Checking the Pulse of LGBTIQ+ Inclusion and Representation in the Academic Library: A Literature Review

ABSTRACT

Libraries aim to meet the needs of the communities they serve inclusive of those from diverse cultural backgrounds, and more recently particularly addressing those who identify as LGBTIQ+. Universities have also begun to focus on building inclusion for LGBTIQ+ students and staff in their communities generally. This review examines the literature as it relates to academic libraries addressing the needs of their LGBTIQ+ users and the provision of LGBTIQ+ information resources to the university community. The literature is discussed under the themes of information needs, service needs and LGBTIQ+ resources and access in collections. Within these themes barriers to meeting LGBTIQ+ users’ needs and current recommended responses for academic libraries are also discussed. The review concludes that further evaluation of LGBTIQ+ holdings in academic libraries, and academic libraries’ adoption of recommended responses to LGBTIQ+ user needs is warranted. Also identified is the need for an updated examination of LGBTIQ+ users’ views on how academic libraries might meet their specific needs.

KEYWORDS:

• LGBT
• transgender
• queer

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. LGBTIQ+ stands for lesbian gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and other diverse gender and sexuality identities. this acronym was chosen as it is one of the terms in current use by a number of australian state and federal government and community organisations, such as act state government, the australian institute of family studies and the australian diversity council. the plus sign at the end acknowledges the plurality of identities that are not represented by the letters in the acronym; for example, non-binary, pansexual and intersectional identities such as sister-girl and others (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2017) for the purposes of consistency and readability the acronym lgbtiq+ is used throughout this paper except where a different acronym or term is used by the literature paper being discussed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michelle Matheson

Michelle Matheson is a Masters by research student at RMIT University. She is also a Teaching and Research Librarian with RMIT University Library. Her research interests are in social inclusion in academic libraries and in library staff skills development.

Elizabeth Tait

Dr Elizabeth Tait is a lecturer in Information Management at RMIT University where she teaches digital curation and records management. Her research interests are in the socio-cultural impact of digital technologies with a particular focus on cultural heritage and political engagement.

Sue Reynolds

Sue Reynolds is a senior lecturer and the Deputy Programme Director of the Master of Information Management at RMIT University. Sue is a library historian interested in how the past informs the present and future and an LIS educator interested in transforming students into accomplished and passionate practitioners