Libraries are trying to connect people with information, and as readers’ advisors we are trying to find books that our patrons might like but are not aware of. Separating out genre fiction, like LGBTQ and Urban, does not do much to aid either of these goals and has more negatives associated with it than positives. While having separate sections for the books could make it easier for certain patrons to go right to the section they are interested in, it also prevents people from stumbling upon new things and allows them to make a snap judgement about it. Just because a book is in the romance section doesn’t mean that it is a book with Fabio on the cover. There might be more to the story that a reader would like, but this classification might immediately turn them off before even giving it a chance. There is also an issue with classifying the books themselves. Many writers create works that may fit into multiple different genres. Just because a book has an LGBTQ character doesn’t mean that is the main subject of the work or the only thing that could identify it. “The danger that arises in separating out genre fiction in libraries is that this separation can contribute to the continued notion that there is a hierarchy of writing and that genre fiction belongs lower on the scale than literary fiction” (Trott). Not separating the genres out can also save space in libraries. Many people are seeking out the library for computer usage, study space, and community meeting rooms. Having less space devoted to books and separate sections of literature could allow the library to devote more of the building to tables, chairs, and computers for patron usage.
Resources
Trott, Barry. "A House Divided? Two Views on Genre Separation." Reference & User Services Quarterly 46.2 (n.d.): n. pag. Reference & User Services Quarterly. American Library Association, 05 Jan. 2008. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://blog.rusq.org/2008/01/05/a-house-divided-two-views-on-genre-separation/>.
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