Out and Loud in the Library

A study of the accessibility, existence, or absence of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ) literature within Greensboro, North Carolina’s public libraries.

Out and Loud in the Library

An assessment of the Greensboro Public Library’s collection

April Parker, Rachel Smith, and Cortney Barnes the The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

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Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2 Research Questions................................................................................................................................... 2 Background Information ....................................................................................................................... 2 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Findings ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 Survey Demographics ......................................................................................................................... 10 Complaints, Challenges, and Censorship………………………………………………………………………………………..20 Case Study……………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………….…23 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….24 Further Implications/Recomendations…………………………………………………………………………………………..….…26 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………28 Works Cited………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………...…………55

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Introduction Libraries are important. Greensboro Public library (GPL) acts as a microcosm of the world, and being a public serving institution it has the responsibility of providing equitable information access and inclusive policy and collections. Public libraries are often the institution in which Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ) persons can safely begin to explore information. It is the responsibility of the library to be comprehensive of all available resources and to seek out materials that are reflective to the community needs. It is imperative to investigate the current repetitive practices that contribute to the sustained invisibility of minorities within our community.

When we dismantle the barriers to information and embrace multiculturalism, we can acquire unlimited perceptions which are paramount to evolution and progress. The authors conducted a study of the accessibility, existence, or absence of LGBTQQ literature within Greensboro, North Carolina’s public libraries. The purpose of this research is to illuminate the barriers to access and the accessibility of information produced for, about, and by the LGBTQQ community within GPL’s collection. Upon exploration of GPL’s policies; fundamental principles of collection development, particularly how the institution handles challenges to materials, we will be able to determine GPL’s inclusivity of the LGBTQQ community.

Research Questions: 1. Are the consumers satisfied with the collection?

2. Are the local libraries utilizing ALA’s suggested readings to make their purchases?

3. Do the local branches vary with the quantity of available literature? What does that suggest about the area? Is there a correlation between the neighborhood’s demographics and the available information?

4. Are the suggested readings challenged, or banned in Greensboro? Frequency?

Implications?

Background Information The embracing of diversity should not be considered a fad to be thrown into mission statements of institutions across the nation, but instead be embraced as a driving force to effectively serve the populations of the area. During this time period, our nation is on the brink of tremendous strides toward equality of all kinds, at the crux of tolerance and acceptance, after the perseverance of millions that have endured the trials and tribulations of living in a heterocentric world, the very fundamental practices within librarianship need to be continuously examined to ensure their efforts are all encompassing. Greensboro Public Library, the public serving institution being examined, as well as all libraries have to be mindful in collection building, policy making, and enforcing. There is no neutrality if the population remains hidden, meaning no real accessible information. The lack of information does not foster tolerance,

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relationship building, nor learning from another, which are all components of GPL’s mission statement.

Libraries are often the birthplace of social change. Members of society often forget that libraries were the battlefield in the fight for integration. Greensboro, North Carolina is the “birthplace” of the infamous civil right sit-ins. One must truly acknowledge a historic culture that is deeply seeded with discrimination as well as acknowledge the inhabitants that fought for social justice for the city and for each other. It is important to know the past and present state of the cultural climate to understand the future of Greensboro, its people, and the “peoples’ university” the library. Greensboro, North Carolina could be considered “a little bit country and little bit rock-n-roll”. Currently, the area has a thriving downtown which is the mecca of the arts and cultures of all that dwell here. Greensboro itself has a conservative political representation but also has a vocal, combustive and engaged community both historically and presently.

“As students we are conducting this study to determine if the public library is fulfilling its desired mission, “In partnership with the community, the Greensboro Public Library strives to provide free and equal access to information, foster lifelong learning, and inspire the joys of reading… Public libraries serve their communities by being a part of the community. In Greensboro, individuals and organizations gather at the public library to learn for themselves and about others. …the library has taken a role in building community within our city. Inside the public libraries, Greensboro feels more like a big neighborhood than a small metropolis. ...free and equal access to information...GPL's commitment to free and equal access to information is the foundation of the institution. As the "people's university," the library ensures the educated citizenry that the nation's democracy was founded upon. Expect to find the GPL on the frontlines, fighting for your intellectual freedom.” (Greensboro Public Library website 2011) We as MLIS students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro are invested in our local public libraries performance as it directly contributes to the overall cultural climate of the city. Seemingly GPL values diversity and establishing opportunities to learn from each other, which is essential for relationship building. This research will prove to be beneficial not just for LGBTQQ persons specifically but for the community as a whole. We will be able to determine if GPL is in fact on the “frontline fighting for our intellectual freedoms” with evaluating the absence or existence of necessary materials regarding LGBTQQ folks or have they succumbed to controversy. It is safe to deduct based on the available literature research that both the national and local LGBTQQ cultural climate is still chilly.

These attitudes have in fact seeped into Greensboro’s infrastructure. As recent as December 2008 the Social Research Group (scholars/sociologists from University of North Carolina At Greensboro and North Carolina A & T State University) conducted a Strategic Study of the State of Human Relations in Greensboro: Uncovering Institutional Discrimination to Promote Equal Opportunity reporting: “Sexual orientation and unease” Although many participants felt a person’s sexual orientation is not visible, and thus, not such a public target of prejudice, comments of others suggested that differences in sexual orientation 3

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also lead to the expression of fear and unease in the Greensboro community. In these cases, a consistent pattern was the feeling that gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) individuals had to be careful wherever they would go, as such differences were not accepted city-wide: “I have a grown son who is gay. When he lived in Greensboro, he was very careful to hang around only people who were gay. They’d go out together in groups. He was at UNCG at the time. There was some concern, if not fear, that we probably can’t go here because we aren’t sure who we would encounter. He didn’t experience a lot of discrimination because he was careful where he went. He wouldn’t go to a redneck bar, a biker bar, for instance. It was pre-emptive on his part.”

[Caucasian female 4-3-2008] “Greensboro’s position on sexual orientation is ‘keep it on Tate St; don’t come on Elm’.”

[African American male 4-12-2008] “Among the four primary forms of prejudicial behavior, interactions between individuals in the city of Greensboro that lacked courtesy and respect were the most prominent and include a variety of behaviors, ranging from explicit avoidance or shunning to screaming and the use of profanities. The majority of disrespect and avoidance mentioned by participants was based on race, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation.” (The Social Research Group 88) In addition to the aforementioned study, there are several decades of research which have only highlighted the discrimination that sexual and gender minority individuals have disproportionately endured. This practice of discrimination places them among those most at risk for suicide, depression, substance abuse, academic failure, emotional distress, compromised relationships, and homelessness. It is notable that, “Intense prejudice against lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people was widespread throughout much of the 20th century. Public opinion studies over the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s routinely showed that, among large segments of the public, lesbian, gay, and bisexual people were the target of strongly held negative attitudes. More recently, public opinion has increasingly opposed sexual orientation discrimination, but expressions of hostility toward lesbians and gay men remain common in contemporary American society. Prejudice against bisexuals appears to exist at comparable levels. In fact, bisexual individuals may face discrimination from some lesbian and gay people as well as from heterosexual people” (APA. 2008). Research which only serves to emphasize these maladjustments can only serve to paint a bleak picture of what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) in this country.

Rampant discrimination has rendered marginalized communities silent and prohibited them from realizing their fullest potential. Conversely, the collective power of any community is in our differences. Librarianship is activism because of its unique platform with the ability to embrace diversity as a means to eliminate discrimination. The national homophobic sentiment is one of the reasons the ALA developed The Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT). The task force was the first of its kind in the world whose “subsequent activities of 4

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the GLBT…changed the way that many libraries of every description acquired, cataloged, and disseminated gay literature. But more importantly, the Gay Book Award…and the Gay Bibliography, which was for a time the only such bibliography available to the general public at no charge, contributed to the spread of ‘lesbigay ideas’(Carmichael 1998). Homophobia in the form of lack of access and accessibility of lesbigay resources has no place in the library. In order to ensure the quality of the library standardized best practices need to be known and upheld at every institution. It is urged and suggested, “The American Library Association’s Gay and Lesbian Task Force has produced guidelines to help librarians evaluate the treatment of gay themes in childrens’ and YA literature. Use these standards to guide your purchasing of TY materials for gay and lesbian readers in general.” (Gough 55) It is the responsibility of the library to be inclusive of all available information and to seek out literature and information which highlights the resistance movements and the resiliencies found in marginalized populations. More inclusive library collections are required in order to reflect a strengths-based perspective and illuminate the spirit and ingenuity of LGBTQQ communities. In seeking to fill the gaps in information available and depose the deficit model that has defined LGBTQQ histories and service provision, it is necessary to employ a more holistic lens that works to explicate the extensive and often omitted narratives of queer people.

As librarians we have to focus on how the information is cataloged and distributed as there are clearly larger implications.

Books with LGBTQQ themes are consistently the most frequently banned and scrutinized in libraries. This has implications of homophobia that is rooted deeply in our historic prejudices of this minority group that has been mirrored in our library procedures. Unfortunately, some librarians are practicing self-censorship which includes omitting controversial literature from the shelves to avoid any objections or possible controversy. Excluding materials pertaining to the LGBTQQ community is condoning homophobia.

