CEFLS: LGBTQ Resources: For Library Staff

ALA Statements on Intellectual Freedom

"Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves."

- Article I from the ALA Library Bill of Rights, 1939 (amended in 1944, 1948, 1961, 1967, 1980, 1996, and 2019)

"The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack... We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read... We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read... The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution."

- excerpt from the ALA Freedom to Read Statement, 1953 (amended in 1972, 1991, 2000, and 2004)

"Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval."

- excerpt from the ALA Library Bill of Rights, 1939 (amended in 1944, 1948, 1961, 1967, 1980, 1996, and 2019)

"We are committed to defending the constitutional rights of all individuals, of all ages, to use the resources and services of libraries. We champion and defend the freedom to speak, the freedom to publish, and the freedom to read, as promised by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.

We stand opposed to censorship and any effort to coerce belief, suppress opinion, or punish those whose expression does not conform to what is deemed to be orthodox in history, politics, or belief. The unfettered exchange of ideas is essential to the preservation of a free and democratic society."

- excerpt from the ALA Statement on Book Censorship, 2021

"At present, efforts to censor any consideration or discussion of racism, slavery, Black American history, and related issues and concerns in our schools... pose a real and present threat to libraries’ ability to fulfill their role as trusted community institutions that provide factual and accurate information that reflects the breadth of the American experience about these topics.

A commitment to intellectual freedom and social justice requires that libraries not only protect the truth from suppression, but also prevent its distortion. Consequently, the American Library Association... oppos[es] any legislative proposal or local initiative intended to ban instruction, consideration, or discussion about the role of racism in the history of the United States or how systemic racism manifests itself in our schools, workplaces, and government agencies."

- excerpt from the ALA Statement on Censorship of Information Addressing Racial Injustice, Black American History, and Diversity Education, 2021

Professional Development Books on LGBTQ Topics

Book lists

Rainbow Book List
The Rainbow Book List is created by the American Library Association and presents an annual bibliography of quality books with significant and authentic LGBQTIA+ content, which are recommended for people from birth through eighteen years of age.
Stonewall Book Awards
The Stonewall Book Awards are sponsored by the American Library Association's Rainbow Round Table and are awarded yearly to one non-fiction, one fiction, and one children's/YA book that exhibit exceptional merit relating to the LGBT experience.
Over the Rainbow Book List
The Over the Rainbow Book List is a committee of the Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association. OTR creates an annual, annotated bibliography of books for general adult readers aged 18 years or older that have commendable literary quality and significant, authentic lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQIA+) content.
Lambda Literary Awards
The Lambda Literary Awards (the "Lammys") were created in 1989 to garner national visibility for LGBTQ books, which had established a foothold through a nascent network of lesbian and gay publishers and bookstores. Today, the Lammys celebrate more than 150 LGBTQ writers across 25 categories.

Programming Ideas

Programming Librarian ALA: LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Programming Librarian ALA: You Belong: LGBTQ+ and Allies Youth Group
LGBTQ Community Calendar
GLAAD's calendar of LGBTQ-related observances, like LGBTQ History Month (October) or Lesbian Visibility Day (April 26th)

Reference Resources

HRC: Being an LGBTQ+ Ally
The Human Rights Campaign's guide on how to be an ally to the LGBTQ community.
LGBTQIA+ Studies: A Resource Guide
The collections of the Library of Congress tell the rich and diverse story of LGBTQ+ life in America and around the world. This research guide serves as an introduction into the excellent collection of LGBTQ+ resources available at the Library of Congress
NYPL: Gay and Lesbian Studies
Gay and Lesbian Studies is by nature cross-disciplinary, covering a wide range of intellectual bases: literature, history, religion, psychology, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, medicine, law, fine arts, and others. Resources in this subject area may be found in nearly every division of the Research Libraries. This guide offers multiple trajectories into this richly varied field.
PLFAG National Glossary
A glossary of LGBTQ terms.
Safe Zone Project: For Learners
The Safe Zone Project's page on learning about LGBTQ topics like allyship, inclusions, the meaning of acronyms commonly used by the LGBTQ community and more.
Then and Now: Experiences of the LGBTQ+ Community
A resource guide created by the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) that highlights LGBT civil rights issues.

