more. Additional information is included about assistive and adaptive technologies and web accessibility. Librarians will value this accessible and important book as they strive for equity and inclusivity.

This book breaks new ground, offering school and public librarians serving children in grades K–8 a roadmap for implementing and upholding queer-inclusive programs, policies, and services. School and public librarians are serving ever greater numbers of LGBTQIA+ children and families. Transgender children may begin to express a strong sense of gender identity as early as 2–3 years of age. Children are also identifying as gay much sooner than earlier generations-often between the ages of 7 and 12. Additionally, more children than ever before are living with LGBTQIA+ caregivers. In seeking to make our programs and services inclusive and equitable for these growing populations, librarians may court controversy and face community backlash from patrons who feel queer-inclusive content is inappropriate for young children. This book codifies a set of best practices for librarians as they rise to this challenge, defining queer-inclusive programs, identifying potential barriers to implementation, and offering strategies and resources to overcome them. Resources for Additional Support

This edited collection explores LGBTQ+ literature for young readers around the world, and connects this literature to greater societal, political, linguistic, historical, and cultural concerns. It brings together contributions from across the academic and activist spectra, looking at picture books, middle-grade books and young adult novels to explore what is at stake when we write (or do not write) about LGBTQ+ topics for young readers. The topics include the representation of sexualities and gender identities; depictions of queer families; censorship; links between culture, language and sexuality/gender; translation of LGBTQ+ literature for young readers; and self-publishing. It is the first collection to expand the study of LGBTQ+ literature for young readers beyond the English-speaking world and to draw cross-cultural comparisons.

With the legalization of same-sex marriage and the explosion of LGBTQ news coverage in recent years, gender studies is a subject of intense interest in popular media and a part of the curriculum at many colleges. Libraries realize the importance of supporting the field yet many have difficulty finding resources and programming ideas. This book provides case studies and a range of innovative solutions for better meeting patron needs. Twenty-seven chapters are arranged into sections covering Research and Library Instruction, History and Herstory, Programming, Collections and Beyond, and Resources.

Public libraries, through their mission, vision, and position in the community, play a significant part in building community sustainability and are already positioned to serve as a “backbone support organization” for collective impact initiatives.

Libraries as Dysfunctional Organizations and Workplaces expands the "dysfunctional" concept in the professional and academic LIS discourse by exposing the internal problematics of libraries, especially at the social and organizational levels. Including contributions written by LIS professionals and scholars, the book demonstrates that although many libraries do well at attending to users and managing external information they often fail at taking care of their own employees and addressing internal workplace issues. Acadia and the contributing authors explore the problem of dysfunctional libraries so that the LIS profession can come to terms with the systemic dysfunction in their institutions and begin solution-oriented progress toward new and sustainable functionality. The book analyzes the dysfunctional nature of modern libraries, while simultaneously proposing solutions to reduce and alleviate dysfunction. Through theory and application, it takes an explicit practice-based approach with the intent to inform and explain dysfunction as experienced in the library workplace at individual and structural levels and perspectives. Libraries as Dysfunctional Organizations and Workplaces brings the dysfunction discourse to the attention of LIS academics and scholars so that further theoretical and empirical research can proceed from and subsequently be addressed in library and information schools. The book will also be essential reading for librarians and LIS students currently working or preparing to work in public, college, and university libraries.