During the last decade, censorship was one of the most pervasive issues in US schools and public libraries. Between 1990 and 1999, 497 of the 5,718 challenges recorded by or reported to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom were for materials with a homosexual theme or promoting homosexuality. Also, two of the ten most challenged books of that decade were LGBTQ books: Daddy’s Roommate (number two on the list) and Heather Has Two Mommies (number nine on the list) (www.ala.org).

Book banning is a blatant barrier to information. This practice is a threat to our intellectual freedom, contradictory to the ethics of library work. The American Library Association affirms: “The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to 5

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distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety or national security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.” (ALA.1953) Our work to dismantle barriers to information is plentiful and urgent. Libraries’ programming and resources should reflect the needs of the communities which they serve. One way that people connect across marginalized communities is to engage in dialogue and supply literature that is relevant to those communities. Helping to produce socially conscious people is one way of ensuring equity, empowering communities, and supporting diverse community members in leading fulfilled lives. Being intentional in making information thoroughly accessible, creating sustainable and strong community foundations should be an effect of great library work.

Methodology

Comparative Study The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) published a suggested reading list, the Over the Rainbow (adult literature) and Rainbow Books (literature for youth birth to eighteen) lists. It is evaluated annually and provides communities with guidance in selecting commendable books which reflect LGBTQ experiences. To determine if relevant information for the LGBTQQ community was available at GPL we identified and compared the suggested readings to what is offered in our local library.

Our methods included accessing the 2011 Over the Rainbow book list as well as the Rainbow Books lists for 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. Upon acquisition of these lists, we cross-referenced the titles with the collections held by the various branches of Greensboro Public Library. We found out which Rainbow Books and Over the Rainbow books were held by GPL and which branches held the most and least titles. I was able to create and populate graphs and charts displaying my findings.

Document Analysis In order to give a comprehensive look at the GPL system, we felt that it was important to first view the American Library Association website for information such as their Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and views on diversity and censorship. We also thought that it was important to view the GPL’s collection management policy in order to better understand the collection management process and see if it went against any polices from ALA. We also wanted to see if the process and procedures of Greensboro Public Library Collection Management policy was biased against the LGBTQQ community and gave privilege to heterosexuals. We decided that it was necessary to meet with the collection manager for the system. We met with Tim Cole to ask 6

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questions regarding the books for reconsideration policy, collection management policy, and the LGBTQQ community. After a successful meeting, Mr. Cole offered us great sources such as the Greensboro Public Library Collection Management 2010 Handbook and copies of the cases for reconsideration since 1999. These documents helped us understand the collection management process at the Greensboro Public Library system as well as their mission, values, and guidelines and to see if the GPL were following the policies in the handbook. . The Reconsideration documents were helpful in seeing if any LGBTQQ material had been challenged and if so what the outcomes of the cases were. After reviewing all information given we were able to efficiently evaluate the collection management policy and Greensboro Public Library system as it specifically relates to materials and censorship for the LGBTQQ community.

Survey A web-based survey was conducted and shared widely on social networks including Facebook and shared on many listservs via email. The purpose of the survey was to obtain user sentiments regarding the Greensboro Public Library’s collection, policies and procedures. The researchers hope to provide these survey results to Greensboro Public Library’s administration in great hopes they use the feedback in their handlings of collection building.

1. How often do you visit Greensboro Public Library (or utilize the institutions online resources)?

The following components of the survey answers were scale based the respondent indicated their sentiments along the spectrum of: Strongly Agree (1) to Strongly Disagree (5).

2. There is an ADEQUATE amount of resources (both online and print) available at Greensboro Public Library regarding the LGBTQQ community.

3. The QUALITY of the material in the Greensboro Public Library's collection regarding the LGBTQQ community meets my needs.

4. The VARIETY of the material in the Greensboro Public Library's collection regarding the LGBTQQ community meets my needs.

5. I feel the Greensboro Public library should play a significant role in providing resources for the LGBTQQ community.

6. I feel the Greensboro Public Library should utilize the American Library Association (ALA) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) suggested readings list: Rainbow Books and/or Over the Rainbow Books to make selections to build the library's collection.

7. I find it useful to utilize the American Library Association (ALA) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) suggested readings list: Rainbow Books and/or Over the Rainbow Books to choose my personal reading and for my own collection.

Respondents were asked to answer the following question in affirmative (YES) or negative (NO):

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8. Have you ever suggested any particular material about the LGBTQQ community be added to the Greensboro Public Library collection?

8a. If you answered YES to the question above was the item subsequently added to Greensboro Public Library collection?

9. Are you aware of how to submit a request for literature to the Greensboro Public Library?

10. Are you aware of how to register a compliment, complaint or concern to the Greensboro Public Library?

11. I or someone I know has personally benefited from having access/utilizing Greensboro Public Library’s resources about the LGBTQQ community.

12. I or someone I know concealed my/their identity while utilizing Greensboro Public Library’s resources.

Open ended question/Feedback: 13. Do you have any suggestions/comments for improving Greensboro Public Library collections/procedures?

Findings Survey Question 13 will assist in development of improved measures by the Greensboro Public Library as well as highlight their success in being LGBTQQ inclusive. The researchers felt that it was such important information its findings should be presented first and kept at the forefront throughout the investigation process.

Suggestions as per the survey: • •

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We should print out all of these zines and make a little library in the library http://www.gzap.org/v6/index.php (user suggested preceding website) I asked once at Glenwood if there was a best seller list/recommended list for lesbian fiction. Think they do have printouts of some best seller lists. The librarian didn’t know of any, but we got online together and found some lists and she printed them out for me.

Neither of us knew about the ala round table source you mentioned.

Suggestions 1.make that ala round table source easily available…a month here, a month there, over time…so patrons of all persuasions will know that this is a resource. At minimum, this resource (and/or similar ones) should be with the NY TIMES and all of the best seller lists. I definitely think whatever “lists” are utilized the need to be with all the other lists, not under the counter, waiting for an lgbtqi person to ask…or even in a special section for lgbtqi person to ask…though they could also be in a special section AND with all the other book lists. 2. I’d like to be able to search “lesbian fiction” in the data base. I’ve found that date base hard to use, in general. It’s possible I just don’t know how to use it. 3. Comment-that time at Glenwood. I took those lists and went to card catalog and input titles until I found some. I’ve not done it again. Partly because I want it to be easier, I’d have to get the librarian to pull the list again, then go search one by 8

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one…I think next time I’ll ask them to pull the ALA round table lists you mentioned…hopefully I’ll remember!

Thank you for the work you’re doing to increase glbtqi library resources/access!

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I think variety and availability of LGBTQQ resources differs depending on which branch you use. For example, I read this wonderful book from the Central Library downtown on being queer and black in the 30s and the lives of people surrounding Zora Neale Hurstonbut I haven’t found that variety in other branches, and you have to order it and wait, And really who wants to order a book and wait for it when other people don’t have to.

Also I think there needs to be more youth outreach to LGBTQQ youth. Libraries are safe.

You are probably not going to get beat up in a library. Having more resources likes books, but also like discussion groups, and spaces for action groups would be really great. There needs to be space for LGBTQQ youth to connect with one another and with elders-and with all the queermo librarians. It can’t be that difficult logistically, I think this is a great space for cross-racial, cross-national, cross-class work. Connect it with being academically and vocationally successful also –what better place than the library with all the books and resources to address the hits to LGBTQQ kids’ high school grades that homophobia grades and the stress it causes? I think it would be really, really, really great.

I haven’t really tried to utilize these services nor do I know much about them so I didn’t have a lot say here.

Organize for higher appropriations from Guilford County! Comment: I am “straight, but not narrow” or gay-friendly and didn’t answer questions in the middle of your survey in order not to skew the results. Don’t assume that only gay folks support your efforts. I wanted to participate in the survey but since I rarely visit Greensboro public library, I found it somewhat difficult to answer the questions on this survey. I have not nor do I plan on visit GPL to see information on LGBTQQ in the future. Make the collection more diverse in terms of including more international, non-western authors.

I would like to see a showcase during coming out month.

In order to participate in the survey the only requirement to effectively participate was the respondent would have had to use the materials within Greensboro Public Library. The frequency of use was questioned first. Everyone utilizing the resources can gain an impression of the collection. If the collection proved to be sufficient and rewarding then one would easily deem the holdings useful and that alone would prompt further use of the materials.

Frequency of visiting/utilizing GPL Daily Weekly Monthly A few times a year Annually Rarely Blank/No response

Number of Survey Respondents 1 5 8 23 1 1 1 9

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The libraries have an obligation to represent the populations that exist in the area. To better identify the diversity that dwells in the city several background/social/demographics were included in the survey: race, class, gender identity, sexual identity, (ability, age, immigration were optional open ended questions).

Survey Demographics Race

# of survey respondents African American 17 Asian 1 Latin American 2 Mixed Race 4 White/ European 17

Class

# of survey respondents 16

Low Income Middle 5 Parent 1 supported Working 19 Class

Gender Identity Females Gender Neutral Gender nonconforming Gender Queer Male Transgendered Transman All of the Above Two Spirit

# of survey respondents 24 2 5 1 3 3 1 1 1

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Our survey consisted of 13 core questions and we received approximately 41 responses. Our survey questions 1-3 assist the research group in determining the overall satisfaction of the collection specifically regarding the LGBTQQ holdings. Those questions directly relate to our first research inquiry regarding customer satisfaction, “Are the consumers satisfied with the collection?” Upon review of the surveys the researchers could determine a correlation between the frequency of the library’s use to the level of satisfaction. As it is universally understood the happier a consumer is the higher the probability that they will return to the establishment.

