BC Library Conference 2019

Generously sponsored by: Vancouver Island Regional Library

While the publication of young adult (YA) texts with LGBTQ content is on the rise (increasing from only 2 a year in the 80s to almost 90 from mainstream publishers in a given year today), authorship is a continued area of concern for many readers and professionals in the industry. As LGBTQ YA texts have become more prominent, the number of cisgender and heterosexual authors writing queer and trans stories has increased. Looking to Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, many scholars and library practitioners understand the need for readers to see themselves in the stories they read. In addition, the focus of much of the mirrors and windows discussion on race and gender often fails to encapsulate considerations of queerness in a larger context, including the fact that so many texts about gay men are written by heterosexual women. So what does it mean for young queer and trans folks who see their experiences being profited off of in narratives written by cis, straight authors?

While I do not have a singular answer for how to change the landscape of publishing, this presentation will serve to educate librarians and other literature professionals on existing #OwnVoices literature in an effort to ensure that queer and trans voices are centred within book talks and work around book recommendations within YA services. By focusing on promotion of LGBTQ YA books written by LGBTQ authors, we within the library profession can ensure that queer and trans youth are having their own experiences mirrored in more authentic, complex, and nuanced ways.