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LGBT Library & Archive Collections Archives Lavender Legacies Guide - Guide to Sources in North America from the Lesbian and Gay Archives Roundtable of the Society of American Archivists LGBT Collection Development Policies & Resources Institutes, Museums and Archives Collection Development Policies The ArQuives (PDF) Leather Archives and Museum The One Institute (archived version from 2011) University Library Collection Development Statements Duke University, Rare Book, Manuscript and Special Collections Library (archived version from 2011) Michigan State University New York University (archLGBT Collections

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Gale Blog: Library & Educator News | K12, Academic & Public

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A library's print, eBook, and digital resource collection will always be the bedrock upon which service to a particular community is built. Developing a robust LGBTQ collection draws on the same core principles that define all aspects of collection development:

1. A collection plan/selection policy tailored to the needs of the community (both the larger community and all the smaller communities the library serves). A collection development plan can be as simple as a few generally worded paragraphs or as detailed as a section-by-section overview of what's collected and why.

2. An ongoing mechanism for working with the communities your collections serve in order to assess what the current collection is lacking and what kind of materials need to be added. Work with LGBTQ groups in the community to refine the collection development plan for LGBTQ materials and create a patron request system specific to the LGBTQ collection.

3. A weeding plan that follows best practices of weeding nonfiction and fiction, such as the one outlined in Rebecca Vnuk's The Weeding Handbook (ALA Editions).

There are also collection building principles that apply specifically to the LGBTQ collection, which we will be discussing below.

DIGITAL RESOURCES ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN ANY LGBTQ COLLECTION.

For gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals concerned about privacy, online products can become "invisible" resources in a way print materials can't, at least when circulated. Deb Sica, chair of ALA's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) comments: "Now, with improved access to e-materials, it is much easier to obtain copies of quality GLBTQIA+ items and uphold patron privacy." (GLBTQIA+ is often defined as including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual individuals.) This is valuable to patrons searching for the kind of historical and scientific information that can be found in digital resources such as Gale's Archives of Sexuality and Gender and Gale eBooks on GVRL. Primary sources are important because, as aptly stated on the Library of Congress website, they "provide a window into the past-unfiltered access to the record of artistic, social, scientific and political thought and achievement during the specific period under study, produced by people who lived during that period."

Sica notes, "I recall working in Texas libraries and being astounded when e-materials first became available for mass download. The demand for heterosexual, gender-normative romances skyrocketed. Once a 'taboo' genre, often shamefully or quickly checked out, romances quickly became the library's highest circulating e-titles with the longest hold queues. The same freeing experience felt by e-romance readers at that time is now being felt by GLBTQIA+ patrons with open access to our virtual collections. No matter our best efforts to be welcoming, the physical library may be a fear-generating experience. Physical materials can become contraband to those in sensitive, judgmental situations. Physical items could potentially out a patron inadvertently. The privacy provided in a virtual world is far more expansive and exploratory, a welcomed dynamic and entry point for many. The least we can do is make such virtual library spaces and collections fully available and accessible for all."

A VARIED AND WELL-CURATED SELECTION OF LGBTQ FICTION AND NONFICTION IS ALSO CRUCIAL TO ANY STRONG LGBTQ MATERIALS COLLECTION.

These resources show real and/or realistic characters whose lives mirror those of LGBTQ teens, assuring them they are not alone. Novels and short stories can educate readers' minds and hearts, giving straight teens essential information about their LGBTQ peers while inviting empathy for their life circumstances.

Now that you know how to build your collection, read about how to develop a strong "reconsideration" policy >>jordan Release Dates

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Develop a Robust LGBTQ Collection - Gale Blog: Library & Educator News | K12, Academic & Public

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4 min readA library's print, eBook, and digital resource collection will always be the bedrock upon which service to a particular community is built. Developing a robust LGBTQ collection draws on the same core principles that define all aspects of collection development: 1. A collection plan/selection policy tailored to the needs of the community (both ...

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Develop a Strong “Reconsideration” Policy

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Develop a Strong “Reconsideration” Policy

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Gale Blog: Library & Educator News | K12, Academic & Public

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| By Gale Staff |

Public libraries are committed to reflecting the diversity of their patrons via collections, programs, and services. The thousands of public libraries across the nation have the capacity to spark community conversations and actions that further understanding and address local needs.

Serving and supporting LGBTQ patrons requires more than creating a safe and welcoming atmosphere and developing a strong collection of materials. Successful libraries do these things, but they also partner with allied organizations and promote a broad spectrum of resources to the community at large. Following are key actions that should be considered by all libraries ready to take the next step. Remember, you may have patrons desperately needing this support who may not feel comfortable asking for it.

Build and Maintain Your Collection

A library's print, eBook, and digital resource collection will always be the bedrock upon which service to a particular community is built. Developing a robust LGBTQ collection draws on the same core principles that define all aspects of collection development.
Read the full blog to learn how to develop a robust LGBTQ collection >>
Develop a Strong "Reconsideration" Policy

Libraries continue to face challenges from members of their communities who object to the presence of various types of materials and services offered to library patrons. This is especially true of LGBTQ materials and services. It is crucial that every library has an official policy to deal with potential challenges.
Read about how to develop an official reconsideration policy >>
Promote Your Resources

Developing a strong LGBTQ collection is only the beginning. The library must seek out its audience and actively promote available resources, from print and digital resources to programming, education, and events. Bringing resources to those who need them is at the core of every library's mission, but it is especially challenging with LGBTQ patrons, many of whom are reluctant to ask for help due to concerns about their privacy.
Discover how to promote your valuable resources >>
Recently, we partnered with Booklist to produce a piece on the library being more than a safe space. Now that you know how to build & maintain your collection, develop a strong policy, and promote your resources, learn more by downloading the full white paper >>

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Supporting LGBTQ People-in the Library and the Community - Gale Blog: Library & Educator News | K12, Academic & Public

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2 min read| By Gale Staff | Public libraries are committed to reflecting the diversity of their patrons via collections, programs, and services. The thousands of public libraries across the nation have the capacity to spark community conversations and actions that further understanding and address local needs.

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The following 58 titles were under consideration by the Rainbow List Committee during the month of October:

America, vol 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez by Gabby Rivera

America, vol 2: Fast and Fuertona by Gabby Rivera

La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibia Obono

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore

Burro Hills by Julia Lynn Rubin

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Bérubé

DeadEndia: The Watcher's Test (Book 1) by Hamish Steele

Dead Weight by Terry Blas & Molly Muldoon

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Goldie Vance vol. 3 by Hope Larson

Goldie Vance vol. 4 by Hope Larson

The Handsome Girl and Beautiful Boy by B.T. Gottfried

Heart Foreger by Rin Chupeco

Heavy Vinyl by Carly Usdin

Here to Stay by Sara Farizan

Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel by A.W. Jantha

I Felt a Funeral in My Brain by Will Walton

Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst

Jack of Hearts and Other Parts by L.C. Rosen

Jaya and Rasa: A Love Story by Sonia Patel

The Ladies Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood

Like Vanessa by Tami Charles

A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo

Love & Other Carnivorous Plants by Florence Gonsalves

Luisa - Now and Then by Carole Maurel and Mariko Tamaki

Lumberjanes Bonus Tracks by Holly Black

Mariam Sharma Hits the Road by Sheba Karim

Modern HERstory: Stories of women and nonbinary people writing history by Blair Imani

My Life as a Diamond by Jenny Manzer

Nate Expectations by Blair Imani

Odd One Out by Nic Stone

P.S. I Miss You by Jen Petro-Roy

People Like Us by Dana Mele

Pride Guide: A guide to Sexual and Social Health for LGBTQ Youth by Jo Langford

Pros of Cons by Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar and Michelle Schusterman

