Blog post 7: Reflections

 I really enjoyed this semester and especially the way this project remained an active element throughout the readings and lectures. It gave me a kind of focus point.  I used my chosen information community as a bit of a touchstone throughout the course. This really kept me grounded in the reality that everything an information professional does is meant to increase access to information for specific groups of people, and the individuals that make up those groups.

The research I did on this community revealed that there is a great deal of work to be completed. The LGBTQIA community has unique information needs, as do the various subgroups within that community. This is a group with a rapidly changing status and nomenclature, and information resources that are current and useful tend to be community-based and online ones. There are several barriers to access for this group: Information dealing with LGBTQIA content is disproportionately filtered by internet filters so often found in schools and public libraries. (Alexander and Miselis, 2007). The language used in catalogs and search terms might be outdated and potentially biased and has the potential to alienate information seekers. (Pierson) The information that is accessible is highly subject to geography and political climate. Individuals in rural areas simply have less access to LGBTQIA resources and information. (Passet 2012).

My project left me with more questions than answers, to be honest. How do we promote inclusion in the current climate, when each new day brings news of more ways in which this group may be legally subject to discriminatory practices? How can we educate educators and healthcare professionals to provide compassionate care for these folks? What can information professionals do to better support the LGBTQIA community?

Some of the suggestions that I found for addressing barriers to information and increasing access were about making the space of public libraries safer for these folks. That might include rethinking what kinds of requirements there are for access- LBGTQIA youth are overrepresented among homeless youth(Pierson), so requiring a physical address to obtain a library card can be a barrier to access. Gender non-conforming individuals would benefit from unisex bathrooms. Library cards need not have gender markers(Pierson, 2017). Another suggestion was greater automation, allowing patrons to check out books privately. This would support the decision not to disclose their status that some individuals must make for their own safety. Other suggestions included updating search terms and catalog items, increasing digital media and access to it- given that young people are so likely to use new and emerging technology, this makes it easier to engage the underserved population of LGBTQIA youth. Some of my research focused on ways in which digital spaces, social media, and emerging technology offered so much possibility and information for this community, much of it user-generated. Moving towards inclusion for this group might well mean integrating new technologies and more responsive and interactive modes of access to information.

Another suggestion was that of partnering with local advocacy groups. Let the community tell us what it needs. The best way to support the needs of any given information community is to work to understand what those needs are. The work I did this semester did leave me hopeful that we can do better to meet the needs of this group. Information professionals can and should craft culturally sensitive and relevant programming that is responsive to the needs of this diverse group. That project is more important now than ever before.

 

References

Alexander, L., & Miselis, S. (2007). Barriers to GLBTQ Collection Development and Strategies for Overcoming Them. Counterpoise,11(3/4), 73-79.

Passet, Joanne E. (2012). Hidden in plain sight: Gay and lesbian books in midwestern public libraries, 1900-1969.(Essay). Library Trends, 60(4), 749-764.

Pierson, C. M. 1. piersoca@gmail. co. (2017). Barriers to Access and Information for the LGBTQ Community. Canadian Journal of Information & Library Sciences, 41(4), 245–262. https://doi-org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.3138/cjils.41.4.e17023

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