Survey Question #2 There is an ADEQUATE amount of resources (both online and print) available at Greensboro Public Library regarding the LGBTQ community.

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree 2%

Strongly Disagree

2%

5% 20%

51% 20%

The diagram/findings reflect 16 out of 41 (40%) individuals that participated in the survey do not feel there is adequate information regarding the LGBTQQ population within GPL’s holdings. There is clearly room for improvement in this area.

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Blank

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Notably the survey when distributed did not clearly state what “3” would indicate. For all questions given that provided a scale the highest percentage reflected was “3”. The number is rather ambiguous without defining it. We have chosen to view these results as “neutral” however, participants could easy ascribe many ideas/and feelings to the undefined “3” on the scale. Going forward this should be improved to get a more detailed response.

Survey Question #3 The QUALITY of the material in the Greensboro Public Library's collection regarding the LGBTQ community meets my needs.

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

2% 7%

5%

17% 37%

32%

Question #3 only 1 (2%) out of 41 participants indicated that the strongly agreed GPL was providing quality material pertaining to this underserved population.

This is a strong sentiment as only 2 participants (5%) agreed the quality was sufficient at GPL. An overwhelming amount of respondents were not satisfied with the quality of available literature reaching 49%.

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Survey Question #4 The VARIETY of the material in the Greensboro Public Library's collection regarding the LGBTQ community meets my needs.

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Blank

Ten people did not agree they were satisfied with the variety of resources available within GPL. Similarly an additional ten people were strongly dissatisfied with the variety of information about the LGBTQQ population within GPL’s collection.

As per Table 1.1 most respondents utilized GPL as a resource for LGBTQQ information a few times annually. Perhaps if the satisfaction of the available information improved many of those seeking out that information would increase their visits to the facility.

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Survey questions # 5-7 evaluates the community’s feelings about the ALA suggested readings for LGBTQQ persons. The answers are directly investigating Research Question #2, “Are the local libraries utilizing ALA’s suggested readings to make their purchases?” ALA is highly reveared in the library profession. It would seem that if the organization that provides national standards and policies that if they produce a very official, accredited, thoughtful reading list that most libraries would take heed and use the list as an acquisition tool.

Survey Question #5 I feel the Greensboro Public library should play a significant role in providing resources for the LGBTQ community.

Strongly Agree

17%

Agree

Neutral

Strongly Disagree

4%

4%

75%

Question #5 31 out of 41 survey participants strongly agreed that the library should play a large role in providing literature produced for, by, and about sexual and gender minorities. Only one person reflected this to not be the responsibility of GPL.

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Throughout the study it was confirmed that GPL embraced ALA’s many handling guidelines of collection management, as well as a substantial amount of all other policies.

Notably and perhaps to the customers disapproval the ALA suggested reading list was not used as an acquisition tool at all by GPL. Twenty-four out of forty one survey participants (59%) strongly agreed that GPL should use the GLBTRT professional reading lists to assist building their collection.

Survey Questions #6 I feel the Greensboro Public Library should utilize the American Library Association (ALA) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) suggested readings lists Strongly Agree

Agree 2%

Neutral

Disagree

Blank

2%

17%

20%

59%

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We found people value ALA’s GLBTRT suggested reading lists, so much so they are using it for their personal reading selections.

Question #7 Only two people (5%) disagreed with the usefulness of using Over the Rainbow and or The Rainbow book lists in making choices for reading.

Whereas eleven participants (39%) strongly agreed that the lists were extremely helpful. Similarly, ten respondents reported in agreement.

Survey Question #7 I find it useful to utilize the American Library Association (ALA) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) suggested readings lists...to choose my personal reading‌ Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Blank

5% 5%

27%

39% 24%

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Collective Voice in Collection Building 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Survey Question # 8 Have you ever Survey Question # 9 Are you aware Survey Question # 10 Are you suggested any particular material of how to submit a request for aware of how to register a about the LGBTQ community be literature to the Greensboro Public compliment, complaint or concern added to the Greensboro Public Library? to the Greensboro Public Library?

Library collection?

YES

NO

BLANK

Survey Questions 8, 8a-10o strongly correlates to research question 4, “Are the suggested readings challenged, or banned in Greensboro? Frequency? Implications?” It is helpful to determine the community’s awareness of the Greensboro Public Library’s collection building policies and procedures. If the library values the thoughts and opinions of the community then they would make this information accessible and well known. In turn the patrons would be able to be vocal of their interests and concerns.

Question #8/8a There were two survey takers out of forty-one that suggested an LGBTQQ item be added to GPL’s holdings and they reported that there request was not purchased nor shelved.

Question #9 Thirty-two out of forty-one (78%) survey participants were aware of how to submit a request for literature.

Question #10 Similarly, Thirty-two out of forty-one (78%) survey participants did not know who to register a compliment, complaint, or concern formally to GPL.

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Cultural Climate 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

BLANK NO Survey Question # 11 I or someone I know has Survey Question # 12 I or personally benefited from someone I know concealed having access/utilizing my/their identity while Greensboro Public Library’s utilizing Greensboro Public resources about the LGBTQ Library’s resources. community.

YES

The intent of question 11-12 was to ascertain how comfortable LGBTQQ patrons are using Greensboro Public Library’s collection.

These questions were comprised to assess the overall climate of the library. It does not address our group’s research questions; however, we believe it will identify barriers to access.

Question #11 fifteen out of forty-one participants (36.5%) knew someone who benefited from the LGBTQ resources at the GPL, whereas twenty-four people (58.5%) did not.

Question #12 Out of the survey respondents 24.4% (10 persons) concealed or knew someone who concealed their identity while utilizing GPL’s resources. 68.3% (28 persons) answered negative to the question.

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Document Analysis The Greensboro Public Library (GPL) plays a major role in our project. In order to accurately evaluate the Greensboro Public Library system it is important that we take a deeper look in their policies, mission, and selection criteria. More importantly in order to evaluate the system in regards to the LGBTQQ community, and the ALA “Over the Rainbow” book list we must understand the collection management aspect of GPL and evaluate complaints, challenges, and censorship. It was also important to us to see if any of the procedures in the GPL Collection Management Handbook is biased against the LGBTQQ community by privileging heterosexual material. By taking a more profound look at all of these aspects we can accurately determine if indeed GPL is living up to the high expectations it holds for itself, the overall community, and specifically the LGBTQQ community and materials concerning them.

Greensboro Public Library Mission and Values Greensboro Public Library has a simple plan mission which is “Through collaboration and community involvement, the GPL system is dedicated to providing free and equal access to information, sharing, knowledge, fostering lifelong learning, inspiring the joys of reading and meeting the current and future library needs of a diverse community” (GPL Collection Manual), such as the LGBTQQ community. GPL has five core values: the value of the customers, greater community, partnerships, alliances, library employees, and continuous improvement.

Collection Management General Criteria The Greensboro Public Library selections of materials is based on, “ the merit of the material, and its appropriateness for a public collection, and its value in meeting the needs, interests and demands of the entire Greensboro Public Library community” (GPL Collection Manual). “An effort is made to have materials expressing all view points on controversial issues” (GPL Collection Manual). No material will be excluded because of race, national origin, color, gender, personal history, or the political, religious, or social view of the author or creator.

“Overall judgment for selection is made on the material as a whole and not on a particular passage; page, scene, or other parts alone” (GPL Collection Manual).

Overall, these are a few of the general criteria guidelines that the Greensboro Public Library system follows as well as the concepts developed in the American Library Association’s (ALA) Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and Freedom to View statements (See Pages 4853).

Collection Management Selection Method Greensboro Public Library uses centralized selection. “Staff members are invited to be selectors based on their knowledge, experience, and interest” (GPL Collection Manual).

Selectors place materials at various library locations based on branch profiles which are updated 19

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at least annually, states the Greensboro Public Library Collection Management Policy Handbook.

“The majority are selected by review. In an effort to anticipate the needs and demands of customers, Kirkus Reviews and Publisher Weekly are used heavily because their reviews tend to appear before materials are published. Other sources such as Booklist, Library Journal, and the Greensboro News and Record, The New York Times Book review as well as Entertainment weekly and Publishers Weekly online.” (GPL Collection Manual).

If there are materials for which there are no critical reviews, these materials may still be selected if they are topics, by popular authors, or the selectors anticipate a high demand.

However, “the library may choose not to defend rigorously materials purchased without reviews if such materials are challenged” (GPL Collection Manual). And if by chance some authors offer to donate a copy of their book to the library. All such gifts must meet the same criteria as books selected through the GPL normal process and procedures.

When it comes to Adult Fiction and Adult Non-fiction there are specific criteria that is also considered when selecting books for the collection. For adult fiction emphasis is placed on new popular fiction in English. And “although some titles purchased may not meet the moral or literary standards of some members of the community GPL believes strongly that every individual is entitled to make his or her own choices. Customers offended by any title may follow the official guidelines for challenging materials” (GPL Collection Manual).