Prom to Remember by Sandy Hall

Pulp by Robin Talley

Quiver by Julia Watts

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

The Rules and Regulations of Mediating Myths and Magic by F.T. Lukens

Runaways Vol. 1 Find Your Way Home by Rainbow Rowell

Runaways Vol 2 Best Friends Forever by Rainbow Rowell

Secret Loves of Geeks ed. by Hope Hicholson

Starless by Jacqueline Carey

Summer of Us by Cecilia Vinesse

SuperMoon by H.A. Swain

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E. K. Johnston

They She He Me: Free To Be by Maya + Matthew

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender

Tiger's Watch by Julia Ember

Top Ten by Katie Cotugno

Trans Teen Survival Guide by Fox and Owl Fisher

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

When Lights Left us by Leah Thomas

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The following 58 titles were under consideration by the Rainbow List Committee during the month of October: America, vol 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez by Gabby Rivera America, vol 2: Fast and Fuertona by Gabby Rivera La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibia Obono Before I Let Go by

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Stonewall Book Awards - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award

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Stonewall Book Awards - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award

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Stonewall Book Awards - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award

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About the Stonewall Book Awards - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award TheStonewall Book Awardsare presented to English language books that have exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience.

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Collection Development Policy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies

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Collection Development Policy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies

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UC Santa Barbara's policy

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General policies and principles for the Library's collections are stated in the General Collection Development Policy.

Purpose of the Collection

Formally named the Andelson Collection, for Sheldon "Shelley" Andelson, the first openly gay University of California Regent, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) studies collection supports instructional and research activities within academic programs and departments across campus. Special attention is given to the curricular offerings of the LGBTQ Studies Minor in the Department of Feminist Studies.

Subject Parameters

The LGBTQ studies collection is an interdisciplinary collection with a focus on the lives, experiences, identities, and representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals; their families and communities; their cultures and subcultures; their histories, institutions, languages and literatures; their economics and politics; and their complex relations to the culture and experience of a heterosexual majority. The collection emphasizes the intersection of sexuality and gender with race, class, ethnicity and nation.

Scope

Geographical Coverage

Geographic coverage is global, with special attention given to the Americas (except Canada).

Language

Language materials are collected by area studies librarians for East Asian studies, French studies, German studies, Italian studies, Latin American studies, Middle Eastern studies, Slavic studies, and Spanish, and Portuguese.

Chronological Limits/Period Coverage

The nineteenth century to present is the primary collecting period. Earlier periods are covered selectively.

Publication Dates

Recent imprints are prioritized. Older imprints are selectively acquired.

Types of Materials Collected

University press research monographs are widely acquired. Scholarly research from trade, small and alternative presses are sought. Scholarly reference sources, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbook, and indexes are collected. Other priorities are serials, films and digital archives.

Formats

Electronic is the preferred format for edited volumes, anthologies, reference books and serials.

Systemwide and Other Resources

The collection benefits heavily from the cooperative systemwide licensing of serials, indexing and abstracting databases, and digital archives by the California Digital Library and UC Libraries.

Related Collection Development Policies

Policy Last Updated: June 2015

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Collection Development Policy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies

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General policies and principles for the Library's collections are stated in the General Collection Development Policy. Purpose of the Collection Formally named the Andelson Collection, for Sheldon "Shelley" Andelson, the first openly gay University of California Regent, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) studies collection supports instructional and research activities within academic programs and departments across campus.

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Queering up your shelf, one rec at a time!

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Today on the site, I'm welcoming Chrissy Holm, author of the new memoir Finding Sunlight, to discuss find herself and her bisexuality after being raised in purity culture. Here's a little more on the book:

In the inspirational coming-of-age memoir Finding Sunlight (Wise Ink, September 2023), Chrissy Holm separates the pressures of purity culture from all the possibilities of meaningful love. Homeschooled at church and raised by a devout father, Chrissy suppressed her bisexuality and followed all the teachings of purity culture. But when she turned sixteen, her parent's divorce flipped the script. Devastated and unsure of her values, Chrissy embarked on a long journey, often making mistakes, until she figured out just exactly who she is and what she believes in. Raw and hopeful, this liberating memoir is an intimate look at figuring out how to forgive-and love-after purity culture.
Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon
Imagine soaring in the sky on a hot air balloon ride with an ex-boyfriend, wondering if you should've married him while also being interested in pursuing someone else. You feel like you know what you're doing, yet floating up there, you feel unstable and unable to get down. For me, that state of confusion-while thousands of feet in the air-stemmed from purity culture. When I was a kid in the '90s and early '00s, I learned from my church that dating was only intended for marriage. That I needed to "remain pure" and abstain from sex before marriage. As a woman, it meant succumbing to traditional gender roles and submitting to men. And it meant that it was a sin to love anyone of the same sex.

But I knew deep down, after a game of truth or dare with one of my friends who was a girl, that this meant I also had to hide my sexuality and desires. As I continued life, I was homeschooled at my church and learned more about "God's will" and how I could abide by it. Flash forward a few years when I attended a purity conference with my mom and sisters, where speakers talked about making decisions about relationships and sexual health. They encouraged us to maintain purity, especially in a world that promotes sexual promiscuity. One speaker in particular focused on how she became a grandmother at age thirty-six and blamed it on generations of sex before marriage. Though romantic relationships were forbidden in my house until I was sixteen, I still sought out connections with boys. And with every relationship I entered, I had to imagine it was my intention to marry them, even at a young age. I also needed to satisfy them and address their needs, as mine came last. And yet, when I had moments of attraction to women sprinkled throughout my teenage years, I had to hide in shame in hopes that no one would discover my secret. If I forced myself not to think about it, I would be safe, and God wouldn't send me to Hell. When I turned fifteen, I dated someone who I eventually lost my virginity to. Instantly, I felt shame, guilt, and like I had failed as a Christian. I was going to Hell, and nothing would save me - not even Jesus, whom I had accepted into my heart when I was six. At seventeen and eighteen, I kissed two girls, and those small moments allowed me to slowly unbury that part of who I was, though it would take many more years to express it out loud. More clarity would start to arrive as I headed to college a few months after breaking up with my boyfriend and the hot air balloon ride. At school, I learned the differences between sex and gender. I learned about gender roles, societal expectations, and sexuality. During lectures about cohabitation, my throat would close, and my stomach would churn, but I realized that it was okay to live together and be in a sexual relationship without being married. It was the first time I had accepted and understood that. In my college relationships, each moment I embraced sex or intimacy before marriage, I still felt in the pit of my gut telling me it was wrong. But yet, I kept learning and continued embracing my desires. The second night I met my now-husband, we had sex. I had come a long way beyond shame and confusion, and for the first time in my adult life, I felt empowered. Over the next several years, I learned more about well-being, spirituality, and sexuality. I prioritized my health, set boundaries, sought therapy, and found ways to practice self-compassion. I spent time in nature, hiked, and connected with people who understood the harm of restrictive religion.

On one of those long hiking trips, one person inspired me to dedicate myself to writing a book, a passion of mine since I was little. Over the following five years, my memoir became a space to heal and reflect on these aspects of my life - sex, love, purity, religion, sexuality, and more. And though I stepped away from the church, I built a community and found acceptance and empowerment in who I am. I finally had the courage to share and no longer hide my queer identity. While there still may be flashes of shame and guilt that sit in my body, it's finally freeing to know that I can connect the dots and understand where that's coming from. It's liberating to know that I can feel stable, get down from that hot air balloon ride, and ground myself with greater clarity.

