Research & Academic Scholarship

IntroductionThe topic of this paper was literally dropped in my lap-or rather my inbox-in the form of a series of questions from a fellow student in my Information Science Master's program ethics course at the University of Wisconsin. My colleague, hoping in all earnestness to understand why organizations such as the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT) of the American Library Association (ALA)-a group I had mentioned in an earlier class discussion-are "necessary" in the professional world of infor- mation science and librarianship, turned to me for answers. She did this, I was happy to realize, because she recognized my willingness to openly discuss the subject; but perhaps she also turned to me because I was the only self-identified GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender) member of our class of some 30 graduate and undergraduate students. The latter fact, in and of itself, speaks to how far, even in 2004, gays and lesbians have yet to come in our ability to fearlessly proclaim to others our di∂erence! Her questions to me included the following:...MLA [Medical Library Association] has a Gay and Lesbian Caucus and you say ALA has a round table. I have often wondered why. I am at a loss to understand why those kinds of groups are necessary. Do a person's private sexual practices or orientation come up at work? (I never noticed this in any of my jobs-but perhaps I wasn't paying close enough attention.) Are gays and lesbians feeling threatened at work? If so, then the groups would make sense to have. ... I think everyone should be able to have whatever orientation they want and it should not be an issue at work or school or in the community- so I just do not understand this. I hope you help me understand the need for these groups."The exchange that resulted from this honest, if perhaps troublingly naive, query served, in part, to remind me of the many ethical questions, not to mention professional and personal dilemmas, which a∂ect GLBT librarians each and every day as they strive to both live their lives and do their work as fully and as openly as is possible and/or prudent given the particular societal, local, and institutional circumstances in which they find themselves. By examining several of the questions posed to me by my colleague, I will, in this paper, consider some of those ethical issues, professional dilemmas, and attendant impacts as they relate to the following:* Are groups such as GLBTRT necessary?* What purpose(s) do such groups serve?* Is sexual orientation an issue in the library workplace?* Should orientation even be an issue in the workplace?* Are GLBT persons feeling "threatened" at work?* What should libraries do with regard to GLBT employees and issues?The Past Is Prologue?In a September i992 editor's note in American Libraries, then-editor Thomas Gaughan reflected on the backlash of librarian reaction and complaints surrounding publication of a photograph (see p. 45), of the ALA "Gay and Lesbian Task Force" marching in the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, which appeared on the cover of the July/August issue of American Libraries-an episode in our professional history that I will examine in more detail below. He acknowledged a sadly-learned lesson: that even among allegedly "tolerant" and politically-correct librarians and library supporters, homophobia, the fear and hatred of homosexuals, was alive and vociferously apparent, and that it was, in e∂ect, "the last socially acceptable prejudice" (Gaughan, i992). Unfortunately, more than a decade later, this prejudice remains, to a far too significant extent, socially acceptable to many Americans. One need only recall, for example, the recent rise in anti-gay and homophobic speech surrounding the debate over gay marriage. In 2ist-century America, homophobia continues to survive and to play itself out in our culture and institutions-as it does, every day, in a variety of guises, in many of our i06,000-plus public, academic, and school libraries. …

Happy Indigenous Peoples Day! To mark National Indigenous Peoples Day we are pleased to announce that the CFLA-FCAB’s Indigenous Matters Committee’s – Red Team-Joint Working Group on Classifi…

CRKN has completed the first step in decolonizing Canadiana collection metadata by replacing the subject heading “Indians of North America” with “Indigenous peoples.”

By Valentina Iturbe-LaGrave, Ph.D., Director for Inclusive Teaching Practices In the last few days, many of us have seen or read about the gruesome and violent videos of young Black men being forcibly restrained, hunted down, and killed in broad daylight and read the stories of a black woman being killed in her own home. Violence against Black and Brown bodies has been a horrific and longstanding trope of the American experience. While it has always impacted us, the recent demonstrations and riots eclipsing COVID19 news and media coverage challenge our courage at a time of immeasurable community and individual trauma. To help you navigate these complex and challenging times, we offer a brief summary of trauma-informed critical pedagogy as a way to consider how trauma may be impacting you and your students. We also invite you to check-in with students, and teach in a way that does not re-traumatize students but instead supports healing the mental and emotional effects of the trauma. Below are some critical trauma-informed pedagogy considerations, suggested readings, and resources to help you on this journey. As always, contact the Director for Inclusive Teaching Practices for one-on-one consultations on Zoom, email, or over the phone.

The field of information and library science has long struggled with the lack of diversity in the workforce. In response, a number of programs have been created to encourage students of color to pursue careers within the library and information sciences. Despite this, the number of diverse individuals working in the field is still low. This paper explores instances of discrimination towards library and information science students of color and how these experiences shape their academic career and their outlook on the profession overall. Qualitative interviews were conducted with five students of color currently pursuing a master’s degree in library and information science and will be transcribed and analyzed for overarching themes. This paper intends to identify ways students of color in LIS master’s programs can be better supported.

Bias in library systems directly affects patrons’ experiences in the library. This ALA Editions excerpt looks at implicit bias -- how it can be identified and how it can be reduced.