Week Fourteen Prompt Response

Should libraries provide special places for certain types of books, such as LGBTQ or Urban Lit?

In a word, maybe.

If we're talking about a temporary display in conjunction with a month dedicated to that particular group of people or to highlight a local event, then there's not a problem. We do that already anyway with African American History month and various holidays.

If we're talking about a community that has shown it is interested in having certain genres separated because the community reads them more than others, then it's okay to cater to one's community to make finding material easier.

If we're talking a permanent and completely separate section based on a negative reaction to the material, then that seems counter-productive to the inclusionary nature of libraries. The news report prompting this response makes it clear the segregation of LGBTQ material in that library is to keep it away from other material in an attempt to minimize its presence.

It would depend on one's library, but I would argue against doing such a thing in general:

1. It's exclusionary. We don't separate other books by or about certain groups from the general fiction area. Imagine if we were to have an all-white author section, or an only heterosexual section. Those sections would give the impression that if you're not part of those groups, you can't use the books contained within or that those groups are somehow better than others since they have their own special area. The same principle would apply to LGBTQ or Urban Lit books, but possibly from the other side of the spectrum, that these are not worthwhile and need to be kept away. Many libraries have mystery sections and fantasy sections and western sections within the general fiction section, but all mystery, fantasy, and westerns fall into those sections; we don't pull out those whom some feel are not worthwhile and sequester them.
2. It's not easily doable. What are the criteria for inclusion? Is it just that the book itself falls within those categories, or does the author have to adhere? If a book has one LGBTQ character, does that suffice? If a book has anything to do with urban life, does that qualify? What if an LGBTQ author doesn't write about LGBTQ issues, but writes Urban Lit? Which one would it go under? Would we then separate all types of fiction into their own areas? Where do you put those collections? Way in the back where there's room to do so, but where few will find it, or up at the front to bring attention to it and risk upsetting some people?
3. It's limiting. Not only does it prevent patrons from finding a book in one of the "off limits" section when browsing the shelves and possibly discovering they like that author, it also presupposes that readers of the "off limits" genres only want to read those genres. This is not only short-sighted, but insulting. Urban Lit readers and LGBTQ readers are non monolithic segments of our patrons any more than readers of other genres.

One response to this problem would be to just put all fiction genres together alphabetically and note the genres with stickers on the spines. That way patrons can easily see which books are in their favorite genres, but also be exposed to everything else the collection has to offer.

As with all decisions about a collection, no matter what we do as librarians, someone won't agree, will take offense, or not like it. The best we can do is know our community and patrons, as well as adhere to the open and inclusive nature of libraries to make everything available to everyone and allow people to choose for themselves whether or not to read something.