***

Chrissy Holm (she/they) is a writer, editor, and project manager. She is the host of the podcast Stirred By Words, where she interviews guests and discusses words, writing, and wellness. Her writing has been featured on Everyday Health, National Council on Aging, and more. She is an alumni at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, where she studied Public Health Education and Promotion. Chrissy lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and daughter.

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Queering up your shelf, one rec at a time!

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This website should act as a resource for anyone interested in Young Adult literature with significant LGBTQIAP+ content  published between 2000 and 2020.

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This website seeks to be a comprehensive list of all LGBTQIAP+ YA titles published between 2000 and 2020. It includes all major and indie US presses and selective self-published material. This website is not meant to act as a list of book recommendations, although we provide best of lists for those who seek recommendations.

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Epic Reads | Young Adult (YA) Books & Books for Teens

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Young Adult books from A to Z. Including videos, new releases, interviews, top lists and much more!

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LGBTQ+ archives

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Tired of sobbing while reading A LITTLE LIFE? Read a happy LGBTQ book instead! Take our quiz to find a fun queer book sure to make you smile.

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Advocating for Inclusive and Affirming Content in YA Lit

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Dear Reader, Welcome to the first ever periodical issue of YA Pride! After being on a semi-hiatus for the past year, we are re-launching with a brand new format and clarified focus. Instead of our usual blog post format, we will be transitioning to a quarterly online periodical. With the change in format comes a change in content. Instead of one-off pieces, we are shifting our focus to slower, long-form, in-depth journalistic pieces, that are based on reflection, community conversation, and research. By switching to this type of content, we hope to continue promoting and [...]

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Dear Reader, Welcome to the first ever periodical issue of YA Pride! After being on a semi-hiatus for the past year, we are re-launching with a brand new format and clarified focus. Instead of our usual blog post format, we will be transitioning to a quarterly online periodical.

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Tweets by MissDahlELama

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Tweets by mombian

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Tweets by coolcurrybooks

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Open to All: Serving the GLBT Community in Your Library

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Open to All: Serving the GLBT Community in Your Library

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Free downloadable posters and social graphics to show young readers that ALL are welcome in our classrooms, our libraries, and our lives.

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Celebrate #PrideOnEveryPage with LGBTQAI+ books and resources for readers of all ages!

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Tweets by YA_Pride

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Tweets by LGBT_YA

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Tweets by malindalo

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The Sticky Situation of LGBT+ Book Labels

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The Sticky Situation of LGBT+ Book Labels

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This post is about two of my favorite things: stickers and rainbows. But I'm going to discuss why using them together in your library is not one of my favorite things-why it's not a good idea to put LGBT rainbow stickers on YA books.

But first, a note on my use of language: I use the words "gay" and "queer" interchangeably and both as shorthand as an umbrella term to describe anything and everything on the LGBTQIAP+ spectrum. In places where I use the term "LGBT," I refer to the specific sticker label from a library supply vendor (which is intentionally not linked to here.)

I believe that librarians who sticker YA books with LGBT stickers do this with the best intentions. And I also believe that every library and community is different, so each librarian needs to make the best decision for how to represent their collection within that structure. This post is for those of you who may be considering doing this, but might not have necessarily thought it all the way through.

So, what better way to do that than a good ol' fashioned pros & cons list?

Let's start with the Pros.

Stickering YA books with LGBT stickers helps teens easily identify queer books.

I have had teen patrons complain to me that there are "no gay books in the library," only for me to immediately prove them wrong by handing them a stack of titles to choose from.

I acknowledge that this is easier for me, because I make it my business to be familiar with queer YA books. One of my passions in librarianship is to elevate queer literature for youth. I served two years on ALA's Rainbow Round Table's Rainbow Book List Committee (and one of those years as committee chair), and I currently work for the Stonewall Youth Award Committee as administrative assistant. I choose to follow queer lit trends, so it's not a reasonable expectation to hold other librarians to the same standard. But I do hope every library worker has a personal passion or two that they are intimately familiar with and is their library's expert on the topic!

So, part of me wonders if the LGBT stickers aren't just for patrons to identify queer titles-but also to assist the librarian in finding these titles when there are requests for this material.

That brings me to the Cons list. (Yes, the Pros list only had one item.)

Stickering queer YA books with LGBT stickers is lazy.

Stickers that do the work of identifying LGBT books can be construed as lazy if it takes the place of pushing forward your work as a librarian.

What can you do instead?

Make lists! Make book lists not just of titles that fall under the LGBT acronym, but make sure you are including queer lit on all of your other book lists.

Make displays! Not just queer lit displays, but make sure you are including queer lit in all of your displays. Make sure you're not relegating queer books just to the month of June (Pride Month in the US), but that you are keeping it Gay All Day, Queer All Year.

Recommend! In your readers advisory, include queer lit as suggestions, even if that's not specifically what the patron asks for.

Bookmarks with book lists! Shelf talkers! QR codes that lead to queer books in your digital library! Posters featuring awesome gay books!

And yes, I get that sometimes teens want to be able to find books on their own without asking someone for help. But, that brings me to the next point on my Cons list . . .

Putting LGBT stickers on queer YA books is not discreet.

Stickering queer books to make them identifiable could actually be counterproductive, making teens less likely to borrow them-even if it's exactly what they're looking for.

Think about it. A book that's got a vibrant rainbow sticker with the LGBT acronym can do a lot of damage to a questioning teen who is exploring their identity. This could make the teen a target for bullying if they're seen with the title at school, or raise concerns for them if their caregiver sees them with the book or among their things. Teens advertising that they're reading a gay book because it has a very obvious spine label can discourage them from even pulling the book from the shelf, let alone bothering to check it out or read it.

Putting LGBT stickers on YA books makes these books a target.

In extreme cases, in which a teen is too timid to borrow the book from the library, they may unofficially borrow it. I have noticed trends of the books that tend to go missing from libraries I've worked in tend to be the books that are specifically about queerness. This is anecdotal evidence, but I don't think it's far-fetched to suggest that this happens all over.

Labeling these books increases the possibility of the titles being challenged and threatened for removal. If there are community members who see books with queer content as objectionable, the labels on these books could give them ammunition. And that puts teens at risk.

There are also some people who think LGBT automatically means that the book has "mature content" and that queer books in general are inappropriate for children and teens, which completely undermines the fact that there are age-appropriate titles with queer content for literally every age group. Protect your teen patrons by not giving detractors any more fuel than they need.

Using LGBT spine labels on books actually isn't a valid criteria for helping readers.

LGBT is not a genre - it's an identity. If you're holding a book in which the summary says it's about a queer teen who solves crime, that book's genre is mystery, not gay.

LGBT spine labels "others" the title, which then others the reader. Using LGBT as a genre makes it seem like all gay books belong together - and they don't. Sometimes readers want a good mystery, and the main character's gender or sexual identity doesn't matter. Sometimes readers want a book whose gender or sexual identity DOES matter, but they hate mysteries.

By classifying LGBT as a book genre, we remove the exploration of actual genres, and that creates limitations for all readers. Some library patrons may have the misconception that LGBT-stickered titles aren't for everyone, so these patrons browsing the shelves may automatically skip over those titles thinking that those books aren't meant for them as well. Don't deprive your patrons of good books by causing this divide. Queer books are for everyone.

Also, since LGBT is not a genre, how exactly can we decide where to draw the line of what constitutes a book is gay enough for the sticker? Is it when the main character's identity is clearly stated? What about books where it isn't clear or obvious from the outset? Should you only put LGBT stickers on books if it's a coming out story? A love story? A story of queer pain?

