Collection Development: Will They Find Themselves in the Library?

 Houde, L. (2018). Collection development: Will they find themselves in the library? In Serving LGBTQ

teens: A practical guide for librarians (pp. 35-52). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. https://csu-sjsu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_SJO/1nj5q0c/cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_2133110065 

Historically, LGBTQ+ collections, particularly for teens, in the library used to be “almost non-existent” because LGBTQ+ books were not really being published (Houde, 2018, p. 36). Although the number of teen LGBTQ+ books that have been published has increased exponentially since the 1980s, it must be noted that homophobic/anti-queer stereotypes are still present in some recent LGBTQ+ books (i.e. focusing on queer sex instead of queer love) (p. 37). There is no defensible reason to exclude LGBTQ+ materials from your library’s collection and restrict intellectual freedom. Survey your library’s teen collection to determine if it meets your community’s needs, compare your findings to other libraries in your state, then examine your library’s collection development policy to determine how to proceed in selecting materials and possible challenges. This chapter also covers step-by-step guidelines of how to make an inclusive collection development policy, and various resources to use to order inclusive texts.