Week 14 Prompt Response

               I would not choose to separate GBLTQ fiction from the general collection to its own special place. The article “Iowa library to separate books after complaints about LGBTQ” discusses a petition that asked for a particular public library “to label and separate materials involving LGBTQ issues” (Associated Press, 2018). That is not something I would do, because I think separating out certain materials that are considered by some to be “inappropriate” or “controversial” creates the perception that those materials are separate from the rest of the collection and not an integrated part of the overall collection, and I don’t think that is a perception that public libraries should help create.

               Writing on the blog for The Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association, Jessica Garner explains the problem with separating out GBLTQ fiction really well when she says, “in many small towns putting LGBTQ books together in one space is effectively quarantining them away from the readers who might most want to explore what those books held inside” (Garner, 2018). I agree with Garner; I think that specifically in regard to GBLTQ fiction, depending on the environment the public library is in, if those books were separated into their own section some patrons could sadly be made to feel uncomfortable looking in that section and therefore not get the books that they would like to. Potentially putting patrons into an uncomfortable circumstance and causing them to not get the books that they want is another reason I would not shelve GBLTQ books separately. I think the concern about some patrons not feeling comfortable looking for books in a specific section would be less for Urban Fiction than GBLTQ fiction, but I still think it could create a sense of “othering” to have those books shelved separately depending on the context of how the rest of the fiction section is shelved. I think for Urban Fiction deciding whether or not to separate out the genre would depend more on how separated out the general fiction collection is by genre overall; if other genres and subgenres are separated out then I think separating out Urban Fiction could make sense as well since it’s a genre; but if the rest of the general fiction is all kept together then I think Urban Fiction should be kept integrated as well.

               In their article “Shelving Debate: To Separate or Integrate?,” Kara Yorio and Kathy Ishizuka discuss this topic in the context of school libraries and children’s sections in public libraries (Yorio & Ishizuka, 2018), but some of their points can be relevant to adult or YA shelving practices as well. One librarian they quoted questioned why books can’t be kept in two places as a way to improve access (Yorio & Ishizuka, 2018). It seems that the books this librarian was referring to specifically were non-English fiction books, but I think her point could be applied to Urban Fiction or GBLTQ fiction as well. I think it could potentially be okay for a public library to have a specific section for GBLTQ fiction as long as those books are also kept as part of the general fiction section as well, because I think keeping the materials in both places changes the context of the specific section and makes it more neutral or positive rather than negative. Patrons who prefer to look in the general fiction section for the books they want would be able to find them there, but also having a specific location outside of general fiction would allow patrons to find groups of similar materials more easily as well. However, if this route was taken, I think it would need to be made clear that these books could be found in either place (i.e. in the catalog both shelving locations would be shown clearly and a sign near the specific section could indicate to patrons that they can find these materials in both places) because the presence of a separate section for GBLTQ fiction might lead patrons to think that is the only place those books are kept, and that would be counter to the purpose of having them in two places for increased ease of access.  

Works Cited

Associated Press. (2018, March 21). Iowa library to separate books after complaints about LGBTQ. Retrieved from The Oklahoman: https://oklahoman.com/article/feed/1904116/iowa-library-to-separate-books-after-complaints-about-lgbtq

Garner, J. (2018, April 18). Separate is still not equal. Retrieved from Intellectual Freedom Blog: The Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association: https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=13704

Yorio, K., & Ishizuka, K. (2018, October 26). Shelving Debate: To Separate or Integrate? Retrieved from School Library Journal: https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=shelving-debate-separate-or-integrate