Week 14: Prompt Response

    To separate or not to separate, that is the question...

    For many library patrons, the organization and separation of genres helps them more easily find and discover what they are looking for. Some collections- like fiction- are large, while others -like fantasy- aren't. Even within sections like fiction and mystery there are titles that may seem to some to be more like romance or western, but for the most part, separation helps readers find what they are looking for. 

    For Urban fiction I think it would be helpful to separate this genre and give it its own space instead of including it with the rest of fiction because:

• Many librarians may not be as familiar with this genre and having it in its own section will make it easier to direct patrons to instead of fumbling around trying to search in the catalogue for any one particular title.
• I have had patrons who have asked for "hood books" before and they were very excited to see all that we had to choose from sitting together on the shelf.
• Creating a genre for these types of stories gives them the recognition and praise that they deserve, thus helping detractors see it al "legitimate fiction."

For LGBTQ+ fiction, I think the opposite; it would not be helpful to create a separate genre for this type of fiction because:

• Readers who are exploring and discovering their identity may feel embarrassed to be seen browsing in this section.
• We don't want to make it easy for patrons who disagree with having "gay books" in the library to find these books and deface them or challenge them all in one day. I can think of a few patrons off the top of my head who might make a comment like "good, you put all that crap in one section so we can all stay away from it!"
• Some readers who are not part of the LGBTQ community may not be interested in browsing titles in the LBGTQ+ section if they believe that is the "only thing" these books are about. Gender and sexuality are intensely personal to each reader, writer, and character, and there are varying levels of awareness of LGBTQ themes in different books. By putting them all in the same section it may make it harder for readers to casually encounter an LGBTQ character or storyline in their "regular" fiction title because all of it will be separated.

There is no definitive answer for the question of whether to separate these types of fiction from the rest or not and each library needs to do what works best for them to engage patrons and increase circulation. My library branch specifically has been playing around with new many new displays recently and patrons really like that we keep things fresh: whether that means an interactive art project or a display that includes books, music, and movies related to a singular topic. Whether or not these types of books are given their own genre, it can still helpful to create displays and activities that celebrate both regularly