Week 14 Prompt Response

If I were part of a collection management committee for my local library, I would choose to separate Urban Fiction from the general collection but not LGBTQ+ fiction.

To answer this question, I wanted to gain a better understanding of LGBTQ+ fiction and why it is not recognized as its own genre. I found the article "What is LGBTQ+ Fiction?" by Nick Taylor that explains this perfectly. Clarifying that LGBTQ+ fiction is not a genre, Taylor writes, "That's because LGBTQ+ stories can be, or at least should be, found in every genre: from crime to fantasy everything in between! There is not one place or moment in history where an LGBTQ+ person cannot be found so writing about queer characters is essential" (2022). This reasoning really resonated with me. LGBTQ+ representation can be found in so many different stories and claiming it as a genre would be a great disservice to LGBTQ+ literature. This is the main reason why I would choose not to separate these works from the general collection.  Another reason behind this decision is the fear that this could cause an unwanted reaction from users looking to ban or censor LGBTQ+ books. Separating these books from the general collection could create unwanted, negative attention. With that being said, I would suggest other ways to celebrate and amplify LGBTQ+ voices. One example would be creating a book display with different authors and genres with this representation. 

I would choose to separate Urban Fiction from the general collection because it is its own genre. This decision would largely depend on if the library had space to achieve this or not but if there is extra space, I believe separating Urban Fiction could be really beneficial for patrons. It would make it easier for patrons to find the books they are looking for while also providing those unfamiliar with the genre a chance to explore it more. 

References

Taylor, Nick. (2022, January 24). What is LGBTQ+ fiction? Just Write Right. https://justwriteright.co.uk/2022/01/24/what-is-lgbtq-fiction/