For adult non-fiction emphasis is placed on items of current interest and an effort is made to keep heavily used parts of the collection up to date. This especially includes the titles on selfawareness and self-improvement” (GPL Collection Manual). The Greensboro Public Library materials, books, and media collection “contains materials for an audience of children from birth through ninth grade and for adults interested in children’s literature including parents, teachers, librarians, etc...” (GPL Collection Manual). All materials for children “must meet GPL’s standards of appeal, literary merit, and or quality of art work” (GPL Collection Manual).

Complaints, Challenges, and Censorship GPL attempts to provide materials to diverse population with differing interests, needs and values, according to the criteria provided in the collection management policy. An individual customer may consider an item in the collection to be inappropriate and under the United States Constitution their opinion is valuable. “The right for every customer to have any materials that might be of interest or values available for use, whether the materials are offensive to others or not” (GPL Collection Manual). The GPL does note that the “ library system does not feel the need to follow ALA recommendations on intellectual freedom if a challenged item was purchased without advance professional knowledge of material that might not suit community standards” (GPL Collection Manual).

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Procedures for Reconsideration “If a customer desires to complain about inclusion of a particular title in the library collection, he or she should complete a complaint form entitled “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” (GPL Collection Manual) which can be obtained at any GPL branch. Complaints will then be reviewed by a staff committee headed by the Collection Development Manager, who will select at least two other staff members to serve on the committee. (Please see page 54 for the reconsideration process steps) Reconsideration Request at Greensboro Public Library After a Reconsideration Request form has been filed by a patron the citizen’s Material Advisory committee is convened. Committee members are chosen by the GPL collection development manager after consultation with the library director based on the citizen of the community’s interest in and understanding of the library. This reconsideration committee has only had to convene seven times since 1999 for various works.

In 1999 “Playboy” Magazine was up for reconsideration due to its pornographic nature.

In 2000 “Panic Snap” written by Lauren Reese was up to reconsideration for its pornographic nature and acts of sadomasochistic. “Father Christmas” a children’s book by Raymond Briggs was called for reconsideration in 2000 due its content being called “too adult” due to the fact the main character Santa was only happy with his cognac. The patron felt it should be moved to adult section. “Vector” by Robin Cook was also up for reconsideration in 2001 due to its information on manufacturing chemical and biological weapons. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Anne Barshares (reconsidered in 2005) as well as Dick and Jane Vampires by Laura Marhesani (reconsidered in 2010) for its content being too adult and inappropriate for children.

All of the books mentioned for reconsideration were all retained on the shelves due to the Materials Advisory committee’s evaluation of the materials. “Playboy Magazine was also retained but GPL chose not to renew their subscription in the future.

LGBTQ Reconsidered Materials Number four of our research question reflects on the suggested readings being banned or challenged in GPL system. After researching all of the reconsidered materials since 1999 we found out that many of the materials for reconsideration did not have a bias or concerned the LGBTQQ community or its topics out of the seven materials for reconsideration since 1999 only one has involved the topic involving LGBTQQ content which is a DVD entitled “Finding Me”.

“Finding Me” is an independent film by Ome Productions; about a twenty one year old African American male homosexual named Faybien. Though he’s nice looking and has an active social life, dead end, job and homophobic father. He meets a man named Lonnie who challenges him to confront his sexuality and insecurities. “Finding Me” is one of the comparatively few gay films with an entirely African American cast” (GPL Collection Manual).

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A patron felt the DVD contains material that is inappropriate for minors and that GPL lacks a system to keep minors from checking out. The patron also thought that the movie contains too much nudity, sexually explicit scenes (ex. sex in the shower), and seeing a dildo (electronic sex toy) on screen. The patron was concerned that the casual and incautious sexual activity among minors who may not be developmentally ready to envision the life altering results of such interactions and may encourage use of language that is inappropriate for children.

The GPL Materials Advisory committee evaluated the movie and the patrons concerns.

Given the mixed reviews on the movie and the content the committee overall voted to retain the movie on the shelves. They also explain their decision stating that, “the committee was unanimous in opinion that the film is poorly produced with few redeeming qualities. However the Committee recommends that the film be retained in the Hemphill Branch collection. The committee also expressed the hope that it is also available at the McGirt-Horton, Glenwood, and Chavis branches” (GPL Collection Manual).

“Greensboro Public Library’s selection of this film was part of a conscious effort to respond to patron requests to “add some DVD’s with gay themes to the collection.” This is in keeping our collection management policy to provide materials to a diverse population with differing interests, needs, and values.” As noted above, films with African American gay themes are comparatively few. The film thus has the potential to be meaningful to young African American males struggling with their sexual identity” (GPL Collection Manual).

One movie that was of concern in 2005 was the movie Broke Back Mountain. This movie has never been written up by a patron for reconsideration as of November 2011. The review by Video Librarian states that, “The plot couldn’t be simpler or more familiar: two people have a short, spontaneous and hopeless sexual encounter ad then separate. The twist in this telling of the tale, of course, is that the doomed lovers are both male, and while that’s not totally unheard of in cinema, Brokeback Mountain marks the first time it’s been the subject of a mainstream movie.

But in the end this story of suppressed passion is, irrespective of gender considerations, a deeply moving, indeed lacerating film that succeeds beautifully because it’s deeply human and profoundly real” (Video Librarian).

The collection manager and staff agreed that the film is controversial. And felt at that time if it is not stolen immediately, it would most likely be challenged. However, it is based on a work of literature by an author they collect, Annie Proulx. Based on the research and reviews GPL decided to add Brokeback Mountain to the collection.

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Case Study Findings The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) established the Rainbow Books Committee in 2008 with the charge of creating annual bibliographies of books with noteworthy Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning content. These “Rainbow Books” are recommended by the committee for children from birth through eighteen years of age. The GLBTRT also recently established the Over the Rainbow Committee with the similar task of creating an annual bibliography of titles of interest to adult readers that reflect gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer experiences.

As part of the case study for our action research project, the Rainbow Books lists for 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011as well as the 2011 Over the Rainbow Books list were accessed.

Upon acquisition of these lists, an extensive cross-reference was performed between the book titles found on the lists and the collections held by the various branches of GPL. This was a vital piece of our action research because it provided us with the information necessary to gauge whether the local branches vary with the quantity of available LGBTQQ literature. We found out which Rainbow Books and Over the Rainbow books were held by GPL and which branches held the most and least titles. The branches of GPL are: Central, Blanche S. Benjamin (denoted as “Benjamin” in the study), Glenwood, Hemphill, Kathleen Clay Edwards (denoted as “KCE” in the study), McGirt-Horton (sometimes denoted as “MH” in the study), Vance H. Chavis Lifelong Learning Branch (denoted as “Vance Chavis” in the study), and Greensboro Historical Museum (denoted as “Hist’l Museum” in the study). Several of the books are held at multiple locations; while many titles do not appear in the library’s overarching catalog at all. We created and populated graphs and tables which illustrate the detailed results of the cross-reference.

The Rainbow Books list has been released by the GLBTRT every January since its inception in 2008. The four standing lists include titles in the categories of Beginning Readers, Middle/Early Young Adult, and Young Adult and the genres of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

Of the 45 books in the 2008 Rainbow Books list, GPL’s collection holds 29 of the titles within its nine branches. Of the 34 books in the 2009 Rainbow Books list, GPL’s collection holds 19 of the titles within its nine branches. Of the 45 books in the 2010 Rainbow Books list, GPL’s collection holds 27 of the titles within its nine branches. Of the 32 books in the 2011 Rainbow Books list, GPL’s collection holds 21 of the titles within its nine branches. A further breakdown of the titles and at which branches they can be found is illustrated in the appendices. (Please see pages 31-47) The very first Over the Rainbow Books list was announced on January 9, 2011 and included 108 books. These books were divided into the categories of Art, Memoir/Biography, Essays, Fiction, Graphic Narrative, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. Of the 108 books in the 2011 Over the Rainbow Books list, GPL’s collection holds 54 titles, exactly 50% of the list.

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To substantiate our findings; our intent was to research and gather the latest U.S. Census data to see LGBTQQ population trends in Greensboro, North Carolina. We sought out to answer research questions such as “What do the holdings at various GPL branches suggest about the areas of which they are apart as it relates to the LGBTQQ community?” and “Is there a correlation between the neighborhood’s LGBTQQ demographics and the available literature?”

Upon further research, we found that the latest (2010) Census did not ask about sexual relationships, orientations, or gender identities. LGBTQQ citizens who live with a spouse or life partner had the option of identifying their relationship by marking either the “husband”, “wife”, or “unmarried partner” box in the census. "At least one major research obstacle that lesbigay individuals have to overcome is the refusal of the Bureau of Census and most survey instruments to refine their demographic categories. This is ingenuous disinformation, indeed: without aggregate data on lesbigay population characteristics, lesbigay researchers are merely comparison.” (Kester, 1997) The justification of our intent for the census research was not only to gauge the LGBTQQ population in Greensboro, but to also find out the amount of same sex couples and families in each census zone in Greensboro to see if the holdings in each branch are consistent with the demand for literature that meets the needs of the LGBTQQ community.

