On Social and Cultural Justice in LIS Environments
For my poster and handout, titled “In Between & All Over the Place: Bisexuality and Beyond in Young Adult Literature,” created in LS 621: Intercultural Perspectives in Youth Literature, I looked at contemporary bi+ YA fiction and related scholarship. Through this project, I touched on issues like bi erasure, the pitfalls of forcing our authors to publicly label themselves, and the importance of representation for identities that are marginalized within already marginalized groups.
In “What to Do When Your Board Says No: Non-Governmental Libraries Providing Access for Queer Youth in the South,” written in CIS 666: Information Policy, I looked at community organizations who are stepping in to fulfill the needs of LGBTQ+ patrons in the face of legislation and policies that force public and school libraries to remove queer materials. With the new administration, I think national projects like the Queer Liberation Library, as well as local parent and student-led groups will become more and more important. Community archives like Invisible Histories are also doing a lot to make sure that no information and materials are lost in the chaos of the coming years.
In thinking about the social and cultural justice within LIS spaces, I think that the realities just need to catch up to the scholarship. We know what we need to do, we just need to make it happen. I’m hopeful (on my good days), that the incoming generation of librarians and archivists can help make the ideals a reality.
Example 1
In Between & All Over the Place:
Bisexuality and Beyond in Young Adult Literature
Bisexuality and Beyond in Young Adult Literature
Written in LS 621 : Intercultural Perspectives in Youth Literature
Example 2
What to Do When Your Board Says No:
Non-Governmental Libraries Providing Access for Queer Youth in the South
Written in CIS 666 : Information Policy