Before making any decisions, I
would first need to know why the request was being made. I can imagine two likely
scenarios. First, a
well-intentioned patron wants to make browsing through these genres easier by
grouping them together. Second,
someone was offended or put off by finding these genres on the general fiction
shelves and does not want his or her library experience to include seeing these
genres. Obviously, the request in
the second scenario would not be granted, but the first would receive consideration. However, even after deliberation, it is
unlikely that the request would be granted for the following reasons:
- Segregation is a form of discrimination, even with books. Separating out the LGBTQ or African American materials might encourage some by creating a central location for all the items, but it is more likely to create a barrier. Those that aren’t seeking out either of those genres are unlikely to browse through a dedicated section, while those that are looking for those genres are less likely to feel comfortable browsing for fear of judgment.
- Separating the section decreases clarity. What about materials that don’t fit neatly into one category – would they need to be shelved in several places, or would they be shelved in just one location? What about children’s or teen sections of the library – would they also need separate sections, or only adults?
- Studies have demonstrated that people, especially those that look for LGBTQ materials, prefer their privacy and are more likely to utilize that portion of the collection if they have the opportunity to do so anonymously (Mathson and Hancks). Placing items from the LGBTQ and African American genres in the general fiction section increases the anonymity of a patron’s library experience.
- These collections can be highlighted in different ways, rather than shelving them separately. Finding aids, displays, even spine labels (provided they are value-neutral) are all ways to highlight the collection without shelving them in their own sections.
- Separate sections often prevent other patrons from finding these genres on their own. If these materials are included in the general collection, they are more likely to find a wider audience.
Each of these reasons can also be applied to
various other genres and subgenres; I shared last week how I disliked the ‘otherness’
of the YA/Graphic Novel section at my local library, which prevented some adult
patrons from browsing there. I am
even uncomfortable with shelving major genres like science fiction, romance,
and mystery separately; it offers too many opportunities for self-censorship by
patrons simply because of where something is physically located. If our goal is to provide a wide
variety of materials to each of our patrons, the best way to do that is to
remove as many barriers to the materials as possible.
________________________________________
Works Consulted:
American Library Association. "Labeling and Rating Systems." Accessed April 15, 2014. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/labelingrating.
Mathson, Stephanie and Jeffrey Hancks. “Privacy Please? A Comparison Between Self-Checkout and
Book Checkout Desk Circulation Rates for LGBT and Other Books.” Journal
of Access Services 4 no. 3 (2006): 27-37.
Lauren, you make an excellent point about the motives of the patron(s) making the request for separate shelving. I hadn't even considered the idea that the suggestion might have been prompted by a desire to segregate materials that were harshly judged by the requestor. Handling such a request would require some diplomacy.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's because I work in a college library where the stacks are more often searched than browsed, but I'm still somewhat divided in my opinion on the whole question of genre separation. I do enjoy browsing sections for titles, authors, and yes, even book covers that strike my fancy when I'm in the mood for a particular genre. But nearly all my library usage nowadays involves searching instead of browsing. I tend to read or hear about a specific book or author, use the online catalog to check which library branch it is available at, and walk from the parking lot directly to the shelf to find it. It rattles me a little when I walk into the library and realize that sections are divided and I didn’t take note in the OPAC whether the book location was “Mystery,” “General Fiction," “Newly Arrived,” or “Hot Picks for Summer!” Dang!!
In general, I do think that the bookstore model of genre separation is a patron-friendly way to shelve a collection and can really increase the visual appeal of library spaces. But part of me still likes it when Agatha Christie, James Fennimore Cooper, Truman Capote, and Michael Chabon are all snuggled into the same range of shelves.
I'm getting a bit long-winded here, but someone once told me that he missed the radio days of the early 1960s, when the same station might play songs by Frank Sinatra, Loretta Lynn, The Rolling Stones, Guy Lombardo's orchestra, Smokey Robinson, Elvis, and Broadway tunes from Rogers & Hammerstein. He told me that if the radio station he listens to today would also feature hip-hop or Lady Gaga, he would be able to listen to them and form his own judgment, but he was unlikely to seek out specific hip-hop or pop stations separately and so would never have much exposure to those styles. I thought it was kind of funny that he said something like, "I know what Lady Gaga looks like but not what she sounds like. I don't think I'd like her music, but I probably won't switch over to another station just to find out. And the kids who listen to her probably won't switch over to my favorite classical station, so they'll never know whether or not they'd like Yo Yo Ma. To them, his name might sound just as goofy as Gaga sounds to me." It made me laugh, but it was an interesting point that could apply to library collections as well.
I like browsing too, especially when I just randomly grab something because of the title or cover.
ReplyDeleteExcept for WGN 720 AM and the classical radio station 98.7 FM ( and WLIT, but during the holidays), I have practically given up on the radio. Most of them seem to favor what is popular ( which is the teen pop, hip hop, and party music). I miss the smooth jazz stuff, I miss the old time radio programs ( yes, one of the other classical stations and WMAQ did programs about radio shows from the 40s-50s) and the jazz-blues shows once on NPR. The only place I can find this stuff is CDs or via Youtube.)
I tend to enjoy books from the science fiction and fantasy shelves. I'm actually hesitant to read books from the teen shelf even if they have fantastical creatures on the cover because occasionally they are closer to a teen romance novel than a fantasy.
ReplyDelete