As a result of the cross-reference performed, we found that of the 264 books recommended by both the Over the Rainbow Books Committee and the Rainbow Books Committee, 150 titles were found in the GPL catalog. Central Branch holds 126 of the titles in its collection.

Greensboro Historical Museum, which became a division of the library in 1997, contains on its shelves none of the titles from either of the lists. A particularly interesting finding is that Glenwood Branch Library, cited personally as “the go-to branch for a plethora of information regarding diversity” and by GPL as “home to the Greensboro Neighborhood Information Center and the Multicultural Resource Center”, houses only 24 titles out of the 264 titles found on all of the lists. Members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or Questioning community fall under the multicultural umbrella and are especially a diverse part of Greensboro’s history and community, so we found it to be noteworthy that more titles were not found at Glenwood Branch Library and Greensboro Historical Museum.

Conclusion In our research it seems that GPL has made a conscious effort to include materials expressing all viewpoints on controversial issues and that the collection manager succeeds in their efforts not to exclude materials because of race, national origin, color, gender, and personal history; particular regarding the LGBTQQ community. GPL seems to be open to LGBTQQ material and Greensboro patrons are seemingly open to the materials being in the various library branches; due to the lack of reconsidered LGBTQQ material in the past twelve years. After researching the GPL collection management handbook, we have concluded that their guidelines are in line with ALA and it is not evident that GPL is privileging heterosexual material over 24

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materials for the LGBTQQ community, which is seen in the consideration of the advisory board to maintain lesbigay materials on the shelves after being reconsidered. It also be concluded that in regards to research question four on challenged and banned books, it can be seen that none of the ALA Over the Rainbow books have been banned or reconsidered since 1999 in the GPL system. It can be determined that the Greensboro Public Library system is succeeding in its attempts to obtain and offer LGBTQQ literature.

As we concluded our action research, we found that GPL is making valiant efforts to serve the needs of the LGBTQQ community in Greensboro. We came to this conclusion because GPL holds 150 out of 264 (approximately 56.8%) of the titles found on the compilation of book lists put forth by the ALA’s GLBTRT. We also arrived at the conclusion that the library should continue to update, or at least review, its collection annually to ensure the community’s demands are being supplied. We noted that these book lists are still relatively new (2008-2011) and we determined, because of the percentage of Rainbow Books and Over the Rainbow Books held, that the collection at GPL is somewhat LGBTQQ inclusive.

User responses offer a conflicting view of Greensboro Public Library. The majority of the survey participants proclaimed that GPL has a large responsibility and should play a huge role in providing lesbigay material to the public. Unfortunately, the survey’s findings suggested there is need for improvement at GPL. With most survey respondents only frequenting the library a few times a year, one would have to conclude that if they were in fact more satisfied they would return more frequently. To determine customer satisfaction was an objective of the research project; and based on the survey, the patrons are dissatisfied with the GPL holdings of LGBTQQ literature in all tested areas: adequacy, quality, and variety. This suggests the very presence of gay material is not sufficient to satisfy the needs of this population or any person that is interested in LGBTQQ information.

Most people who responded to the survey valued the ALA GLBTRT suggested reading lists in their day to day life and felt GPL should as well. The research paper investigated the use and the importance of ALA’s GLBTRT suggested reading lists as an acquisition tool. Ironically GPL’s policies mimicked those of ALA (as per the collection management handbook) but did not consult with the association’s suggestions for the best literature for this community. Perhaps if GPL used the national accredited library association reading list generated by professionals it would counteract the negative views held by GPL’s users.

Although it seems measures have been taken to have a substantial amount of LGBTQQ literature that does not mean the library users value quantity over quality. In fact it is somewhat questionable based on the survey results, if GPL values public opinion in their crusades. Two members of the survey participants advised they did make suggestions for additions to the collection and both were not honored. A striking 78% of respondents didn’t know how to register a complaint, concern, or compliment to GPL. That means the institution is not making that information publicly known and that would force us to conclude they have no real desire to receive feedback and use the information to serve the community. A library should value the voice and thoughts of those who they help; there is much room for improvement in this realm.

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Providing safe spaces is also an important aspect of being LGBTQQ inclusive. Keeping books off the shelves is not the only reason an LGBTQQ patron may remain in the closet.

Twenty-four percent of survey respondents chose to conceal their identity while using the resources within Greensboro Public Library. If an establishment is not considered gay friendly that is a barrier to access. The customers may not feel comfortable making exchanges with the staff they may not find the desired information. There may be a correlation between LGBTQQ patrons comfort levels at the library to the rate of effectiveness. Over half of the participants didn’t personally or know of someone who benefited from the holdings of LGBTQQ literature within GPL. It can be concluded that from those results that if gay library users felt they were in a safe space they would feel welcome to interact with the libraries staff and therefore have a more effective and positive experience. Overall it seems like GPL is making measures to ensure availability, accessibility, of LGBTQQ literature within its collection but it does fall short in attempts to reach the mission of being the “people’s university” as per the people.

Further Implications/Recommendations The survey was found useful as it acted as a collective voice of the public. We would urge GPL to take a look at the suggestions made by their users, in order to conduct some reform on their behalf. For instance one survey participant shared, “We should print out all of these zines and make a little library in the library http://www.gzap.org/v6/index.php” (Out and Loud in the Library Survey 2011). Glenwood Branch Library of GPL houses several foci such as the Nonprofit Resource Center, and the Multicultural Resource Center. This is an ideal location to fulfill this patron’s request, as the neighborhood swells with diversity. Currently, it is the home of resources which promote services for minority populations. Unfortunately, we have noticed it is currently lacking a developed, centralized collection of multimedia, archives, and literature regarding the LGBTQQ community; as are all Greensboro Public Libraries. The absence of a space that is devoted to providing LGBTQQ communities with information outlets is a great disservice to the community as a whole. By centralizing this information we would serve to fulfill the library’s function of making the resources more identifiable and obtainable for the community.

Visibility is a key component of making a space gay friendly. The research depicted that more efforts can be made on GPL’s behalf to make LGBTQQ persons welcome using the collection. The obtrusive “isms” are alive and well not just in Greensboro, but in the heart of every town across the world. Notably Darla Linville’s recent study published in Voice of Youth Advocates found, “Nearly 25 percent said that people judged them in the library…Twenty-five percent did not like to ask the librarians questions, either because they were too fearful or they are afraid of being judged. Some even reported that when they asked librarians for queer materials the librarians’ snickered or otherwise made them feel uncomfortable.” Librarians are a part of the community and were raised in the world not a bubble. They like others are affected by prejudice environments which possibly effects how they interact with customers of the library. The mutual findings of the studies mentioned all confirm we still live in a land where LGBTQQ people are discriminated against. To improve the patrons’ feelings we would suggest that the GPL staff undergo regular cultural competency trainings that are LGBTQQ specific.

“Since even an adequate collection of gay and lesbian materials will be of little use if no one knows it’s available, librarians need to find ways to make gay and lesbian library users aware of 26

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the resources available to them in the library. In the case of gay and lesbian materials, it will often be equally necessary to sensitize library staff to the special information needs of gay and lesbian patrons and of the resources available in the library to help meet those needs.” (Gough) Awareness can come in the form of book lists such as the confirmed user approved ALA Over the Rainbow Lists, bookmarks, book clubs reading a queer novel to promote the use of the library’s contents.

Collection development, advocacy from allies, readily accessible resources are all components of an LGBTQQ inclusive library. Services are also extremely important, especially in making safe space. A survey participant advised, “I think there needs to be more youth outreach to LGBTQQ youth. Libraries are safe. You are probably not going to get beat up in a library. Having more resources likes books, but also like discussion groups, and spaces for action groups would be really great. There needs to be space for LGBTQQ youth to connect with one another and with elders-and with all the LGBTQQ librarians. It can’t be that difficult logistically, I think this is a great space for cross-racial, cross-national, cross-class work. Connect it with being academically and vocationally successful also –what better place than the library with all the books and resources to address the hits to LGBTQQ kids’ high school grades that homophobia grades and the stress it causes? I think it would be really, really, really great.” (Out and Loud in the Library survey, 2011) The data analysis and the comparative study alluded to the fact that in quantity there was sufficient LGBTQQ information within GPL’s holdings. The survey speaks to the numbers not equivalent to satisfaction. LGBTQQ have the similar information needs as the rest of the population, they are not always fighting a revolution we need a library that is invested in providing a full range of diverse text. As people we all enjoy travel books, periodicals, and other sources of entertainment. Libraries are advised as per Cal Gough, “You supply all types and formats of information and entertainment produced by and for the heterosexual majority, and it seems only fair to provide an equally broad range of materials for gay men, woman and young people using your library.” (Gough) It would be in the best interest of the library to improve usages to not only fill the gaps of the library’s collection but once that is completed a tracking system should be created and put into regular use. Knowing what is on our shelves, keeping record of those pieces, and being mindful of ALA best practices will help minimize barriers to information.

