We span all different levels of professional and paraprofessional library work (some of us working outside of libraries) and are spread across BC.
While we aim for three or so meetings a year, they have become admittedly sporadic, as it’s hard to gather such a widespread, busy group of people. When we do meet, our discussions cover everything from book talks, to issues in the workplace, to brainstorming future events. We have also done quite a bit of discussion online through our listserv (how retro!), including talking about current issues in the library world.
One event we were happy to be involved in was the inaugural PLIG Journal Club that we collaborated on at the end of last year. It was a great evening of discussing and dissecting academic research on LGBTQ+ library issues, and it was valuable to connect with members from other interest groups.
A lot of our work goes into our online resources. We create book lists annually that highlight the year’s LGBTQ+ picks across different age groups. We also have a blog that covers LGBTQ+ book reviews, local events, and more: https://bclalgbtq.wordpress.com.
There are a number of ways prospective members can get involved! We are always happy to have people contribute to our blog and Twitter, and to help brainstorm possible events and initiatives. If you’d like to get involved, or simply want to chat with some like-minded folks about library issues or some great LGBTQ+ reads, you can find all our contact info and subscribe to our listserv on our BCLA Connect page: https://bclaconnect.ca/lgbtq.
Happy Pride and happy reading!
Lindsay Russell is the BCLA LGBTQ+ Interest Group Chair. She is a Library Technician working at Douglas College and the Port Moody Public Library. She is majoring in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at SFU, en route to getting her MLIS.