As with the spectrum of gender and sexual identities, Young Adult literature has become a widened spectrum to encompass a variety of identities. There is a beautiful blending of all sorts of identities in YA lit. As queer people are part of our everyday lives, they are also part of our reading experiences (especially in YA lit!) For the past several years in YA lit, it's becoming more rare for a title NOT to include at least a reference or a mention to a character who is queer.

Use of the LGBT sticker just isn't accurate, as far as queerness goes.

The specific sticker I'm discussing here, the one by the library supply vendor I'm intentionally not linking to, stops at the "LGBT" acronym. What about the rest of the acronym? There are YA titles with asexual characters, intersex characters, nonbinary characters ... and so many more. But this sticker doesn't represent any of them. If this sticker doesn't accurately incorporate titles such as Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (asexual character), None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio (intersex character), Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve (nonbinary character), then it excludes them. Imagine being othered by the very thing that is supposed to help represent you! This sticker simply isn't qualified to do its job correctly!

If your books are already stickered and I've convinced you that this is a Very Bad Idea, you have options!

Consider restickering the books with more appropriate labels that better fit the genre.

Don't deprive a reader looking for an awesome sci-fi fantasy novel by obscuring a title such as Once & Future Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy with the LGBT sticker. All told, this is a sci-fi King Arthur retelling, same with Tracy Deonn's Legendborn. While queer characters are featured more prominently in Once & Future, a title like Legendborn, which has queer supporting characters, can be affirming as well. So try to avoid alienating readers who may otherwise pass over a title just because it has an LGBT sticker.

If your library uses LGBT stickers on your books and you love them and don't want to remove them, make sure you have a roll of masking tape or washi tape on hand to cover the sticker if a teen is hesitant to check it out. These kinds of tapes are low-adhesive and can be easily peeled off when the book is returned. (Hat tip: Thank you to Ashley Balay, Youth Services Librarian at Licking County Library for this idea.)

On a final note, to make sure your library and teen space are queer-friendly, go ahead and put rainbows anywhere else than on your books! Does your desk have a plexiglass sneeze guard as a COVID-19 precaution? Those things are perfect for displaying decals! Consider getting a "safe space" or a rainbow flag to display. That signal will help teens feel more comfortable asking you for all the queer books. When you make it your goal to participate in harm reduction, teens will notice your efforts and feel safer in your library.

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The Sticky Situation of LGBT+ Book Labels

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This post is about two of my favorite things: stickers and rainbows. But I'm going to discuss why using them together in your library is not one of my favorite things-why it's not a good idea to put LGBT rainbow stickers on YA books.

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The YA/MG Trans & Nonbinary Voices Masterlist

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The YA/MG Trans & Nonbinary Voices Masterlist

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This database contains young adult and middle grade fiction titles with trans and nonbinary protagonists by trans and nonbinary authors.

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WHAT'S ON THIS LIST?
This database contains young adult and middle grade fiction titles written by trans and/or nonbinary authors that include trans and/or nonbinary characters. The publishing types are Big 5, independent house, and self-published books, upcoming releases included. I define trans and nonbinary broadly, as you will see in the dropdown list under the gender category on the database: basically, anyone who identifies as some type of not-cis person.

This list contains only books, novellas, short stories, anthologies and collections explicitly listed in the young adult and middle grade categories, and books whose characters' and authors' identities I was able to confirm via research or personal knowledge, since I have no wish to out anyone or speculate about someone's gender. If you have a book to recommend, a correction to make, or want your books listed in this database, please contact me and I will happily edit the list!

Again, the only requirements for inclusion on this list are:
1) The book is YA or MG fiction.
2) The book is self-published or pubbed by an indie or Big 5 house, or an upcoming release.
3) There is a trans, nonbinary, or otherwise not-cis character in the book
4) The author is trans, nonbinary, or otherwise not-cis

The inclusion of books on this list is for data and resource purposes, though it can and has been used as a promotional tool. A book's presence on this list is not indicative of its quality, or an endorsement of its content or author; it is just a notation that the book exists.
WHY DOES IT EXIST?
Trans and nonbinary characters written by trans and nonbinary people are painfully rare across all genres and categories, and young adult and middle grade are no exception. I decided to create this database after a friend asked me for recommendations of young adult trans ownvoices fiction, and I could only think of a single book I had actually read. Surely there must be more, I thought. And I was curious about the data, too: how were the different corners of publishing (the Big Five, independent houses, and self-publishing) each doing when it came to buying books about trans characters by trans authors? I also wanted the database to be searchable, so readers could find exactly what they were looking for.

HOW DO I USE IT?
Several ways! Obvibase recently changed its interface (2/23/20), so I've updated the directions accordingly.

1. Click on the three dots in the header for a particular column to see a pop-up box with options for narrowing the list. You can sort A-Z or Z-A (which also applies to dates).

2. In that same pop-up box, you can also select "Filter...", and then check the box for what you want to filter by. Each narrowing adds on to the one before it: so you can search by gender, race, and sexual orientation, for example, to find a gay Latinx trans boy protagonist-as of this update (2/23/20), that's Yadriel from Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas!

3. To remove filters, look at the footer along the bottom of the database. Click on the filter you want to remove, and a pop-up box with an option to do so will appear.

4. Use Command-F or Control-F, depending on your computer, or click on the magnifying glass in the upper left hand side of the header, to search the entire database.

5. You can also just scroll through without applying any filters or searching. Explore to your heart's desire!

SOME NOTES ON CATEGORIES
When it comes to defining aspects of identity, words are rarely enough to encompass the complexity of our experiences. I want to acknowledge the imperfections and reductiveness inherent in trying to make a database searchable by gender, orientation, race, and more categories as I add them. The database format itself is limiting, and I've tried to strike a balance between listing options that will be useful from a data standpoint as well as useful for peoples' personal experiences. The 'Unknown' option refers to instances where I have not read the book or otherwise have not been able to confirm the character's identity. I welcome feedback on the search options!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This database owes a debt to several lists that preceded it: YA Pride's and LGBTQReads' lists of transgender characters in young adult fiction and this massive Goodreads list of books for trans teens, all of which I scoured for trans ownvoices; as well as The Asexual and Aromantic Characters Database by Claudie Arsenault, through which I discovered the online database program I used to compile this masterlist. Thank you also to the folks who commented on my tweet about this project to offer recommendations, and those who shared said tweet far and wide.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO....CLICK THE LINK BELOW!

This is a volunteer project; maintaining it and distilling the data into blog posts takes many hours. If you appreciate t hat work, please buy my books!

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The YA/MG Trans & Nonbinary Voices Masterlist

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Welcome! WHAT'S ON THIS LIST?This database contains young adult and middle grade fiction titles written by trans and/or nonbinary authors that include trans and/or nonbinary characters. The publishing types are Big 5, independent house, and self-published books, upcoming releases included. I define trans and nonbinary broadly, as you will see in the dropdown list under...

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From 2011-2019, Malinda Lo counted up the number of LGBTQ+ YA novels published annually. She made a lot of pie charts. In this post you’ll find all of those stastistical analyses rounded up in one place.

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From 2011-2019, I counted up the number of LGBTQ+ YA novels published annually. I made a lot of pie charts. In this post you'll find all of those stastistical analyses rounded up in one place.

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From 2011-2019, I counted up the number of LGBTQ+ YA novels published annually. I made a lot of pie charts. In this post you'll find all of those stastistical analyses rounded up in one place.

