GLBTQ Lives Where You Live
GLBTQ individuals live in every community, in every city, and every state across the nation, in spite of whether or not they are openly requesting library materials.
Nearly all teens know someone who is a member of the GLBTQ community. "According to several recent studies, nearly 80% of all teens know someone who is queer; between 5 and 6 percent of teens self-identify as gay or lesbian (nearly2.5 million people); and as many as 20 percent do not identify as straight" (Martin, 38).
GLBTQ collections and library services can provide insights for all teens, fostering acceptance, as the library takes the lead role in imparting to teens and to all library users that this is simply the world we live in now.
That being said, in some ways though, it is unfair to generalize about GLBTQ teens; they run the gamut of diverse interests and perspectives just as normal teens do, and mature at different rates developmentally as well. However, what GLBTQ teens have in common is that they may face very real consequences for being themselves and living their life openly and freely.
Librarians are in a unique position to ameliorate the lives of GLBTQ teens. To learn more about GLBTQ terminology, click here and if you need any more convincing that providing library services to GLBTQ teens is essential, follow through on this link.
Nearly all teens know someone who is a member of the GLBTQ community. "According to several recent studies, nearly 80% of all teens know someone who is queer; between 5 and 6 percent of teens self-identify as gay or lesbian (nearly2.5 million people); and as many as 20 percent do not identify as straight" (Martin, 38).
GLBTQ collections and library services can provide insights for all teens, fostering acceptance, as the library takes the lead role in imparting to teens and to all library users that this is simply the world we live in now.
That being said, in some ways though, it is unfair to generalize about GLBTQ teens; they run the gamut of diverse interests and perspectives just as normal teens do, and mature at different rates developmentally as well. However, what GLBTQ teens have in common is that they may face very real consequences for being themselves and living their life openly and freely.
Librarians are in a unique position to ameliorate the lives of GLBTQ teens. To learn more about GLBTQ terminology, click here and if you need any more convincing that providing library services to GLBTQ teens is essential, follow through on this link.
Sources:
Martin, Hillias J. "A Library Outing: Serving Queer And Questioning Teens." Young Adult Library Services 4.4 (2006): 38-39.
Web. 22 Oct. 2012.
Rauch, Elisabeth W. "GLBTQ Collections Are For Every Library Serving Teens!." Teacher Librarian 39.1 (2011): 13-16.
Web. 17 Oct. 2012.
Martin, Hillias J. "A Library Outing: Serving Queer And Questioning Teens." Young Adult Library Services 4.4 (2006): 38-39.
Web. 22 Oct. 2012.
Rauch, Elisabeth W. "GLBTQ Collections Are For Every Library Serving Teens!." Teacher Librarian 39.1 (2011): 13-16.
Web. 17 Oct. 2012.