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All students, including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ), benefit from quality library books that reflect their experiences. This mixed-method research project examines whether public high school library professionals self-censor their library collections when it comes to materials with LGBTQ themes. Quantitative data were collected from 120 Ohio public high school libraries and 12 school librarians were interviewed. The results suggest that school libraries tended to have significantly fewer LGBTQ-themed books than titles with other kinds of controversial content, and that certain school-based factors such as high enrolment, racial diversity, liberal-leaning community locations; and presence of certified school librarians, were present in schools with more inclusive LGBTQ collections. Qualitative findings supported the quantitative analyses in that participants stressed the importance of a supportive community and administration when developing a quality, inclusive library collection.
Introduction
In July 2010, a 15-year-old student named Brent created a stir among school librarians when a recent posting from his blog The Naughty Book Kitties was published in School Library Journal (SLJ). In this posting, Brent explained just how important books were to him and to other young adults in helping them come to terms with their sexuality. Brent and his friends combed bookstores and public libraries looking for gay and lesbian characters, but when he turned to his own school library, his school librarian informed him that, "This is a school library. If you're looking to read inappropriate titles, go to a bookstore" (Limited Shelf Life, 2010). Librarians around the world were aghast, and sent letters to the editor of SLJ and posted comments on Brent's blog that reflected concern for his school library. Brent's blog post's closing statement was a wake-up call to many school librarians:
The world needs more librarians who are devoted to finding the right book to put in the right person's lap, not librarians who think they can decide what's "inappropriate" and what's not based on their personal prejudices. There are tons of gay teens struggling to find a group to fit into. LGBT YA lit helps us realize that no, we aren't alone, and no, we aren't worthless. It helps us discover that we are part of the LGBT group, which includes tons of brilliant people, doing brilliant...