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Creating a Inclusive Library: LGBTQ+ Teens Share Their Recommendations

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Creating a Inclusive Library: LGBTQ+ Teens Share Their Recommendations

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Creating a Queer Inclusive Library: LGBT Teens Recommend Books

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This post on creating a queer inclusive library is sponsored by This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson. There's a long-running joke that, after "coming out," a lesbian, gay guy, bisexual, or trans person should receive a membership card and instruction manual. THIS IS THAT INSTRUCTION MANUAL. You're welcome.

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This website should act as a resource for anyone interested in Young Adult literature with significant LGBTQIAP+ content  published between 2000 and 2020.

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This website seeks to be a comprehensive list of all LGBTQIAP+ YA titles published between 2000 and 2020. It includes all major and indie US presses and selective self-published material. This website is not meant to act as a list of book recommendations, although we provide best of lists for those who seek recommendations.

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LGBTQ Programming Resources for Librarians

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LGBTQ Programming Resources for Librarians

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A compilation of go-to resources for creating and running LGBTQ inclusive library programs.

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“Why would you want to encourage gay people?”: LGBTQ+ representation in libraries

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“Why would you want to encourage gay people?”: LGBTQ+ representation in libraries

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Librarians hear all kinds of responses to LGBTQ+ materials in the collection, especially any time they are on display to celebrate Pride Week or Pride Month. Some of the most memorable responses consist of barely-veiled hostility toward the LGBT community in general. "Why would you want to encourage gay people?" "Do you think parents are okay with this?"

Then there are the infinitely more rewarding positive responses. "I'm always searching for positive representation for people like me, and I find it here." "No one knows I'm gay, but I can take refuge here." "I wish these collections existed when I was young and questioning." "I'm afraid to come out to my parents, but I can read stories with gay characters while I'm here." The public library should be a refuge for all kinds of people. Sadly, there are many stories from members of marginalized groups of feeling safer at the library than elsewhere in their communities.

Earlier this month, a coworker arranged a couple of Pride Month displays of LGBT fiction and nonfiction. The second I saw that display I offered to contribute some graphic novels and started putting together an ever-growing list of LGBT characters in my library's graphic novel collection. Then, last Sunday at about 2:00 a.m., Omar Mateen attacked Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49* people and wounding 53 [*Edit: this number has been updated, as the earlier figure of 50 included the shooter]. In the words of an openly bisexual friend who nonetheless uses a twitter pseudonym:

Coming out, being out. Those are acts of courage in a society that wants you dead. Reflect on that today, this Pride Month and forever.

- Minovsky (@MinovskyArticle) June 12, 2016

Putting together book lists and displays about different identities is not an act of courage - or at least, it shouldn't be. Within the South Carolina Library Association, conference programs with a focus on programming and collections for marginalized groups consistently draw attentive, passionate professionals who want their libraries to serve as refuges, learning centers, and safe spaces for everyone in their communities. Those librarians are not courageous, but they are looking out for their patrons and spreading the word among colleagues about what works, whether it's a gay prom or policies for combating prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination.

By signing up you agree to our terms of use

By the way, while we're on the topic of marginalized communities, the value of seeing oneself in comics should be crystal clear and absolutely supported by nerds. The platonic ideal of nerd origin stories is usually some variation of, "I got into X interest at a time when my life was difficult / I felt alone and X spoke to me / I didn't understand myself but X was within my control." Anyone who has found their fondness for comics turning into a rather involved hobby (ahem) should be the first to identify with the need for diversity in storytelling and storytellers. For example, anyone who cheers Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Peter Parker for being a humorous underdog teenager struggling to balance urban and superpowered life should be giving Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, and Adrian Alphona's Kamala Khan a standing ovation.

This transitive empathy goes beyond LGBT stories into any kind of representation, and highlights moments of hypocrisy, too. Walk with people through comics shelves, whether in a library or comics shop or convention booth, and chat up other comics nerds who can talk at length about favorite writers, artists, and characters. Somehow, the sight of a female Thor or black Captain America sets off some people's need to comment on the inappropriateness of "force-feeding" diversity to audiences. "Why did they have to replace Thor with a woman? Why can't they use an original character?" Point out that Thor Odinson is present in those issues, and that "Lady Thor's" alter ego is an established Marvel character, then get dismissed for proving their conception wrong. Why not at least read the comic first?

Last February, I made a book display of comics featuring black protagonists, including Sam Wilson as Captain America. I would check on the display and find that comic on more than one occasion flipped over, moved away, or covered by another book. No one ever voiced a complaint with library staff about it, but clearly someone had a strong opinion about "the real Captain." From that point on, I made sure to keep that display as populated as possible with Sam Wilson comics, whether as Cap or Falcon. Would the silent objector dismiss the comic's inclusion of Steve Rogers as quickly as the anti-Thor fanboy who dismissed Thor Odinson's presence? Inclusion is not erasure. Like any good literature, comics can serve as escapes, lessons, challenges, meditations, mirrors, and comforts. Here are three such examples:

Exhibit A: the massive amount of LGBT-inclusive webcomics putting out the sort of content that only trickles to market in print.
Exhibit B: the X-Men and their enduring appeal as a group of marginalized freaks.
Exhibit C: Dean Trippe'sSomething Terrible, about the life-saving quality of escapism for someone who felt silenced and self-destructive as a result of sexual violence during childhood.

While the history of LGBT representation in comics is full of compromises and hurdles, it has also only gotten better, stronger, and more populated with time. Dive in at your local library or, if the collection needs help, say so and offer some suggestions for the sake of the next reader who visits. Believe me, they're looking.

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"Why Would You Want To Encourage Gay People?": LGBTQ+ Representation In Libraries

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Librarians hear all kinds of responses to LGBTQ+ materials in the collection, especially any time they are on display to celebrate Pride Week or Pride Month. Some of the most memorable responses consist of barely-veiled hostility toward the LGBT community in general. "Why would you want to encourage gay people?"

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The purpose of the Digital Transgender Archive (DTA) is to increase the accessibility of transgender history by providing an online hub for digitized historical materials, born-digital materials, and information on archival holdings throughout the world.

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Latest Tweets

In light of Twitter's new anti-trans CEO, the DTA team has decided to leave this platform. Thanks for engaging with us here! You can still find us on Instagram and FB. #leavingtwitter

Happy Halloween! In celebration of our favorite holiday, enjoy these fliers and photos from Halloweens of years past, courtesy of Transas City, the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center of San Francisco Public Library, and JD Doyle Archives.
Links here: https://linktr.ee/digitaltransarc

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Latest Tweets In light of Twitter's new anti-trans CEO, the DTA team has decided to leave this platform. Thanks for engaging with us here! You can still find us on Instagram and FB. #leavingtwitter Happy Halloween! In celebration of our favorite holiday, enjoy these fliers and photos from Halloweens of years past, courtesy of Transas City, the James C.

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The Lesbian Herstory Archives is home to the world’s largest collection of materials by and about Lesbians and their communities.

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The Lesbian Herstory Archives exists to gather and preserve records of Lesbian lives and activities, providing access to materials relevant to their lives.

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Publicity materials, social media graphics, book lists, and other tools for promoting ALA's Rainbow Book Month in your library.

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June is Rainbow Book Month™

Rainbow Book Month™ is a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, genderqueer, queer, intersex, agender, and asexual community. Originally established in the early 1990s by The Publishing Triangle as National Lesbian and Gay Book Month, this occasion is an opportunity for book lovers and libraries with the very best in LGBTQIA+ literature.

At a time when books by and about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals are under siege and library workers are facing threats and harassment for serving these communities, Rainbow Book Month has never been more important. If your library is experiencing challenges to materials and programs serving the LGBTQIA+ community, please contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom to report censorship and receive free confidential support. ALA's Fight Censorship page provides resources to prepare for and respond to challenges to library books, materials, and services.

