LGBT Forum for Library Faculty & Staff

Information on LGBT Forum II (November 28, 2007) can be found at: http://www.lib.umd.edu/MCK/LGBTForum2.html

On Thursday, November 30, 2006, the UM Libraries Diversity Team presented a discussion for library faculty and staff about LGBT issues on campus and in the Libraries. Representatives from the campus Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Equity presented and facilitated discussion on topics such as the campus environment for our LGBT colleagues and students, available support services and reliable information sources. Participants showed a strong desire to make the Libraries a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for ALL of our co-workers and patrons.

Although the Forum has passed, this Web site will be maintained as a space to collect documents and information on LGBT-related activities in the Libraries.

You can view the Power Point slides from the Forum: "Let's Talk About Our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Colleagues." A DVD of the Forum will soon be added to the Libraries' collection.

Suggested Readings

Campus Climate Reports: We discussed the following reports on the campus environment for LGBT students, faculty and staff at the Forum.
• Campus Climate and Community: What Students Say (2003)
• Campus Climate Report for LGBT Faculty and Staff (2005)

Articles: Participants were also asked to browse a few of these short articles before the November 30 session.

• "Creating a More Inclusive Climate," by Monette Austin Bailey. From Outlook Online, November 21, 2006.
• "Diversity Matters: Rainbow Terrapin Training," by Bonnie Cawthorne. From Library Matters, November 3, 2006.
• "Transition," by Kevin Rector. From The Diamondback, October 12, 2006.
• "Students Protest Anti-Gay Religious Demonstrations," by Kevin Rector. From The Diamondback, October 11, 2006.
• "A Gay Scholar Confronts the Harshness of the Heartland," by Peter S. Cahn. From The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 29, 2006.
• More coming soon!

Books (Non-Fiction): (PDF)

Books (Fiction): (PDF)

Videos on Dial Access: From Monday, November 20 to Sunday, December 3, 2006, Nonprint Media Services made the following films available on their Dial Access server. Although Dial Access for these films has ended, you can still check out these and other LGBT-related audiovisual materials on the Ground Floor of Hornbake:

• The Celluloid Closet, 2001.
• Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World, 2005.

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Campus Resources:

Office of LGBT Equity: Start here for LGBT-related issues at Maryland

President's Commission for LGBT Issues: Includes links to Campus Climate reports, hiring guidelines, and more.

LGBT Studies Program: A 21-credit certificate program designed to complement any undergraduate major.

Student Organizations: Pride Alliance (open to all students) and Graduate Lambda Coalition (for graduate students)

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UM Library Resources:

LGBT Studies Research Guide and Tutorial: Excellent guide to academic resources available in the UM Libraries.

Queer Cinema Collection: Collection of documentary, feature and experimental films maintained by Nonprint Media Services.

Diversity Mediagraphy--Sexual Orientation: List of videos in the Libraries' collection dealing with sexual orientation and related issues.

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Professional/Library-Related Organizations:

American Library Association GLBT Round Table: "The nation's first gay, lesbian & bisexual professional organization." Site includes links to the newsletter and the Stonewall Awards for outstanding books with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered themes.

GAY-LIBN: GLB Librarians Network: Email "forum for gay, lesbian, and bisexual library workers and friends. As such, issues discussed may include outreach programs, social programs, finding out what other groups, individuals, and libraries are doing, and general library issues." See also the Lesbian and Bisexual Women Library Workers List, Lezbrian, "a forum for discussing professional issues of interest to lesbian and bisexual women library workers."

Lambda Literary Foundation: "The country's leading organization for LGBT literature." Their mission is "to celebrate LGBT literature and provide resources for writers, readers, booksellers, publishers, and librarians � the whole literary community." The group gives out the annual Lambda Literary Awards for excellence in LGBT literature.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Health Science Librarians, a Special Interest Group of the Medical Library Association.

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Issues Caucus of the Special Libraries Association.

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