SCHOOL LIBRARIES WORLDWIDE

Volume 7, Number 2, July 2001, 17-30.

Theme: Resources and Services for Special Groups

A Door Half Open: Young People's Access to Fiction Related to Homosexuality [PDF file]
Laurel A. Clyde and Marjorie Lobban
How, and how well, do libraries meet the needs of lesbian, gay, and bisexual young people? This article considers the fiction resources of school and public libraries, specifically fiction written for young people that has themes related to homosexuality and/or contains gay and lesbian characters. Our work in compiling the annotated bibliography Out of the Closet and Into the Classroom (1996) is described, highlighting the mechanisms used to identify and locate relevant novels and picture books. Comment is made on the role gay and lesbian characters play in the novels, the sex of the characters, and how gays and lesbians are represented in the books. Finally, the article considers how young people may gain access to these novels and picture books. Research into patterns of fiction holdings is discussed, and the effects of censorship and legislative pressures in some countries on the inclusion of such titles in public collections. In conclusion, the article points to the many factors that may impinge on access. It finally indicates possible areas for future research, such as the role of the catalog in facilitating access and investigation of collection development policies and holdings in school libraries. Relevant books may exist in significant numbers, but the evidence suggests that the door of the closet is still only half open.

Copyright of works published in School Libraries Worldwide is jointly held by the author(s) and by the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL).The author(s) retain copyright of their works, but give permission to IASL to reprint their works in collections or other such documents published by or on behalf of IASL. Author(s) who give permission for their works to be reprinted elsewhere should inform the editor of School Libraries Worldwide and should ensure that the following statement appears with the article: Reprinted with permission, from School Libraries Worldwide, <issue volume, number, date, pages>.

Last updated 29 October 2008 (KSB)