This is a presentation to librarians and library students at the University of Michigan School of Information on February 8, 2014. The speakers included two officers and two members of the LGBTQIA student group Information Across the Spectrum.

1. Information Across the Spectrum
Presents:
LGBTQ Perspectives in Libraries
Panel: Chris Bulin, Kirsten Hansen, Jean Hardy, and Ashley Walker

2. Equal Opportunity Statements
● Does it include Sexual Orientation, Gender Expression,
Gender Identity?
● Is it prominently displayed or made easily available to
applicants?
● Does diversity training support this aspect of the EOE
statement?

3. Employee Benefits
● How do you define spouse? Is it partner inclusive? (not
just domestic partner but same-sex spouse)
● Are the requirements for dependent eligibility the same
for same-sex spouses?

4. Employee Benefits Cont’d.
● Are benefits for same-sex spouses included in all
benefits (bereavement, FMLA, life insurance, etc.)? or
only health care?
● Transgender inclusive by World Professional
Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care
(WPATH SOC)

5. Transgender Support
● Do you have a policy describing organizational support
for transitioning employees?
● Do you have gender neutral bathrooms available for
employees and visitors/patrons/customers/members?

6. Employee Feedback
● Do you collect non-binary gender information on
demographic surveys? (examples)
● What about an anonymous way to report sexual
orientation?
● Do you have an LGBTQ focused committee or other
employee group?

7. LBGTQ Young Adult Collections
● Why LGBTQ literature for young adults?
● An exciting time in LGBTQ YA books
● Resources for collection development
○ ALA GLBT Round Table
○ ALA Rainbow Books
○ ALA Stonewall Award
○ Variety of blogs

8. Issues to Consider
● Know your community
● Clear collection policy AND procedure for challenged
books
● Once you have the books, don’t hide them!
● Inclusivity is key
● Collection development is just part of creating a
LGBTQ-friendly library.

9. Outreach
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Libraries as safe spaces
Narratives are an important part of identity formation
Facilitating access to unbiased information
Libraries can help overcome financial and social
limitations

10. Areas of Concern
● Privacy issues
● Diversity within the LGBTQIA+ community
● Censorship: internal and external

11. Advice for Libraries
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Staff education
Assess community needs
Make LGBTQIA+ materials more visible and accessible
Collection policies to protect LGBTQIA+ materials

12. What is an LGBT Community
Library?
● Marsha P. Johnson Memorial Library at the
University of Washington Q Center in Seattle
● Teri Rose Memorial Library at the Leather Archives
& Museum in Chicago
● Jim Toy Library at the University of Michigan
Spectrum Center

13. What can librarians do for
LGBTCLs?
● Queer & trans librarians?
○ If there isn’t a community library, consider starting
one in a community space.
● All librarians?
○ Respecting community spaces
○ Fielding patrons
○ Donating time/money/material

14. LGBT Community Libraries &
Public Libraries
● Taking on similar characteristics
○ As public libraries become specifically designed as
community spaces, they gain similar characteristics to
community libraries
● Tread lightly, resources matter.
○ As libraries become community spaces, make sure that
you’re not accessing resources (especially monetarily),
that community libraries would normally be needing.

15. Questions? Comments?

16. Resources
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Human Rights Campaign. (2013). Corporate Equality Index Survey. Retrieved from http:
//www.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/Corporate_Equlaity_Index_2013_Survey.pdf
Human Rights Campaign. (2014). Collecting Transgender-Inclusive Gender Data in Workplace
and Other Surveys. Retrieved from http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/collectingtransgender-inclusive-gender-data-in-workplace-and-other-surveys
Rawson, Casey. (2011). “Are All Lists Created Equal? Diversity in Award-Winning and
Bestselling Young Adult Fiction.” Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults (1),3
Retrieved from: http://www.yalsa.ala.org/jrlya/2011/06/are-all-lists-created-equal-diversity-inaward-winning-and-bestselling-young-adult-fiction/