Prompt 8: Collection Management Decision


This is indeed a weighty issue and one that I considered carefully before making my decision. In our library we have a lot of genres in their own sections, so it would not be uncommon to find genres separated. For instance, we have a Romance section and a Clean Reads section. However, neither of these sections bring the same level of potential judgement or controversy as the ones we are talking about here. 

In the end, I decided that I would not separate LGBTQ fiction or Urban Fiction from the general collection. The American Library Association's Bill of Rights states that all library users have the right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use (American Library Association, 2006). First, I believe that a separate section for genres that can cause judgement from others should not be placed in a section on there own. Everyone would know what the patron was looking for and this would eliminate their ability to search in private for a book that they can relate to. Second, depending on the reasoning from the patrons that requested this change, it could be a form of censorship. As we are tasked by the American Library Association (2019) with resisting all efforts to censor, I believe that if the intent was to hide these materials, they should not be moved. Third, some GLBT patrons may not be ready for others to know. They deserve access to materials that can help them wherever they are at without others knowing what they are looking for. The Rainbow Round Table put together a guide for serving the GLBT community (2016), in this guide, they stress how vital it is for individuals that are searching for information to be able to do so safely, anonymously, and without judgement. This is not conducive to having a separate section for this genre of book.


American Library Association. (2006, June 30). Library bill of rights. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill.

 American Library Association. (2019, May 6). Professional Ethics. Tools, Publications & Resources. http://www.ala.org/tools/node/1577/.

American Library Association Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table. (2016, April 9). Open to All: Serving the GLBT Community in Your Library. http://www.ala.org/rt/sites/ala.org.rt/files/content/professionaltools/160309-glbtrt-open-to-all-toolkit-online.pdf.


Comments

  1. Erin CataldiApril 20, 2021 at 11:05 AM

    Excellent and well thought out response. Good points and I like that you referenced ALA. Full points!

    ReplyDelete

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