GLTB librarian information request?

mdoneil says:

Re:I don’t understand
No, but if another librarian and I were discussing it I would respond as I did.

But that is an interesting point, I do respond to things differently here than I would if someone walked up to me in the library. In the library I would not know if they were a librarian or a libertarian, unless they told me- but if they were asking a reference question in the library it would not matter who they were.

mdoneil says:

Now I have answers….
OK since my orignal posting was thought to be judgemental ( I thought of it more as a reference interview) I had best post some answers.

Here is an annotated bibliography that may prove useful.

Carmichael, J. V. (2000, Winter). They sure got to prove it on me“: Millennial thoughts on gay archives, gay biography, and gay library history. Libraries & Culture, 35, 88-104.
The American Library Association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Task Force (GLBTRT) justly takes pride of place as the first professional gay organization in the world. (1) While the ALA itself ended discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1974, antipathy to gay issues within the profession is by no means dormant. At the same time, the growth in gay archives and gay studies in the past twenty﷓five years has been phenomenal. Gay librarians and archivists can continue to play an increasingly important role in promoting these collections and their use, but only if they understand the full range of historical problems that gay history and biography present. Where appropriate, library historians should also chronicle the achievements of gay library worthies.

Charmichael, J. V. (1995, October). The gay librarian: a comparative analysis of attitudes towards professional gender issues. Journal of Homosexuality, 30, 11-58.
Librarianship is a feminized profession, and like teaching, nursing, and social work with which it shares the occupational traits of a ‘‘semi-profession,’’ its low status and prestige have been attributed to a negative feminine image. To date, discussion of a corresponding male librarian image, general male issues, and the broader topic of gender issues has been minimal within the profession, while serious discussion of gay male librarians and their professional identity has been virtually nil. This study compares the responses of straight and self-identified gay males to an exploratory survey of male members of the American Library Association. The topics covered by the survey include reasons for entry into the field, the existence and identity of a male librarian stereotype, and gender issues generally, including gender stratification of work and sexual discrimination and/or harassment. Self﷓identified gay subjects share many characteristics in common with the straight cohort, including the identification of a gay male stereotype and some denial surrounding gender equity issues. On the other hand, the tentative findings of this exploratory study raise the question of whether both gay and straight male subjects overestimate the number of gay men in librarianship. The report concludes with an update on gay issues within the profession since the survey was completed, and recommendations for further research.

Clarke, K. L. (1997). Collection development for a special population: gays, lesbians and bisexuals. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
Clarke discusses collection development methods for a special population: gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

Schell, L. E. (2001). Workplace identity management issues of lesbian and bisexual librarians. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
Schell discussses the problems lesbian and bisexual librarians face in the workplace as they relate to their gender or sexual identity.

Schwartz, J. (1992, June). The Archivist’s Balancing Act: Helping Researchers While Protecting Individual Privacy. The Journal of American History, 79, 179﷓189. Retrieved April 22, 2005, from JSTOR database.
An interesting look at not the gay librarian or patron, but the gay subject or author who may wish to maintain privacy. Throws yet another wrench into the works when we were orignially concerned about only the librarian or patron .

Signorino, C. F. (1997, Winter). The good news (and the bad) about library resources for gay & lesbian youth. New Jersey Libraries, 31, 6-15.
Discusses collection development for teens, specifically addressing the needs of gay and lesbian youth.

Van Buskirk, J. (2005, April). Collection Development [Special section]. Library Journal, 62.
Van Buskirk, a collection development librarian in San Francisco in his column “Out of the Closet?� describes and provides useful tools for the librarian serving the gay and lesbian patron. Van Buskirk describes some of the references he uses, and provides a list of core titles for a collection designed to serve a diverse population.

In fact, the entire Winter 1997 issue of New Jersey Libraries seems to be devoted to the concerns of the GLBT population. I think it would prove to be a most valuable starting point in your research (assuming you can obtain a in print or online. I used H. W. Wilson)

mdoneil says:

Re:I don’t understand
Not really, few teens have Masters degrees. Is a study of horsemanship a study of those that ride horses, or the riding of horses? The people or the practice.

That is what my online reference interview was for; to clarify the question.

mdoneil says:

Re:Now I have answers….
I really don’t mean to (and didnt’t mean to) sound critical. I often come off that way, I am direct but I don’t mean to beat people up. Rochelle has become good at pointing out when I do.

Oh well, I hope my bibliography helped a little.