Rainbow Book Month™ is an initiative of the American Library Association, and is coordinated through its Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services and the Rainbow Round Table.

Customizable Publicity Materials and Templates

Get the word out in your community about Rainbow Book Month™ and your library's celebrations! ALA has developed these free, customizable publicity templates that are ready for your library to adapt and submit to your local media.

Rainbow Book Month™ Press Release Template [DOCX]

Rainbow Book Month™ Flyer [PDF]

Rainbow Book Month™ Letter-to-the-Editor Template [DOCX]

Rainbow Book Month™ PSA scripts [DOCX]

Rainbow Book Month™ Radio PSA scripts [DOCX]

Rainbow Book Month Social Media Graphics

Share how your institution is celebrating Rainbow Book Month™ with the following social media graphics, and use #RainbowBookMonth to join the conversation!

Rainbow Book Month Facebook Profile [PNG]

Rainbow Book Month Facebook Post [PNG]

Rainbow Book Month Twitter Profile [PNG]

Rainbow Book Month Twitter Header [PNG]

Rainbow Book Month Twitter Post [PNG]

Rainbow Book Month Instagram Post [PNG]

Libraries Transform Social Media/Promotional Graphics

Celebrate the importance of inclusive stories year-round with the following downloadable graphics from the Libraries Transform campaign!

LGBTQIA+ Book Awards and Bibliographies from ALA

The American Library Association supports LGBTQIA+ literature through the Stonewall Book Awards (in Children's and Young Adult, Non-Fiction, and Literature categories), as well as two bibliographies including the Rainbow Book List and Over the Rainbow Book List. These awards and lists serve to recognize the very best in contemporary literature and serve as invaluable tools for building quality LGBTQIA+ collections.

Tools for Library Workers

Holding a book discussion or programming this June in honor of Rainbow Book Month™? Authors, publishers, school districts, reading organizations, and even the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund have put time and effort into creating reading guides specifically for book discussions. ALA has also created several resources around best practices for community-informed programming. Below are several tools which can be used on their own or as jumping off points.

For general information, please contact:

Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services

American Library Association

For media inquiries, please refer to the press kit and contact the American Library Association Communications and Marketing Office cmomedia@ala.org.

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June is Rainbow Book Month™ Rainbow Book Month™ is a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, genderqueer, queer, intersex, agender, and asexual community.

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Show Your YA Pride: LGBTQ+ Book Displays From Around the World

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Show Your YA Pride: LGBTQ+ Book Displays From Around the World

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Have you been curious about what goes into the "What's Up in YA?" newsletter? Here's a look at the last newsletter, which hit subscriber inboxes Monday, June 20. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. If you haven't subscribed, click here and you'll get the next issue on July 4.
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In light of June being Pride month, and more, because there's a whole lot to think about in the wake of the horrific tragedy at Pulse in Orlando, I wanted to take the opportunity to do something a little bit different for this week's YA newsletter. Rather than share my own commentary or do a massive round-up of links, I thought some power would come through instead allowing others to share their support for and of the LGBTQ+ community.

I asked librarians, booksellers, educators, and anyone else who has seen or built a book display for Pride month to share an image or two with me. The response was unbelievable. From huge, elaborate displays to acknowledgements in smaller, tighter spaces, seeing how people support the LGBTQ YA community leaves me a little brighter, fuller, and more whole. In a world where there is so much darkness and hurt, it's powerful to see these tiny acts. It might not feel like a book display does a whole lot, but if the response to this newsletter alone is any indication, small display after small display after small display through hundreds and thousands of libraries and bookstores amounts to something much bigger.

The LGBTQ+ community is shown on our shelves. Is seen in our displays. And is cared about.

Below are all of the displays I've received via email. I've included commentary from those who have sent in the images, too. These displays get books moving, as well as encourage readers who might not be part of the LGBTQ+ community to take an interest, to learn, and to develop a healthy sense of empathy for the people who live right alongside them.

If you are in the position of being able to develop book displays or book lists or share YA books with young readers, I encourage you to consider revisiting these books, sharing them how you can, and displaying them not just in June (or October for LGBTQ month), but year round. Incorporate them into your book recommendations, into your regular reading rotations, and be willing to talk, to share, and to advocate on behalf of the stories and the young people who sometimes can't find the way to do it for themselves. It's through these books they can better develop the language. . . and their sense of belonging.

Amy Diegelman's display at Vineyard Haven Public Library, Vineyard Haven, MA.

Nicole Harris found this display in the Chesterfield County Virginia North Courthouse branch over the weekend: "I was so happy to see it there along side the YA new releases since teens flock to see what new books are available."

My name is Emily and I'm an editor with a small publishing company here in Halifax on the east coast of Canada. I wanted to share this display from Halifax Central Library. I don't believe they're all YA books, but it's so pretty. 🙂 (The sign at the top says "Happy Pride Month!")

From Lauren Gibaldi: I work at the Alafaya Library (part of the Orange County Library System) and this is the display I made for our YA section. Like I said, most books have been checked out (yay!!!), so I've had to replenish daily. I've had it up since June 1st and we haven't had one complaint. Fun fact: None of the Above went first. Second most popular were f/f books.

From Deby Fry: This is ours for the Gum Spring Library in South Riding, VA. We're a part of the Loudoun County Public Library system in Virginia. The day I put it out, I heard a group of girls gathered around a table talking about some of the books they'd already read and loved, and they picked up a few to take home!

From Michelle Ross: Here's a pic of a YA display at the Main Branch of Kanawha County Public Library in Charleston, WV. This pic was taken only a few minutes after I put the display up and someone had already grabbed two books.

I also have free, LGBTQIA+ bookmark printables available to download from my blog here.

From Renata Sancken: I have a Pride display on our digital carousel (that shows on the catalog computers throughout the library). You can view the whole carousel right here.

All displays above are from Richland Library in Columbia, South Carolina, and the titles were selected by Miciah Bennett and Thomas Maluck.

Danielle Mohlman sent this snap she grabbed of the window display in her local indie, Secret Garden Books in Seattle, Washington.

From Jessica Spotswood: This is the Pride display I made for our teen section - the Southwest Neighborhood Library of the DC Public Library. She writes: " I'm not sure if teens in this neighborhood would feel safe checking them out. But it feels important to me that we have the display and they see us celebrating Pride."

From Nicole Brinkley: We have two displays at Oblong Books - one at our Millerton store (top) and our Rhinebeck store (bottom).

From Robin Johnsen: Here is the display from the Dyer-Schererville Branch of Lake County Public Library (Indiana). This is just the YA books side. The other side of the table has adult books and kids books.

From Rebecca Speas: Our Pride display at One More Page Books in Arlington, VA. It's not a strictly YA display, since we tried to put up an array of genres, but we did include CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell, WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD by Christopher Barzak, GEORGE by Alex Gino, and LIES WE TELL OURSELVES by Robin Talley (one of our favorite local authors!)

This display was created by myself and fellow OMP staffer Amanda Quain, and we have already sold a copy of Lies We Tell Ourselves as a gift since it's been displayed.

From Paige McGeorge at Lethbridge Public Library in Alberta, Canada: I've included some pics of our physical book displays, plus a shot of our featured Overdrive ebook collection. They've both proved very popular, which is so great to see.

Erikka set up this display at the library where she works.

From Caitlin Kenney: I work at the North Tonawanda Public Library in North Tonawanda, New York, and told my co-worker, Kelly, about your newsletter and she liked the idea, so I took a picture of her Pride display she made for the teen department. She's had to fill it a few times already, which is great!

