LGBTQ Titles in Academic Library Youth Collections

Ramirez, Carmina

Williams, V. K. ginger. williams@wichita. ed., & Deyoe, N. nancy. deyoe@wichita. ed. (2015). LGBTQ Titles in Academic Library Youth Collections. Library Resources & Technical Services, 59(2), 62–71. Retrieved from http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lls&AN=102629829&site=ehost-live&scope=site 

The authors of this study analyzed the LGBTQ collections of academic libraries to find out how well equipped they were. The role of academic libraries is to collect youth literature for student teachers and librarians to evaluate and use books with youth. Their study shoed that the academic libraries lacked LGBTQ titles for many different reasons such as lack of need, limited budgets, unfamiliarity with this emerging literature, and limited time to devote to collection development. The authors hope that the study will prompt librarians to assess their collections to be more inclusive. Some of the   recommendations made by the authors specified that librarians include questions in their surveys about the needs of LGBTQ titles, updating collection procedures to consider LGBTQ themed titles and assess whether local collections provide adequate access to LGBTQ themed youth literature for curriculum support.

This study is very extensive and important. Academic libraries support the development of teacher and librarian programs therefore having access to LGBTQ titles to evaluate and familiarize with is vital to their education.