1. Creates segregation problems, especially with the AA books.
"The publishing industry rather notoriously would not publish books by or about black people until the 1990s, unless those books were deemed of sufficient interest to white readers. Prior to the 1990s it was kind of hard for black readers to find these “accepted” black writers (outside of Black History Month), because there weren’t many of them, and because their works were mixed in with the mainstream. So black readers had to rely on word-of-mouth — which, pre-internet, was actually kind of limiting" (Geer, 2010).
Back then, finding AA books was pretty hard, but now, everyone has a right to publish their works, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age, etc.
2. Creates labeling issues, especially the LGBTQ books.
"Gay characters can't be relegated to some dark corner of the shelf that you need a map to find and an ID to check out. To do so is basically saying to the gay kids, 'There's something dirty about you'" (2016). This is especially true for young adults who are trying to discover their identity. If they see these books are separated from the others, they may feel ashamed and embarrassed to be looking at that spot. Libraries are a place where everyone should have a right to read whatever they wish and not fear of being judged.
"Individuals who do not identify as straight are most affected by the attacks made on books that present their perspective; but all “LGBTQ kids” have essentially the same needs, rights, and aspirations as anyone else. In the end, we all have the same rights under the First Amendment to read about and explore the issues that interest us or are meaningful to us – regardless of whether we are straight or gay" (2016).
3. It is just plain wrong.
I think the only time these books should be separated is for display purposes only, but overall, they should be shelved with the other books. True, there are censorship and religious issues with these books, but that should not violate a person's right to read these books. If it is something you do not want to read, then do not read them, but do not violate other people's rights just because you do not agree with them. The library is a neutral place for everyone, regardless of gender, race, religious, etc.
Resources:
Geer, J. (2010). Don't Put My Book in the African American Section. Retrieved April 14, 2016 from http://nkjemisin.com/2010/05/dont-put-my-book-in-the-african-american-section/
LGBTQ Right to Read Resource Guide. Retrieved April 14, 2016 from http://ncac.org/resource/krrp-lgbtq-content-right-to-read-resource
Thanks for posting those links and including quotes! It's good to get a black author's perspective on the issue, as this is something that directly affects them and their livelihood. I agree with you...the library is a place for everyone and to send the wrong signal about the worth of writings by minority authors, even if its packaged with good intentions, would be devastating to our patrons.
ReplyDeleteFantastic prompt response! You did a great job backing up your choice. Full points!
ReplyDeleteKori, I'm glad I ran across your prompt response. I kept reading people who said the opposite, and I was wondering if I was the only person who said they should not be separated! I used the Geer source for my argument, too. I like that you said separating these book violates patrons' right to read--I said something similar about the freedom to read.
ReplyDeleteThis was my point of view as well. I feel like shelving them separately marginalizes the literature. Thanks for providing the quotes from the literature about this issue.
ReplyDelete