Queer Library Alliance

Queer identities are complex. They are embedded in a web of intersectionality and often challenging to fully define. Sometimes queerness shines like a beacon and this radiance is captured in media. Sometimes it is more subtle. Often it is invisible. Promoting understanding and visibility are primary goals of this anthology. As library professionals that create, utilize, and make accessible systems of organization and classification for information, intersectionality must remain a clear objective in addressing these historical absences. These topics represent some of our efforts to respond to challenges, address critical needs, and serve as essential forces against systematic oppression across service areas, library types, and borders. The first section of this collection of essays looks at how we are developing understanding and library services that reflect and are responsive to LGBTQ user needs. The second emphasizes opportunities and approaches for augmenting queer professional practice, which ultimately benefits our diverse library users. Contributors hail from, reside in, and study issues from several countries around the world including Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, England, India, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.A. With many areas of the world not represented in this text, we recognize biases inherent in our perspectives. As librarians, archivists, and other information professionals committed to facilitating access and high-quality services for LGBTQ- and other marginalized users, it is important to stress that this is just one step in a larger process. There is still much more to consider and do as we continue to advocate for equity in library services to all.