Kalani Adolpho et al., "Trans and Gender Diverse Voices in Libraries" (Library Juice Press, 2021)

Aug 20, 2023

Kalani Adolpho and other contributors discuss their book 'Trans and Gender Diverse Voices in Libraries,' highlighting the experiences of trans and gender diverse people in the library profession. They address issues such as safety, privacy, collaboration, emotional labor, and the importance of urgent action to address harm in existing systems. They also discuss future projects including transgender inclusion in LIS literature and a new book on trans inclusion in professional specialties.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Introduction and Backgrounds

01:38 • 21min

Author Experiences and Efforts for Safety and Privacy

22:50 • 2min

Collaboration, emotional labor, and growth in the project

25:06 • 2min

The Impacts of the Book and the Importance of Urgent Action

27:06 • 14min

Future projects: Transgender inclusion in LIS literature and a new book on trans inclusion in professional specialties

41:14 • 3min

Current Projects and Future Plans

44:41 • 2min

In the library profession, and in the world as a whole, the experiences of trans and gender diverse people often go unnoticed, hidden, and ignored. Trans and Gender Diverse Voices in Libraries (Library Juice Press, 2021) is entirely written and edited by trans and gender diverse people involved in the field: its fifty-seven authors include workers from academic and public libraries, special collections and archives, and more; LIS students; and a few people who have left the library profession completely.

Editors Kalani Adolpho, Stephen G. Krueger, and Krista McCracken share in this interview how this book is not intended to be the definitive guide to trans and gender diverse experiences in libraries, but instead to start the conversation. This project hopes to help trans and gender diverse people in libraries realize that they are not alone, and that their experiences are worth sharing.

This book also demonstrates some of the reality in a field that loves to think of itself as inclusive. From physical spaces to policies to interpersonal ignorance and bigotry, the experiences recounted in this book demonstrate that the library profession continues to fail its trans and gender diverse members over and over again. You cannot read these chapters and claim that Safe Zone stickers and “libraries are for everyone” signs have done the job. You cannot assume that everything is fine in your workplace because nobody has spoken out. You can no longer pretend that trans and gender diverse people don’t exist.

Find the table of contents for Trans and Gender Diverse Voices in Libraries as well as open access chapters online here. Learn about the Trans and Gender Diverse LIS network here.

Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. Jen edits for Partnership Journal and organizes with the TPS Collective. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom and The Social Movement Archive.

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