Toolkits & Professional Resources

ALA: Rainbow Roundtable Rainbow Round Table (RRT) of the American Library Association is committed to serving the information needs of the LGBTQIA+ professional library community, and the LGBTQIA+ information and access needs of individuals at large. We are committed to encouraging and supporting the free and necessary access to all information, as reflected by the missions of the American Library Association.
Children's Book Council: LGBTQIA Book Lists and Resources
Free For All: New Yorkers for Intellectual Freedom We inform, educate, and activate library workers and library advocates across New York State about the rise of intellectual freedom challenges.
Hateful Conduct in Libraries: Supporting Library Workers and Patrons After the 2016 elections, there was a spike in reported hate crimes in American libraries. Consequently, questions about hate speech, the First Amendment, and patron behavior in the library are escalating. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services have prepared this resource to provide additional guidance for librarians struggling with issues of hate and intolerance. This resource focuses on public libraries, academia, and schools. Although private institutions are not held to the legal requirements of the First Amendment, the principles of free expression and respect are encouraged. Unique aspects to consider for each setting are outlined in the “Special Considerations” section of the document.
IFLA LGBTQ+ Users Special interest Group Bibliographic tools repository Providing access to reliable and inclusive information is at the heart of the library mission. For the LGBTQ+ community, libraries provide safe and welcoming spaces to find authentic stories, educational resources, and connections to their history and culture. Building strong and representative LGBTQ+ collections is therefore essential to meeting the needs of this diverse community. This multilingual resource directory aims to support librarians in this important work. It brings together tools and information from a variety of reliable sources, covering a wide range of LGBTQ+ topics.
Libraries Respond: Drag Queen Story Hour Many libraries across the country have been hosting or participating in Drag Queen Story Hours. A few have experienced pushback from some members of their community. To support libraries facing challenges we have established this collection of resources. We will continue to add to it and welcome your contributions. ALA, through its actions and those of its members, is instrumental in creating a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive society. This includes a commitment to combating marginalization and underrepresentation within the communities served by libraries through increased understanding of the effects of historical exclusion. Note: Decisions about programming are made at the local level and are based on individual library policy.
Libraries Respond: Protecting and Supporting Transgender Staff and Patrons In recent years, the transgender community has been under attack and has been threatened with the violation of their human rights. From the 2016 bathroom bill to the 2020 reversal of transgender health protections from the Federal government, the trans community and allies have been tirelessly fighting against bigotry. Libraries must actively affirm and support the safety and rights of transgender people.
Libraries Respond: Services to LGBTQIA+ People Libraries can serve lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LBGTQ) people by ensuring that this population is reflected in library collections and provided with services at the library. As a population which is often the subject of discrimination and harassment, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people can benefit from the access to information which libraries provide and the sense of community which library programs can help foster. It is important to note that the LGBTQ population is diverse, spanning age groups, ethnic and racial groups, socio-economic groups, and personal identities.
NYPL: Reading with Pride: Resources for Educators Discover an array of resources centered on historic and contemporary queer picture books, and explore scholarly essays on LGBTQ+ children’s literature that trace the shifting attitudes, norms, and realities of queer life over the last 50 years. Plus, find developmentally appropriate book recommendations, explore ready-to-use teaching tools, and much more.
Open to All Tool Kit: Serving the LGBTQIA+ Community in Your Library This Toolkit is designed to help library staff better understand gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, aromantic, and other queer (LGBTQIA+) library users, how to best serve their needs, and how to manage challenges that often arise.
PEN America: Online Harassment Field Manual Online abuse poses an urgent and growing threat to free expression, equity, and inclusion. Whether you’re experiencing or witnessing online abuse, this Field Manual offers concrete strategies for how to defend yourself and others. We wrote this guidance with and for those disproportionately impacted by online abuse: writers, journalists, artists, and activists who identify as women, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQIA+. Whatever your identity or vocation, anyone active online will find useful tools and resources here for navigating online abuse and tightening digital safety.
Selection & Reconsideration Policy Toolkit for Public, School, & Academic Libraries Every library — academic, public, and school (public, private, charter, independent, and international) — should have a comprehensive written policy that guides the selection, deselection or weeding, and reconsideration of library resources. The most valuable selection policy is current; it is reviewed and revised on a regular basis; and it is familiar to all members of a library’s staff. The policy should be approved by the library’s governing board or other policy-making body and disseminated widely for understanding by all stakeholders.

Webinars & Trainings

Building A Diverse and Inclusive YA Library Collection (NYLA) Why is it important for librarians to integrate culturally diverse literature into their collections? Readers need a rich and varied diet of material that reflects the many different ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic groups that make up multiple voices, individual lives, social attributes, and perspectives around the world. We are the advocates that help expand the borders of this culturally diverse literature, this inclusive literature, to aspects such as physical and mental disabilities, socioeconomic status, different family structures, such as foster families, and sexual and gender identification. We are striving to curate our collections to be the mirrors and windows of a teen’s life into adulthood.
CEFLS Discussions and Training: Diversity and Inclusion Bookshelf with Karen from Keene Valley
A Diversity Audit of Juvenile Picture Books (CDLC)
How to Create a Trans-Inclusive Workplace (NicheAcademy)
The Inclusive Library – Best Practices for Serving Your LGBTQ Communities (Texas State Library & Archives Commission)
LGBT from A to Z: A Library Worker's Primer (LibraryLinkNJ)
Reaching For The Rainbow - Meeting Needs Of Rural And Isolated LGBTQ Friends And Neighbors (Mental Health America Webinars)
Welcoming LGBTQ+ Patrons (CLRC) Find out who your LGBTQ+ patrons are and how you can better support them. This workshop will include physical & digital spaces, collection development, and programs & events.
When All Means All: Serving Rainbow Families (South Carolina State Library) Does your library serve LGBTQ+ youth or rainbow families in your community? Are your library programs inclusive of these patrons? Where can you find award-winning and quality children’s and YA materials with LGBTQ+ content? This 1.5-hour webinar explores how librarians can welcome and best serve rainbow families.
Working with LGBTQ Individuals (LILRC)

LGBTQ Resources

Report Censorship

Other Resource Guides

LGBTQ Subject Headings

Mental Health and Crisis Resources