SLAV Online Book Club September 8th 2022 – LGBTQI Books | School Library Association of Victoria

Our thanks to those of you able to join us for our book club meeting to discuss titles and strategies for displaying LGBTQI Books in school libraries. As always, so many of you had so many wonderful contributions to share with us, and it is very appreciated.

This was our sixth book club meeting for 2022, and we look forward to chatting with you again at our next meeting on October 13^th to discuss the topic – Climate / Environment Focus. Either in fact or explored in fiction, the environment and climate are issues of significance. What texts are of interest to your young readers as they grapple with these issues?

Disclaimer: The lists generated as a result of Book Club discussions are not, by any means, an exhaustive list of all titles or authors for each genre/category discussed. Nor will all titles be suitable for all libraries. We advise staff discretion when referencing these lists, to properly confirm individual title suitability for individual libraries, school and students needs. These are suggested titles only, shared by our members and inclusion on, or exclusion from, a list does not suggest SLAV endorsement or rejection of a title.

Articles

Attwell, V. (2021). “In all areas, I cater to the majority”: An investigation of LGBT+ provision in school libraries from the librarian’s perspective. Synergy, 19(1). Retrieved from https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/492

Byrne, C. (2021). Mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors: LGBTIQA+ perspectives. Synergy, 19(2). Retrieved from https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/530

Day, N. (2019). Windows and mirrors: visibility and representation in Australian LGBTQIA+ YA fiction. Synergy, 17(1). Retrieved from https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/v171196

Discussion in chat about display ideas in school libraries

Popular LGBTQI+ books in our high school library. They have a rainbow spine sticker and searchable subject codes.
any ideas on whether we should identify books by a genre sticker or in a reading list…seems to be mixed ideas. Is consulting our rainbow group at school enough?
I have purchased a rainbow sticker but I haven’t used them yet as I believe that some of the students at my school would feel victimised about reading LGBTQI+
I told my junior campus colleagues to read holden shepherd as I felt it was too graphic for yrs 7&8
We place the rainbow sticker inside the book on the date due slip or back cover of the book
Sorry I don’t have microphone or camera today… Our ‘Pride Group’ meet every Tuesday in our meeting room and I show them new books I have purchased and/or they suggest titles to me. When I was generifying I also consulted them about where to place the rainbow stickers – inside back cover with another genre sticker on spine for second subject. I also add LGBTQI+ as a subject/genre in the catalogue
We don’t use rainbow stickers – our student parliament didn’t like that idea when we asked their opinion. We do have reading lists and do lots of displays around the various LGBTQI+ events throughout the year.
I made a libguide 🙂 https://libguides.ecmelb.catholic.edu.au/c.php?g=942347&p=6823320 and we do displays of rainbow stories pretty regularly
Our books are interspersed within our generified collection (obviously with appropriate subject headings and tags) and we do displays to highlight titles as well. I bought stickers (which I was thinking I would put inside the back cover; I remember it was mentioned in a previous book club) but I have not got there yet…
Today we have just put up a ‘Diversity’ display which the students have put together – covering not only LGBTQI but also neurodiversity –
I’m making sure I have plenty of queer titles as eBooks – all boys’ school so some of the boys are more comfortable borrowing online rather than in person sadly.
Back to earlier discussion: We consulted with our LGBTQIA+ club as to how they wanted our books displayed and how they could best access them. We trialled several different ways of presenting the books, including stickers, displays for special days & a stand-alone collection as well as some multiple copies interspersed. We have lists on our OPAC as well.

Links to Lists and Resources

Hi Everyone, sorry joining late, here is a link to our Course Reserve of some books in our middle (secondary ) collection (am at K-12 scl may be of interest https://bialik.on.worldcat.org/courseReserves/course/id/17526105

thinking of ebooks /eAudio you may like to check out EPIC Books – teachers can sign up for free and can share books with students https://www.getepic.com/app/search

Readings https://www.readings.com.au/collection/lgbtqia-books-for-teens

Diverse Book Finder https://diversebookfinder.org/content/lgbtq/

New Yorker Article https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-education/lgbt-books-kids-ban

Buzzfeed List of upcoming 2022 books https://www.buzzfeed.com/dahliaadler/new-lgbtq-young-adult-books-summer-2022

Titles Discussed

Graphic novels:

Heartstopper Series (obviously 😊 )

Kiss Number 8 – Colleen AF Venable

Séance tea party – Reimena Yee

Bloom – Kevin Panetta

Mooncakes – Suzanne Walker

Snapdragon – Kat Leyh