In creating and organizing a collection, there’s a fine line to navigate when deciding how to organize genres. You want to organize it in a way that’s easy for people to find the books and genres they want, but not single out a specific group of people. When looking at Urban fiction, I would separate it as its own genre.
1. Urban fiction brings together books with a similar theme. Much like how people who want a HEA go to the romance section, those who want the “street” themes found in these books go to the Urban section.
2. My library is an urban library, and we have many patrons who come in asking specifically for the Urban books.
3. By allowing Urban fiction to have its own section, fans of the genre can easily find books with similar themes and subtleties.
I would not separate LGBTQ fiction.
1. LGBTQ fiction is not a specific genre. The books can encompass all genres from Romance to Mystery to Sci-Fi and Fantasy.
2. Separating LGBTQ fiction would other this group of people. In extreme cases, it could out someone who is not comfortable sharing their sexuality.
3. Having LGBTQ books shelved with the rest of the collection can encourage diverse reading. Because LGBTQ fictions spans several genres, there’s not specific themes that group them together. Someone who’s interested in Sci-Fi might pick up A Psalm For the Wild-Built and read a story filled with queer and nonbinary characters and enjoy the diversity of the book and the Sci-Fi themes and appeals.
I waffled a lot in my decision whether or not to separate out Urban fiction in it's own genre and I'm glad to have heard a perspective from someone who does work in an urban library. I totally agree with your decisions!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious, does your library currently have a separate section for Urban Fiction or use another way to designate books in that genre, such as stickers? I'm not the biggest fan of separating collections altogether, but maybe adding genre stickers to help patrons find them more easily among the rest of the collection would be beneficial, especially if patrons are frequently asking for Urban Fiction!
ReplyDeleteMy library does currently have a separate section for Urban Fiction! I find that it is very helpful for patrons. We have several who come in asking specifically for our Urban books. When I show them the selection they're very pleased, as they can find other books with the same theme right there. As someone who enjoys romance, I like the convenience of having all that genre in one space because I don't have to search the whole collection to find the themes that I'm looking for. Because Urban fiction has similar themes, I think it makes sense to have them shelved separately.
DeleteLove the thought you put behind your reasoning! Great response!
ReplyDelete