Via Ruth Compton: Arlington County's Central Library in Virginia. Display created by Alex Zealand.

From Becky Canovan: This is the display in the library at the University of Dubuque. She writes, "It was a conscious choice to keep this display small so it fit in our highest traffic area of the summer, next to our printers. We also have the digital sign as part of the rotation on our screen in our entryway."

From Rosie Bromberg: This is the current teen room display at the Poulsbo Library, part of Kitsap Regional Libraries, in Poulsbo, Washington. Of course, the books didn't stay in rainbow order for long.

From Vee: I got a chance to make a Pride Display at Addendum Books, so I thought I'd send it your way (top image). I had a SUPER fun time making it. I have the books roughly sorted by genre. 🙂 I haven't had a shift since I made it, so I don't know what's been popular, but every time I pass by the store on the bus the display gets a lot of glances.

I also got to make a resource sheet for the library I work at (Highland Park in Saint Paul)!

Display at the Alameda Free Library in Alameda, California and made by the Teen Librarian, Hallie Fields. She writes, " Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and Honor Girl were immediately checked out before I could even photograph the display."

From Sarah Prineas: Attached is a picture of a display that I put together in the kids section at Prairie Lights, an independent bookstore in Iowa City, Iowa. It includes a list of recommended books from a local teen reader, Luke Reynolds.

And here's Luke Reynolds's recommendation list:

Recommended GLBT Young Adult Books from Luke Reynolds (West High School class of '18)

From Molly Wetta: Here are the displays from Lawrence (KS) Public Library. The first one is in the teen zone, the second one is by the welcome desk when you first walk into the building. The YA one has had books fly off of it - I restocked it before taking the picture.

From Robin Brenner at Brookline Public Library in Massachusetts: I put up this display on June 1st, especially to highlight the great variety of newer teen titles that have come out over the past year (although, happily, many of them were already out.) Since I took these pictures, I added a good number of our nonfiction titles as well, and almost half of them are already gone. It's prominently displayed right outside our Teen Room, near our main elevator, and I've been gratified to see so many people checking out the display and grabbing titles.

From Emily Charpentier: The following blog post includes the Pinterest board version of Uxbridge High School's in-library Pride display and a photo of the in-library display

A member of the GSA asked me to put up a display for Pride Month, though unfortunately, all books are due back for the summer tomorrow, so there isn't much checking out going on. Definitely promised another student that I wouldn't take down the Pinterest board so she'd still be able to see the list of books on the display later when she could check some out, though.

From Katelyn Attanasio: Here is the one I put together at Cascades Library in Potomac Falls, VA. It's located at the front of our teen center and has been fairly popular. The books with gay male characters have been the most popular, but all of the books have been going over well. We also haven't had any complaints about it this year!

From Angie Manfredi at Los Alamos County Library System, Los Alamos, New Mexico.

From Becky Greer at South Shore Regional Library.

Included on my display are the following books:

Adrian and the Tree of Secrets by Hubert

Alex as Well by Alyssa Brugman

Will Grayson, Will Grayson (in Spanish) by John Green & David Levithan

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Letters to Our Children: Lesbian and Gay Adults Speak to the New Generation Edited by Larry Dane Brimner

What We Hide by Marthe Jocelyn

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

What We Left Behind by Robin Talley

Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian

Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash

On The Count of Three by Maureen Johnson

GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens by Kelly Huegel

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz

There is also a list of the Rainbow Books with their YA selections: https://glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks/archives/1207

I also put out LGBTQIA bookmarks, with a short list of books in those genres. We are down to 1 book mark, and I have already had to replace a few books like Carry On by Rainbow Rowell and I am J by Cris Beam.

From Chelsea Outlaw, a youth services associate at a library in Kansas.

From Jess Gafkowitz: I'm the new YA librarian at the Sheepshead Bay branch for the Brooklyn Public Library. Attached are two photos of my tiny YA Pride display.

From Tina Dalton: I'm sending you a photo of the YA pride display for the Cuba Circulating Library in Cuba, NY.

From Ilana Soorenko: This Pride display is in the Teen Room at our library, the Queens Library at Flushing. The display was a joint effort between myself and my coworker Christian Arffmann (he actually did the display board, and the choice of books was shared between us). So far, I've mostly noticed that the comics ( The New Avengers, Zodiac Starforce, Catwoman, X-men) and manga ( Princess Jellyfish, Strawberry Panic, His Favorite) have been the items most checked out or returned to the display, but that's not surprising considering how heavily browsed those collections are in general.

From Kathleen Breitenbach at Hamilton Township Public Library.

From Brandi Fong: Our Pride display at the Peace Dale Library in South Kingstown, RI.

From Andi, children's bookseller at Foyles Grand Central Birmingham: The top is a display for Pride month, and below is the small year-round section the bookstore keeps of YA LGBTQ+ titles.

From Anna Haase Krueger: Pride display at the Ramsey County Public Library in Minnesota (more adult than YA, but I'm including it anyway!).

From Katie McLain: We have two up at our library: a Pride-specific display & a rainbow colored "I can't remember the title but the cover was..." display. I set up the Pride display, and my Reference coworker, Priscilla Resendiz, set up the rainbow colored display. These are from the Waukegan Public Library in Waukegan, IL.

From Maria Padian: Pride at Curtis Library in Brunswick, Maine!

Finally, I want to end with the display and related commentary that perhaps will be the one that requires your tissues, if you're not already there...

And that is how you do it.

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If you haven't subscribed, click here and you'll get the next issue of "What's Up in YA?" on July 4.

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Show Your YA Pride: LGBTQ+ Book Displays from Around The World

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Have you been curious about what goes into the "What's Up in YA?" newsletter? Here's a look at the last newsletter, which hit subscriber inboxes Monday, June 20. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. If you haven't subscribed, click here and you'll get the next issue on July 4.

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We Need to Talk About LGBTQ Book Displays

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We Need to Talk About LGBTQ Book Displays

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We Need to Talk About LGBTQ Book Displays - Teen Librarian Toolbox

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A few days ago, an article surfaced that made it known that the director of Washington County libraries in Utah told their staff that they could not put up LGBTQ themed displays. Source: LGBTQ displays not allowed at any Washington County libraries. The reasoning is that the director didn’t want to…

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We Need to Talk About LGBTQ Book Displays

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The Quinn Library 2nd Floor Virtual Book Display makes it easy to celebrate this year's LGTBQ+ Pride Month from any of your favorite electronic devices. Reading with Pride includes selected ebooks from our online collection, films from our streaming databases, and LGBTQ+ literary trivia. Happy Pride!

Explore the virtual book display below to find e-books in our collection that you can read from anywhere (note: display works best in Chrome). To interact with the display, start by clicking the "Enter" button in the top right corner. Then, click on the cover of a book to see a summary. When you find a book you want to check out, click on "Read Now" in the top left to be directed to the library catalog. A list of all titles provided, with links to the e-books, is also included below.

E-Books on Display

The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality: From Ace to Ze (Potts, Morgan)

Alan Hollinghurst: Writing Under the Influence (Mendelssohn, Michele & Flannery, Denis)

Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes (Kushner, Tony)

The Emergence of Trans: Cultures, Politics, and Everyday Lives (Pearce, Ruth et al.)

Every True Pleasure: LGBTQ Tales of North Carolina (Barnhardt, Wilton)

Female Masculinity (Halberstam, Jack)

Fiebre Tropical (Delgado Lopera, Juliana)

Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (Butler, Judith)

Glitter Up the Dark: How Pop Music Broke the Binary (Geffen, Sasha)

Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) History (Chiang, Howard et al.)