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Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2011 Rainbow Books List 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2011 Rainbow Books List

Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2010 Rainbow Books List 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2010 Rainbow Books List

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Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2009 Rainbow Books List 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2009 Rainbow Books List

Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2008 Rainbow Books List 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2008 Rainbow Books List

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Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2011 Over the Rainbow Book List 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Percentage of Books Held in GPL Branches From 2011 Over the Rainbow Book List

Percentage of Titles Found in GPL 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Percentage of Titles Found in GPL 2011 Over 2008 2009 2010 2011 the Rainbow Rainbow Rainbow Rainbow Rainbow List List List List List (29/45) (19/34) (27/45) (21/32) (54/108)

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BOOK TITLE

AUTHOR

LIST YEAR

UNAVAILABLE

Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story

Considine, Kaitlyn

2008

x

GPL BRANCH

Central, McGirt Horton, Hemphill

Antonio’s Card/La Tarjeta de Antonio

Gonzalez, Rigoberto

2008

Monicka’s Papa Is Tall

Jopling, Heather

2008

x

Ryan’s Mom Is Tall

Jopling, Heather

2008

x

Mini Mia and Her Darling Uncle

Lindenbaum, Pija

2008

And Tango makes three

Richardson, Justin and Parnell, Peter

2008

The Manny files

Burch, Christian

2008

The Order of the Poison Oak

Hartinger, Brent

2008

Central, KCE, Glenwood, Hemphill, VC Central, RR, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, MH, Hemphill, VC Central x Central, Benjamin, KCE Central, Hemphill

Totally Joe

Howe, James

2008

Absolutely, positively not

Larochelle, David

2008

Girl, (nearly) 16, absolute torture

Limb, Sue

2008

KCE, Hemphill

Between Mom and Jo

Peters, Julie Anne

2008

Central

Swimming in the Monsoon Sea

Selvadurai, Shyam

2008

x

What If Someone I know Is Gay: Answers to Questions about What It Means to be Gay and Lesbian

Marcus, Eric

2008

x

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No Easy Answers: Bayard Rustin and the Civil Rights Movement When I Knew Wanted Vintage: A Ghost Story

Miller, Calvin Craig Robert Trachtenberg (ed) Alvarado, T. I Berman, Steve

2008

MH

2008

x

2008

x

2008

x Central, Benjamin, KCE KCE

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You

Cameron, Peter

2008

My Side of the Story

Davis, Will

2008

Hear Us Out!: Lesbian and Gay Stories of Struggle, Progress, and Hope,1950 to the Present

Garden, Nancy

2008

x

2008

x

Hello, Groin Wild Dogs

Goobie, Beth Humphreys, Helen

2008

Central

Becoming Chloe

Hyde, Catherine Ryde

2008

Wide Awake

Levithan, David

2008

Central, Benjamin

Hero

Moore, Perry

2008

Central, KCE, Hemphill

Crashing America

Noyes, Katia Peters, Julie Anne

2008

Far from Xanadu

x

x Central, Hemphill

2008

grl2grl

Peters, Julie Anne

2008

Gotham Central: Half a Life

Rucka, Greg

2008

Benjamin

Getting It

Sanchez, Alex

2008

Central, Glenwood

Freak Show

St. James, James

2008

Benjamin, KCE

x

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The center of the world Breathing underwater Parrotfish

Steinhofel, Andreas Vickers, Lu Wittlinger, Ellen

2008

Central, Hemphill Central

2008

Central

2008

The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life

Baez, John

2008

Central

Transparent: Love, Family, and Living the T with Transgender Teenagers

Beam, Chris

2008

Central

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

Bechdel, Alison

2008

Central, KCE

Queen of the Oddballs and Other True Stories From a Life Unaccording to Plan

Carlip, Hillary

2008

x

The Heart Has Its Reasons: Young Adult Literature with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content, 1969-2004

Cart, Michael and Jenkins, Christine A.

2008

x

The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing

David Levithan and Billy Merrill (ed)

2008

Central

Planned Parenthood of Toronto

2008

Glenwood

Keen, Lisa

2008

Central, Vance Chavis

The Whole World Was Watching: Living in the Light of Matthew Shepard

Patterson, Romaine

2008

Hemphill

America’s Boy: A Memoir

Rouse, Wade

2008

Central

Hear Me Out: True Stories of Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia Out Law: What LGBT Youth Should Know about Their Legal Rights

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BOOK TITLE

AUTHOR

LIST YEAR

UNAVAILABL E

GPL - BRANCH

Uncle Bobby’s Wedding

Brannen, Sarah

2009

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Hemphill, Glenwood, MH, Vance Chavis

10,000 Dresses

Ewert, Marcus

2009

Central

No Castles Here

Bauer, A.C.E.

2009

After Tupac and D Foster

Woodson, Jacqueline

2009

Girl from Mars

Bach, Tamara

2009

Debbie Harry Sings in French

Brothers, Meagan

2009

Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List

Cohn, Rachel and Levithan, David

2009

Down to the Bone Big Big Sky

Dole, Mayra Lazara Dunnion, Kristyn

Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, MH, Vance Chavis Glenwood, Hemphill, MH, Vance Chavis, x Central, KCE

x

2009 2009

Central, Glenwood x

Suicide Notes

Ford, Michael Thomas

2009

Fancy White Trash

Geerling, Marjetta

2009

x

Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film about the Grapes of Wrath

Goldman, Steven

2009

x

Map of Ireland Nothing Pink Last Exit to Normal

Grant, Stephanie Hardy, Mark Harmon, Michael

Central, KCE, Glenwood, Hemphill

2009

Central

2009

Central, KCE

2009

Benjamin

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M+O 4EVR

Hegamin, Tonya Cherie

2009

Another Kind of Cowboy

Juby, Susan

2009

Central, KCE

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park

Kluger, Steve

2009

Central, KCE

Out of the Pocket

Konigsberg , Bill

2009

Central

How They Met, and Other Stories

Levithan, David

2009

x

Gravity

Lieberman, Leanne

2009

x

My Tiki Girl

McMahon, Jennifer

2009

x

Belinda’s Obsession

Penny, Patricia G

2009

x

2009

x

Sword Masters Crossover Entrances and Exits Skim

Rosen, Selina Rud, Jeff Ruditis, Paul Tamaki, Mariko

x

2009 2009

Central x

2009

Central Central, Hemphill

What They Always Tell Us

Wilson, Martin

2009

Love & Lies: Marisol’s Story

Wittlinger, Ellen

2009

Gay America: Struggle for Equality

Alsenas, Linas

2009

Central, Glenwood

The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy

Leleux, Robert

2009

Central

Sex Variant Woman: The Life of Jeannette Howard Foster

Passet, Joanne

2009

Central

Two Truths and a Lie: A Memoir Awkward and Definition

Schofield, Scott Turner Schrag, Ariel

x

2009

x

2009

x

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BOOK TITLE

AUTHOR

LIST YEAR

Hello My Name Is Bob

Alsenas, Linas

2010

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood

2010

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, Reading Railroad, Hemphill, Vance Chavis

UNAVAILABLE

GPL - BRANCH

Daddy, Papa, and Me

Newman, Lesléa

In Our Mothers’ House

Polacco, Patricia

2010

Central, RR, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, MH, Hemphill, VC

Pink!

Rickards, Lynne

2010

Central, RR, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, MH, Hemphill, VC

For You and No One Else

Van de Vendel, Edward

2010

Gertrude Is Gertrude Is Gertrude Is Gertrude The Vast Fields of Ordinary Evil?

Winter, Jonah Burd, Nick Carter, Timothy

x

2010

Central

2010

Central, KCE

2010

x x

Hidden Voices: The Orphan Musicians of Venice

Collins, Pat Lowery

2010

Angry Management

Crutcher, Chris

2010

Tillmon County Fire

Ehrenberg, Pamela

2010

x

Secrets of Truth & Beauty

Frazer, Megan

2010

x

Say the Word King of the Screwups The Mariposa Club Tricks How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity

Garsee, Jeannine Going, K.L González, Rigoberto Hopkins, Ellen Cart, Michael (ed)

Central, Benjamin, Hemphill

2010

Central, Benjamin, KCE

2010

Benjamin, KCE

2010

x

2010 2010

Central, Vance Chavis x

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Freaks and Revelations Almost Perfect Newsgirl Love Is the Higher Law Ash Magic and Misery YSquare Plus Sprout, or My Salad Days, When I Was Green in Judgment Rage: A Love Story Drama Queers Punkzilla Losers Finlater In Mike We Trust Bait

Hurwin, Davida Wills Katcher, Brian Ketchum, Liza Levithan, David Lo, Malinda Marino, Peter Park, Judith Peck, Dale Peters, Julie Anne Polito, Frank Anthony Rapp, Adam Roth, Matthue Ruff, Shawn Stewart Ryan, P. E Sanchez, Alex

2010

Central

2010

Central, KCE

2010

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, Hemphill

2010

Central, Benjamin

2010

Central, KCE

2010

Central, Hemphill

2010

x

2010

Central, Benjamin

2010

Central

2010

x

2010

Central, KCE

2010

x

2010

x

2010

Central, KCE

2010

Central Central

Blue Boy

Satyal, Rakesh

2010

Inferno

Stevenson, Robin

2010

Into the Beautiful North

Urrea, Luis Alberto

2010

KCE, Glenwood, Hemphill

The Boy in the Dress

Walliams, David

2010

Central

A Vigil for Joe Rose: Stories of Being Out in

Whatling, Michael

2010

x

x 37

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High School The Essential Dykes to Watch Out for

Bechdel, Alison

2010

x

Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America

Mitchell Gold with Mindy Drucker.

