Do you separate LGBTQ fiction and Urban Fiction from the general collection to its own special place?
No
Reason 1: Carting and shelving would be more complicated and difficult.
As a former library assistant who was responsible for carting and shelving returned items, I am familiar with how materials on library carts are divided by section and then organized by call number. A single adult cart at our library, for example, may contain large print, mystery, graphic novels, fiction, and biography. To add two additional sections such as LGBTQ fiction and Urban Fiction would slow down the carting and shelving process and potentially lead to an increase in items being shelved in the wrong area.
Reason 2: Choosing which books belong in these areas is subjective.
Certainly, there are many resources librarians can use to help determine the genre and/or subject area of books, but ultimately, setting criteria and deciding which books should be shelved in LGBTQ fiction and Urban Fiction is a subjective judgement call on the part of individual librarians. Specialized shelf placement could actually end up being problematic if there are specific titles that patrons think should have been included (or not included).
Reason 3: It may stigmatize those titles and authors.
If LGBTQ fiction and Urban Fiction are the only fiction titles to be separated out, it may result in a stigmatized view of those titles. It may seem like those genres are not “real” fiction; it may also cause people to resent these special collections because their own favorite genres have not been highlighted in the same way. It could also come across as a political statement which will alienate some of your community.
Reason 4: It may deter people from checking out those items.
Patrons may feel negatively singled out and labeled when they browse LGBTQ fiction or Urban Fiction. Likewise, there may be patrons who never browse these sections because they do not think that they will identify with the characters in those books, or they think that those sections are not meant for them to browse. In the article, “Shelving Debate: To Separate or Integrate?” (2018), Kara Yorio and Kathy Ishizuka note that, “Shelving separately might make it easier for students and patrons to find those books, but the ‘othering’ creates a problem.” Like it or not, assumptions will be made about patrons who browse LGBTQ fiction and/or Urban Fiction. Yorio and Ishizuka add, “Concerns about students not wanting to be seen going to the special section, being judged, or revealing something about themselves they aren’t ready to, can keep a librarian from separating books with certain characters and themes.” An argument could be made to say that separating out such titles is an infringement on people’s privacy.
My opinion as a patron:
Personally speaking, I generally like the idea of libraries separating similar popular fiction titles out into sections of their own. In addition to LGBTQ fiction and Urban Fiction, I think that genres like Sci-Fi, Chick Lit, Romance, and Horror would draw regular circulation. I enjoy browsing the stacks, and as a patron, it would be nice to browse specific sections that I knew I had an interest in. It would also be easier to see when new titles were added to these sections.
References
Yorio, K. and Ishizuka, K. (2018) Shelving debate: To separate or integrate? School Library Journal.
https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=shelving-debate-separate-or-integrate
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI like that you said how you would like to see things change as a patron but see why it would be wise as a librarian to say no. I think a big thing is that only two genres would be separated. I've been in libraries who have things separated by section and I could see it getting confusing for thrillers, suspense, and mystery novels because they tend to cross genres. I however really appreciate genre stickers on the spines of books. Do you think it would okay if all sections are separated opposed to just the two sections?
Abby
I think that you have a really intesting take on this when answering from a librarians perspective and a patrons perspective. I am also hesitant to separate out genres, but as a patron I really do like to browse specific genres. I wonder if it could be a balancing act, or perhaps it would depend on the space of a library. If you separate out most genres from each other, I wonder if having that dedicated space for each genre would not make these two specific genres feel so isolated.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about the carting and shelving situation. If things aren't already separated, why take the time to double or maybe even triple the work for everyone involved? Logistically, it's a nightmare, and even worse, it might affect the workplace mood to the point where people end up hating their jobs. Definitely not a mood we need, especially now! Your other reasons are also completely valid and I think you raise great points.
Hi Nicole!
ReplyDeleteI agree that carting and shelving LGBTQ fiction and Urban Fiction into their own separate sections could create some unnecessary confusion. I cannot believe that I almost forgot about how this separation could impact other staff members of the library! I was only thinking about a librarian’s involvement in this matter as well as the library as a whole that I completely forgot about this kind of impact on those who actually deal with these materials once they are catalogued in the system. I need to remind myself that this separation could impact all staff. I also agree that separation could stigmatize these titles and authors as well as making a political statement. In regards to the latter, I also mentioned in my response to this week’s prompt that a library should not get involved with political matters. Libraries are meant to be neutral places, so it sends the wrong message to its community if only one side is being promoted.
The idea that as a librarian the answer is one way, but as a patron the answer is different is so interesting. I also like to browse stores like B&N and Half Price Books because they are separated into different sections. This makes it easier for me to find what I am looking for. In libraries, especially larger collections, I do not think separating out different sections is a bad notion. However, separating out sections because they are controversial or dealing with harder topics is not a reason to do it. We used to have many different genre sections at my library and it was easier for patrons, but a pain for staff. And as someone who had to catalog them and figure out which sticker and call number to put on them, it was tedious and annoying.
ReplyDeleteI love that you included not just practical but ethical reasons and then gave us your personal opinion at the end. Very well said! Full points!
ReplyDelete