So Happy Together... Or Are They? [Week 14 Post]
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| ♫ So happy together ♫ or... |
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| ♫ Breaking up is hard to do ♫ |
After reading the articles about Orange City Public Library in Iowa (and reading more about it - did anyone see where later in the year there was a guy burning LGBTQ books from that library??? Crazy!!!) I was amazed that not only were they requesting that they separate out the LGBTQ books specifically, but they didn't want them to hold off on purchasing new materials with that content until a policy could be put into place for the material to be further scrutinized for the public at large, so to speak. I was flabbergasted at the extent to which the community members who were against the materials were willing to go. I also wondered where the board meeting took place that had over 100 people in attendance! lol
There are obviously arguments for either scenario (keeping the books shelved by author or separating them out by subject) and I really don't think you are wrong - as long as you have supported your argument and thought clearly about the community your library is serving. However, it's your intent matters. Are you doing it because you want to keep the books separate and harder to find? Easier to find? If you're working in a public library, more likely than not you are adhering to the ALA's Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read Statement, and Intellectual Freedom, which means that you are not supposed to be censoring any material within the walls of the library. So if you are considering separating the LGBTQ and Urban Fiction out, one of the most important things is to insure that you are doing it because it is for the community's good and that it is what is best for your library and its circulation.
All that being said I would opt to keep them together. On the one hand, while separating out specific genres could make them easier to find, what about those in the LGBTQIA community who haven't come out yet? That would force them to go to a section in the open to read books about people like them. And, iff you separate one or two genres out you would need to start separating out all the genres in order to be seen as 'treating' all books the same. Which some libraries have done. Large undertaking there, and in the case of some books which cross multiple genres it would take some scrutinizing as to which genre section to place them in. What do you do with an Urban Fiction book that has a main character who is gay? Which section does it go in? Also, doing this could keep some people from discovering books they might love otherwise. Furthermore, these are types of books that tend be challenged. Depending on how it's done, and why, it could indicate a large number or heavy traffic genre that just needs its own space or it could could appear as if they're being sectioned off because they have less validity than general fiction.
Again, I think as long as you know your community and your reasons have solid arguments and backing, whatever choice you make for your library wouldn't necessarily be the wrong one.
Again, I think as long as you know your community and your reasons have solid arguments and backing, whatever choice you make for your library wouldn't necessarily be the wrong one.
I wholeheartedly agree that it is all about intent. There really is no overarching BEST way to organize a collection and it ultimately comes down to knowing your community and trying to meet their needs the best you can.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and Zach. The intention behind the move is really what makes the difference in my opinion. As someone who likes to read LGBTQ fiction, I can see how having a section full of these books might be kind of awesome. However, in the case of Orange City LGBTQ books were not being separated for easier, more convenient access. They were being moved because the community believed them to be morally questionable works that should be cast aside... Whenever you take a book away from its intended audience, that's censorship. And it seems like that's what Orange City had done when it separated LGBTQ materials.
ReplyDeleteBrandy, I had similar feelings of disbelief when I read that they wanted to be able to scrutinize these types of books before any more were ordered! I would love to have been a fly on the wall during that board meeting.
I also chose to keep the books integrated and while I didn't use your slippery slope argument of how do we really parce out this urban street literature with a fantasy bent and gay and lesbian characters, I very much agree. Great job!
ReplyDeleteSpot on! The intent is soo soo important! Separating them out of spite so they are "easier to avoid" is not ok. I like that you stood up and said that it's the libraries choice, not every library and not every community are the same. Great job, full points!
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely a hot topic and I totally support the points made, especially where it is not OK to avoid conflict or ignore a problem that could escalate to a dumpster fire. Sorry for such an unprofessional terminology, but that is what comes to mind when these issues are ignored. The library definitely must uphold the ALA standards and do what's best for the library, so if this includes seperating a book from a collection, there should be clearly stipulated reason and for it being the best for the library. Good points.
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