2010

x

Transitions: A Guide to Transitioning for Transsexuals and Their Families

Drummond, Mara Christine.

2010

x

Deflowered: My Life in the Pansy Division

Ginoli, Jon

2010

x

Gringa : a contradictory girlhood Milk: A Pictorial History of Harvey Milk Dumbfounded: A Memoir The Meaning of Matthew : My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed

Hart, Melissa Black, Dustin Lance Rothschild, Matt Shepard, Judy

2010 2010

Central, Glenwood x

2010

Central, Benjamin

2010

Central, Glenwood

38

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BOOK TITLE

AUTHOR

LIST YEAR

Dogs Don’t Do Ballet

Kemp, Anna

2011

Tutus Aren’t My Style

Skeers, Linda

2011

The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister

Agell, Charlotte

UNAVAILABLE

GPL - BRANCH Central, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, MH, Hemphill, Vance Chavis

x

2011

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, MH, Hemphill, Vance Chavis

The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie GrahamChang

Ignatow, Amy

2011

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, MH, Hemphill, Vance Chavis

The Death-Defying Pepper Roux

McCaughrean, Geraldine

2011

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, Hemphill

Another Life Altogether Will

Wilson, Jacqueline Beale, Elaine Boyd, Maria

2011 2011

Very LeFreak

Cohn, Rachel

2011

Kiss

Of All the Stupid Things Out Wildthorn

Diaz, Alexandra Diersch, Sandra Eagland, Jane

Benjamin, KCE, MH, Hemphill Central, Benjamin

2011 x

KCE, Glenwood, Hemphill

2011

x

2011

x

2011

Central

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Green, John and David Levithan

2011

Central

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend

Horner, Emily

2011

Central, KCE

2011

Central, KCE

2011 2011

Central Central

Jumpstart the World Love Drugged The Less Dead

Hyde, Catherine Ryan Klise, James Lurie, April

39

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Scars God Loves Hair Robin and Ruby The Hour Between

Rainfield, Cheryl Shrya, Vivek Soehnlein, K.M Stuart, Sebastian

Central, KCE, MH, Hemphill

2011 2011

x

2011

Central

2011

Central, Benjamin, KCE

The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You

Bergman, S. Bear

2011

Unbearable Lightness

de Rossi, Portia

2011

Central, Benjain, KCE, Hemphill

Let’s Get this Straight: The Ultimate Handbook for Youth with LGBTQ Parents

Fakhrid-Deen

2011

Glenwood, MH

Monday Hearts for Madalene

Hodel, Page

2011

x

Kicked Out

Lowrey, Sassafras

2011

x

Me

Martin, Ricky

2011

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Hemphill

Where’s My Wand?: One Boy’s Magical Triumph Over Alienation and Shag Carpeting

Poole, Eric

2011

Central, Hemphill

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Sheng, Jeff

2011

x

The Gallup’s Modern Guide to Gay, Lesbian & Transgender Life

Various Authors

2011

x

Stuck Rubber Baby Batwoman: Elegy

Cruse, Howard Rucka, Greg

x

2011 2011

MH, Vance Chavis x

40

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BOOK TITLE

AUTHOR

Silver Kiss: An Urban Wolf Novel

Clark, Naomi Coyote, Ivan E. Cunningham, Michael

Missed Her: Stories

By Nightfall: A Novel Inseparable: Desire between Women in Literature Monday Hearts for Madalene Kicked Out Mute The Pure Lover Batwoman: Elegy Ties that Bind: Familial Homophobia and its Consequences

Donoghue, Emma Hodel, Page Lowrey, Sassafras Luczak, Raymond Plante, David Rucka, Greg Schulman, Sarah

LIST YEAR 2011

UNAVAILABL E x

GPL BRANCH

2011

Central

2011

Central

2011

Central

2011

x

2011

x

2011

x

2011 2011

x x

2011

x

Wunnicke, Christine Shraya, Vivek

2011

x

2011

x

Byrne, Paula

2011

My Red Blood: A Memoir of Growing Up Communist‌ the Feminist Movement

Dobkin, Alix

2011

Grant Wood: A Life

Evans, R. Tripp

2011

Central

A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli

Griffin, Mark

2011

Central, Hemphill

The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham

Hastings, Selma (Selina)

2011

Benjamin, KCE

The Bucolic Plague

KilmerPurcell, Josh

2011

My Queer War

Lord, James

2011

Lonelyhearts : The screwball World of Nathanael West and Eileen McKenney

Meade, Marion

2011

Missouri God Loves Hair: Stories Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead

Central x

Central, KCE Central, KCE Benjamin, KCE

41

`

She Looks Just Like You : A Memoir of (Nonbiological Lesbian) Motherhood

Miller, Amie Klempnauer

2011

Central, KCE

2011

Central

Mornings with Mailer: A Recollection of Friendship

Moffat, Wendy Raymond, Dwayne

Madre and I : A Memoir of Our Immigrant Lives

Reyes, Guillermo

2011

Mental : Funny in the Head

Sarfaty, Eddie

2011

The Talented Miss Highsmith : The Secret Life and Serious Art of Patricia Highsmith

Schenkar, Joan

2011

Benjamin

Shepard, Judy & Barrett, Jon

2011

Central, Glenwood

Spring, Justin

2011

White, Edmund

2011

Central

Mapping the territory : selected nonfiction

Bram, Christopher

2011

Central, Hemphill

Lynnee Breedlove's One Freak Show

Breedlove, Lynnee

2011

You better not cry : stories for Christmas

Burroughs, Augusten

2011

The Professor and Other Writings

Castle, Terry

2011

x

Nothing Personal: Chronicles of Chicago's LGBTQ Community 1977-1997

Damski, JonHenri

2011

x

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation

(ed) Bornstein, Kate & Bergman, S. Bear

2011

x

A Great Unrecorded History

The Meaning of Matthew : My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade City boy : My Life in New York during the 1960s and '70s

2011

x KCE, Glenwood Central, KCE

x

x Central, Benjamin, KCE, Hemphill

42

`

The Judy Grahn reader Out Loud: The Best of Rainbow Radio Something to Declare: Good Lesbian Travel Writing Role Models (audiobook)

Grahn, Judy

2011

(ed) Madden, Ed & Hodge, Candace

2011

x

2011

x

The White Garden: A Novel of Virginia Woolf

(ed) Kendall, Gillian Waters, John Argo, Rhiannon Barron, Stephanie

Another Life Altogether

Beale, Elaine

The Creamsickle

Beauty salon The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You Second Line: Two Short Novels of Love and Cooking in New Orleans

Bellatin, Mario Bergman, S. Bear Brite, Poppy Z.

Central

2011

Central

2011

x

2011

x

2011

Central, Benjamin

2011

Central

2011

x

2011

x

South of Broad

Conroy, Pat

2011

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Glenwood, Hemphill, Vance Chavis, McGirt Horton

By nightfall

Cunningham, Michael

2011

Central

The Great Lover The Road Home Silver Lake Days of Grace Union Atlantic

Dawson, Jill Ford, Michael Thomas Gadol, Peter Hall, Catherine Haslett, Adam

Central, KCE, Benjamin Benjamin, KCE

2011 2011 2011 2011 2011

x Benjamin, KCE KCE 43

`

Yield More of this world or maybe another Sugarless A Field Guide to Deception Elijah Tree Insignificant others Probation Spinning tropics

Houck, Lee

2011

Johnson, Barb

2011

Magruder, James Malone, Jill Masson, Cynthea McCauley, Stephen Mendicino, Tom Mochizuki, Aska

2011

x

2011

x

2011 2011 2011

Bobby Blanchard, Lesbian Gym Teacher

Nolan, Monica

2011

Toss and Whirl and Pass Counterpoint: Dylan's Story The more I owe you 85A

Ruff, Shawn Stewart Sims, Ruth Sledge, Michael Smith, Kyle Thomas

Central, Benjamin, KCE Central, KCE Central, Benjamin

2011

Neofotis, Peter

Ostlund, Lori

Central, KCE

2011

Concord, Virginia : a Southern town in eleven stories

The Bigness of the World

Central Central, Hemphill

Central, KCE x Central, Benjamin, KCE, Hemphill

2011

2011

x

2011

x Central, KCE

2011 2011

The Hour Between

Stuart, Sebastian

2011

Mormon Underwear

Townsend, Johnny

2011

Bitter in the Mouth

Truong, Monique

2011

Locas II: Maggie, Hopey & Ray (Love & Rockets)

Hernandez, Jaime

2011

x Central, KCE, Benjamin x Central, Benjamin, Glenwood, Hemphill x 44

`

Day of the Dead

Brownworth, Victoria A

2011

A Book of Tongues

Files, Gemma

2011

Aloha, Candy Hearts (Russell Quant Mysteries)

Bidulka, Anthony

2011

x

Date with a Sheesha

Bidulka, Anthony

2011

x

The cruel ever after

The Dark Tide: An Adrien English Mystery Water Mark Dying for a Change Smoked

x Central, KCE

Central, Benjamin, KCE, Hemphill

Hart, Ellen

2011

Lanyon, Josh

2011

x

Redmann, J.M Reynolds, Sean Ryan, Garry

2011

x

2011

x

2011

x

When gay people get married : what happens when societies legalize same-sex marriage

Badgett, M.V. Lee

2011

Central

From the closet to the courtroom : five LGBT rights lawsuits that have changed our nation

Ball, Carlos A

2011

Central

The Right to Be Out: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in America's Public Schools

Biegel, Stuart

2011

x

2011

x

2011

x

American Hunks Awfully Devoted Women: Lesbian Lives in Canada

Chapman, David and Grubisic, Brett Josef Duder, Cameron

Hot stuff : disco and the remaking of American culture

Echols, Alice

2011

Central

Gay bar : the fabulous, true story of a daring woman and her boys in the 1950s

Fellows, Will and Branson, Helen P.

