Issue 3: The Library Barriers Issue

We all know that barriers exist in and around libraries. Although it is a topic commonly discussed, our conception of what barriers look like is always changing. There is value in continuing to identify these barriers, how they are perpetuated, and what we can do to...

What barriers does a librarian in a rural BC library face today?  What about a library technician working in the Lower Mainland? How do our patrons fare?  What barriers do they experience when using our libraries? And, how does an awareness of barriers ensure we...

Of the many barriers people face in using libraries, probably the most obvious is a locked door. That's why I found it funny that maybe the most consistently available library branch in BC is usually locked. According to their website, the Piers Island branch of the...

In this article, five transgender library workers share our perspectives on different workplaces and educational experiences. We discuss barriers we have faced, strengths we bring to libraries, requests for cis colleagues, and advice for other trans folks considering...

On June 21st, a historic event happened in Canada; the Accessible Canada Act received royal assent. When it comes into force, the law will require the Canadian government to make sure its facilities, services, goods, and employment opportunities under its control are...

Student success, along with the related goals of equity, retention, and degree completion, has been a prominent area of library research and practice in recent years, such as in the ACRL Value of Academic Libraries initiative and the steadily accumulating evidence and...

I was asked to write this piece for Perspectives many months after a friend and I had a spirited conversation in our program’s student computer lab. We were both at the midway point of our graduate degree, but like everyone else in the program, had taken a very long,...

This article addresses barriers experienced by some patrons and staff at Vancouver Public Library’s newer branch, nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona Branch. Some nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona branch library staff composed this article collectively. All modes of engaging with this...

For some time at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), menstrual products have not been available through coin-operated dispensers in washrooms. While they are available for free by asking at the university’s Wellness Centre or by purchasing them at the campus bookstore,...

Introduction Precarious employment is on the rise in Canada (Zhang & Zuberi, 2019), and library work is no exception (Canadian Union of Public Employees, 2017, 2018). According to an ongoing analysis by the author and his colleagues, 38% of BC jobs posted on the...