Goodnight, beloved comrade: the letters of Denton Welch to Eric Olver (Welch, Denton & Murtaugh, Daniel J.)

Lesbian Decadence: Representations in Art and Literature of Fin-de-Siecle France (Albert, Nicole et al.)

LGBTQ Stats: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People by the Numbers (Deschamps, David)

Men in Place: Trans Masculinity, Race, and Sexuality in America (Abelson, Miriam J.)

The New Gay for Pay: The Sexual Politics of American Television Production (Himberg, Julia)

No Tea, No Shade: New Writings in Black Queer Studies (Johnson, E. Patrick)

Non-Binary Lives: An Anthology of Intersecting Identities (Twist, Jo et al.)

Poppy's Return (Rosier, Pat)

Producing Queer Youth: The Paradox of Digital Media Empowerment (Berliner, Lauren)

Queer Activism After Marriage Equality (DeFilippis, Joseph)

Queer Images: A History of Gay and Lesbian Film in America (Benshoff, Harry M. & Griffin, Sean)

Queer Theologies: The Basics (Greenough, Chris)

Queer Voices From the Locker Room (Cu-Hullan Tsuyoshi McGivern)

Real Life (Taylor, Brandon)

Rocking the Closet: How Little Richard, Johnnie Ray, Liberace, and Johnny Mathis Queered Pop Music (Stephens, Vincent)

The Routledge History of Queer America (Romesburg,Don)

77 (Saccomanno, Guillermo)

So Famous and So Gay: The Fabulous Potency of Truman Capote and Gertrude Stein (Solomon, Jeff)

Starling Days: A Novel (Buchanan, Rowan Hisayo)

This Deaf-Mute Boy (Geraci, Joseph)

This Town Sleeps (Staples, Dennis E.)

To My Trans Sisters (Craggs, Charlie)

Trans Love (Benson, Freiya)

Trans People in Higher Education (Beemyn, Genny)

Transgender Rights: From Obama to Trump (Mezey, Susan Gluck)

The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray (Wilde, Oscar & Frankel, Nicholas)

Streaming Films

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The Quinn Library 2nd Floor Virtual Book Display makes it easy to celebrate this year's LGTBQ+ Pride Month from any of your favorite electronic devices. Reading with Pride includes selected ebooks from our online collection, films from our streaming databases, and LGBTQ+ literary trivia. Happy Pride!

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Pride Displays During Rainbow Book Month

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Pride Displays During Rainbow Book Month

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By: Holly Eberle

As of 2020, GLBT Book Month has been renamed Rainbow Book Month, following the Rainbow Round Table's similar name change last year. This ALA Round Table used to be called the GLBT Round Table, which itself aroused member discussion as to why the G was first. The GLBTRT Chair from 2018-2019, Ana Elisa de Campos Salles, put it best in American Libraries:

According to ALA rules for name changes, we needed to have two different round table boards vote on this. We sent out surveys to get as much feedback from membership as possible. How did they feel about possibly extending our alphabet soup of a name to additional letters? Or did they want something more emblematic? The one that came out on top was Rainbow Round Table.

www.ala.org/rt/rrt/rainbow-book-month

Rainbow Book Month is a celebration of the authors and writing that reflect the lives of the lesbian, gay, bixsexual, transgender, pansexual, genderqueer, queer, intersex, agender, and asexual community. June is also Pride Month, which commemorates the Stonewall Riots that happened at the end of June in 1969. For these reasons, it is quite common for libraries to have Rainbow Book Month displays in June. June is not the only time that such literature is important, but it is always a good opportunity to display and highlight materials.

The ALA Rainbow Round Table is the oldest LGBTQIA+ professional organization in the United States. The work of the Rainbow Round Table is especially important in its 50th year, with censorship of Rainbow library books, programs, and displays on the rise. Library displays are one of the most passive ways to draw attention to materials. The materials are simply existing for library users to see and take if they are interested (or not). Is that the whole problem? Libraries allowing space for Rainbow materials to be seen?

Censorship of Rainbow Library Displays

The Office for Intellectual Freedom began specifically tracking censorship of library displays in December 2016. Since then, 40 of the 54 reported Display Challenges are for LGBT content (74%). 24 of those 40 LGBT displays were retained by the library. The rest were dismantled, withdrawn, or the status is unknown. Some of these cases are still ongoing, such as the Rumford Public Library in Maine, which began in 2018. Rumford's display was actually a Banned Books Week display that featured two LGBT books, not a display exclusively to LGBT materials.

Including Displays!

Many libraries have policies for book challenges but displays are not always specifically written in and oftentimes the challenged display ends up getting dismantled without much discussion. When trends like this are allowed to continue, it leads to a chilling effect of self-censorship in libraries. No display, no problem. Except for that members of the LGBTQIA+ community do not exist in a vacuum. They exist on library staff, library volunteers, library patrons, and are members of the community. If you think a group of people will not notice the absence of a display, think again. My library has a regular who stops in the building every February 1st to check up on our Black History Month display - namely if it's there.

There are many reasons why a person will not approach the reference desk to ask a question including the question revealing their gender identity, problems at home, physical problems, religious identity...questions can be very personal! Displays are great for this reason. Just because someone is not regularly asking about a topic, does not mean that topic is not important to them or that they do not exist.

Some of the complaints seem to politicize the existence of LGBTQIA+ individuals by requesting an anti-LGBT display to give equal representation. That really misses the point of using a particular month to highlight a group of people's contributions to literature. Anti-LGBT, anti-feminist, and racist materials can be found in libraries but library workers usually do not put them with displays for Pride Month, Women's History Month, or Black History Month. It is also common to display Oscar-winning films in January and similarly, library workers do not put the world's worst rated films next to them for equal representation. Sometimes things just need to be celebrated!

Rainbow Booklists

If you're on social media, you may have seen this story about a mother's gender reveal party for her 6-year-old child. My initial youth librarian take-away was that the woman went to a bookstore, which was lacking in Rainbow children's materials. The Library can provide far more than a mere three books!

With that in mind, checkout these Rainbow Round Table curated book lists for Rainbow Book Month Display ideas. Or eBook virtual displays - whatever the status of your physical collection in 2020 may be.

Holly Eberle is the Youth Technology Librarian at the Algonquin Area Public Library District in northern Illinois and a member of the Intellectual Freedom Committee. She received her MLIS from the University of Illinois in December 2015. Her passion for the intellectual freedom rights of youth began in kindergarten when her elementary school library pulled the Goosebumps series off the shelves. She also is interested in the technological realm of intellectual freedom and privacy issues. Outside of the library she is a metalhead and you may follow her on Instagram @doom_metal_librarian.

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Pride Displays During Rainbow Book Month

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June is Rainbow Book Month, presented by the ALA Rainbow Round Table. Their work is especially important in its 50th year, with censorship of Rainbow library books, programs, and displays on the rise. Since the OIF began tracking Display Challenges in December 2016, 40 of the 54 reported challenges are for LGBT content (74%).

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Have a question? Comment? Just want to chat?

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Have a question? Comment? Just want to chat?

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Email me: ingham@veronalibrary.org or jennakingham@gmail.com

Follow me on socials! I'm @heymissjenna on Twitter and Instagram

Visit my website at heymissjenna.com

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This is probably the webinar that brought you to this Padlet!

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"In, Out, & In Between Supporting & Representing LGBTQ+ Teens in Libraries" 

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"In, Out, & In Between Supporting & Representing LGBTQ+ Teens in Libraries" 

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Webinar recording

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LibraryLinkNJ, The New Jersey Library Cooperative

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
In, Out, & In Between Supporting & Representing LGBTQ+ Teens in Libraries