2011

Central

Travels in a gay nation : portraits of LGBTQ Americans

Gambone, Philip

2011

Central, KCE

45

`

Golden Age of Gay Fiction

Gunn, Drewey Wayne (ed)

2011

x

. Transgender Explained: For Those Who Are Not

Herman, Joanne

2011

x

Keep Your Wives Away from Them: Orthodox Women Unorthodox Desires

Kabakov, Miryam

2011

x

The Canadian War on Queers: National Security as Sexual Regulation

Kinsman, Gary and Gentile, Patrizia

2011

x

Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation

LeVay, Simon

2011

x

Queering the Text: Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories

Ramer, Andrew, Jay Michaelson, Rabbi Camille Shira Angel, and Rabbi Dev Noily

2011

x

Queer Questions, Clear Answers: The Contemporary Debates on Sexual Orientation

Serwatka, Thomas S

2011

x

2011

x

2011

x

2011

x

2011

x

2011

x

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, V. 1 My Life as Adam In Praise of Falling Handmade Love If Jesus Were Gay & Other Poems Naamah's curse

Sheng, Jeff Borland, Bryan Dumesnil, Cheryl Enszer, Julie R Xavier, Emanuel Carey, Jacqueline

2011

Central, KCE, Hemphill

Indigo Springs

Dellamonica, A.M

2011

Central, Benjamin, Reading Railroad, KCE, Hemphill

Strange Fortune

Lanyon, Josh

2011

Central, 46

`

KCE Diana Comet: And Other Improbable Stories

McDonald, Sandra

2011

Central, Benjamin, Hemphill

Black Blade Blues

Pitts, J.A.

2011

Central, Benjamin, Hemphill

The Mere Future

Schulman, Sarah

2011

Central

A Book of Tongues: Volume One of the Hexslinger Series

Files, Gemma

2011

Central, KCE

Forgetting the Alamo, or Blood Memory

Perez, Emma

2011

x

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Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries that make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

"ALA | Library Bill of Rights." American Library Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/index.cfm>.

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The Freedom to Read Statement The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety or national security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.

Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be "protected" against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression.

These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education, the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy or unwelcome scrutiny by government officials.

Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with controversy and difference.

Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and write is almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initially command only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the extended discussion that serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections.

We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.

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The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.

We therefore affirm these propositions: 1. It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority.

Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded by times like these. We need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it.

2. Publishers, librarians, and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation they make available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral, or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated.

Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning.

They do not foster education by imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought.

The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one can read should be confined to what another thinks proper.

3. It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to bar access to writings on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.

No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of its creators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatever they may have to say.

4. There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.

To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking?

We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life.

Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of 50

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experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.

5. It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous.

The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determine by authority what is good or bad for others. It presupposes that individuals must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do their thinking for them.

6. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people's freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government whenever it seeks to reduce or deny public access to public information.

It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individual or group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what they wish to read, and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive. Further, democratic societies are more safe, free, and creative when the free flow of public information is not restricted by governmental prerogative or self-censorship.

7. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression.

By the exercise of this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a "bad" book is a good one, the answer to a "bad" idea is a good one.

The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for that reader's purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said.

Books are the major channel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testing and growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all Americans the fullest of their support.

We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim for the value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of 51

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enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.

This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, which in 1970 consolidated with the American Educational Publishers Institute to become the Association of American Publishers.

Adopted June 25, 1953, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee; amended January 28, 1972; January 16, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004.

"ALA | Freedom to Read Statement." American Library Association. N.p., 25 June 1953. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/ftrstatement/freedomreadstatement.c fm>.

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Freedom to View The FREEDOM TO VIEW, along with the freedom to speak, to hear, and to read, is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In a free society, there is no place for censorship of any medium of expression. Therefore these principles are affirmed: 1. To provide the broadest access to film, video, and other audiovisual materials because they are a means for the communication of ideas. Liberty of circulation is essential to insure the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression.

2. To protect the confidentiality of all individuals and institutions using film, video, and other audiovisual materials.

3. To provide film, video, and other audiovisual materials which represent a diversity of views and expression. Selection of a work does not constitute or imply agreement with or approval of the content.

4. To provide a diversity of viewpoints without the constraint of labeling or prejudging film, video, or other audiovisual materials on the basis of the moral, religious, or political beliefs of the producer or filmmaker or on the basis of controversial content.

5. To contest vigorously, by all lawful means, every encroachment upon the public's freedom to view.

This statement was originally drafted by the Freedom to View Committee of the American Film and Video Association (formerly the Educational Film Library Association) and was adopted by the AFVA Board of Directors in February 1979. This statement was updated and approved by the AFVA Board of Directors in 1989.

"ALA Freedom to View ." American Library Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ala.org/vrt/professionalresources/vrtresources/freedomtoview>.

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Procedures for Reconsideration

1. The Collection Development Manger will contact the person making the complaint within two working days after having received the Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials and will outline the procedure and time frame for the decision process.

2. Staff committee members will read or view the material in question.

3. Staff committee members will read professional reviews, criticisms or reference material that would be helpful in making a decision. Subject specialist will be consulted if needed.

4. The material in question will remain in the collection, available for use, until a decision has been made.

5. The decision will be made, if at all possible, within two weeks after the complaint is made.

6. The committee will make recommendations to a Citizens Material Advisory Committee, which will be convened by the Director or the Collection Development Manager.

Members of the Citizens Committee may be chosen for their interest in the library and its activities, status as persons who understand libraries and their materials, or their knowledge of the subject of the challenged material.

7. The Citizens Material Advisory Committee will review the recommendations of the staff committee and submit their recommendations to the Director.

8. The Director will review the recommendation of both committees and make the final decision 9. The Director will notify the complainant of the decision or ask the Collection Development Manager to make the notification.

10. Any public statements to the media will be made by the Director or by a designated member if the Leadership Team.

11. If a book or other library material is removed from the collection, the committee will notify selectors so the material can be replaced with more appropriate or up to date material. If a juvenile item is to remain in the collection, but be reclassified, all copies will be sent to Technical Services for re-cataloging.

Greensboro Public Library Collection Manuel Policy 2010. Greensboro: Greensboro Public Library, 2010. Print.

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Works Cited "ALA | Freedom to Read Statement." ALA | Home - American Library Association. Westchester Conference of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, 25 June 1953. Web. 10 Sept.

2011 ALA | Home - American Library Association. Web. 1 November. 2011. <http://www.ala.org>.

CarMichael, James V. Daring to Find Our Names, The Search for Lesbigay History. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1998. 251. Print Census: A Snapshot. (2010). Retrieved October 20, 2011 from http://2010.census.gov/partners/pdf/factSheet_General_LGBT.pdf.

City of Greensboro North Carolina Public Library." . Created by Vision Internet The Government Website Experts, n.d. Web. 1 Nov 2011. <http://www.greensboronc.gov/index.aspx?page=781>.

Daring to Find Our Names Carmichael Homophobia in the form of lack of access and accessibility of lesbigay resources has no place in the library Gough, Cal. Gay and Lesbian Materials in Public Libraries. Gay and Lesbian Library Services.

London: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1990. 55. Print.

GLBTRT Committees. (2011). Retrieved October 11, 2011, from http://www.ala.org/glbtrt/.

Greensboro Public Library. (2011). Retrieved October 18, 2011, from http://hiprpa.greensborolibrary.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?term=&index=PALLTI&btnSearch=Search Greensboro Public Library Collection Manuel Policy 2010. Greensboro: Greensboro Public Library, 2010. Print Over the Rainbow Books Final Bibliographies. (2011). Retrieved October 10, 2011, from http://www.glbtrt.ala.org/overtherainbow/archives/category/final-bibliographies.

Out and Loud in the Library Survey conducted November 2011Martin, Hillias J. Martin Jr, and James R. Murdock. The How To-Do-It ManualServing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2007. Print.

Rainbow Books. (2008). Retrieved October 13, 2011, from http://glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks/ Swietek , F.. "Brokeback Mountain ." Video Librarian Online: Reviews and News. N.p., n.d.

Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://www.videolibrarian.com/>.

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The Social Research Group, . City of Greensboro North Carolina. Strategic Study of the State of Human Relations in Greensboro: Uncovering Institutional Discrimination to Promote Equal Opportunity. Greensboro : University of North Carolina at Greensboro North Carolina A &T State University, 2008. Web. <http://www.greensboro~nc.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=1291>.

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