Library 2.0 hosted a virtual library conference called “Banned Books and Censorship: Current Intellectual Freedom Issues in the Library.” The event took place in June.
An instructor at the University of South Carolina called Valerie Byrd Fort instructed school and public librarians to attempt to prevent parents and community members from finding books with LGBTQ themes.
Byrd’s presentation provided “proactive steps” that could be used for when the “censors come knocking at your door.”
Byrd Fort encouraged school librarians to avoid labeling books with “identity-based subject headings” like LGBTQIA+ or “gays fiction.”
“Aside from being bad practice, it makes it too easy for parents or community members to find those kinds of books,” Byrd Fort said. “Don’t make it necessarily easy for those groups to find, but make it easy for those who want the books.”
In an effort to assist students in finding the titles, the presentation proposed providing kids with a physical list of LGBTQ-theme literature or a digital list accessed only with a username and password.
You can watch the presentation below:
