Week 14 Prompt

I think African American fiction and GLBTQ literature should stay with other fiction books. In bookstores it may be separated but as libraries, I think these books should remain with all fiction. The first reason is that it creates the means for someone looking for African American fiction and GLBTQ to browse and see what else is out there. There is so much power in the idea of the search. Patrons may feel that they have to consistently have to go out of their way to find books because there are so few available at the library and are hidden in the mass of other fiction. This is true, but it’s also a good thing to read something that’s not so easily available. The second reason is that it makes it so patrons have to use the online catalog.  This can cause patrons to become more curious and find what other AA or GLBTQ books that they may not know existed. This leads to other discovery because if they were separated they would just swiftly browse and see if the library has the title they want and either find something else or leave. It benefits both the patron and library if patrons stay a little longer and experience what the library has to offer. The third reason is that it helps the library keep unison with its collection. Although, in some libraries the mystery and sci-fi are separated, this is great because they are two huge genres with ongoing series. AA and GLBTQ are two emerging genres where most libraries don’t carrier every AA and GLBTQ that is released. Libraries may only carry those with good reviews and with buzz. If separated, it would only be a small section with what I hope would expand in the future. It also depends on the demographics and the community and the size of the library. Smaller libraries most likely won’t separate but larger libraries may have the room to do so but it depends on the collection and what books qualify as AA fiction and GLBTQ and that also plays into the collection decision as well.