#QueerAllYear
As Pride Month approaches, I would like to remind everyone
that books by LGBTQ+ creators and with LGBTQ+ characters should be promoted all
year. On various social media platforms, you may have seen the hashtag #QueerAllYear.
In the face of the attempts to silence and further marginalize this community, libraries
should remember that we can include these titles to our book displays and lists
to help bring some positive attention to these books and authors.
In addition, buying books by marginalized authors is only
part of the equation. The other part is to get the word out to your patrons. Remember
to include books by LGBTQ+ authors in your book display and book lists.
Diversity is not a genre so when you promote romance, mysteries, horror and
other genres, books by diverse authors should always be included. While they can be a creative outlet for
staff, the primary purpose of a good book display should be to draw attention
to titles that readers may not discover on their own. This promotion will also increase
your staff’s knowledge of, giving them more options when assisting readers.
A program that any library can start is a #QueerAllYear
program that would run from June to June, featuring programming and book
promotions that center the LGBTQ+ community. They don’t have to be intense,
involved things every month. Promoting a local program or organization on a
book display with some related titles from your collection and adding a sign
with the hashtag #QueerAllYear could be used for more than one month.
Add signage with information about your digital collection
and what titles can be found there. Platforms like Hoopla Digital that include
comics and graphic novels have LGBTQ+ collections that can be promoted as well.
If your library regularly makes digital shelves or displays in your eBook
platform, one shelf outside of June can be given over to National Coming Out
Day in October or the Transgender Day of
Remembrance in November.
Add #QueerAllYear to your monthly plan for merchandising and
promoting your collection. This will allow you to balance your efforts given
other obligations and efforts per month so that no one initiative becomes
overwhelming. It will introduce staff to authors and titles that they may not
be familiar with, expanding their readers advisory efforts while also helping
patrons potentially find their next great read.
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