Week 14 Prompt

I’m not sure how I feel about labeling fiction.  My library has separate paperback sections for Romance, Westerns, Mystery, and Science fiction.  In the hardback section, they do have the previously mentioned labels along with labels for Religious and African American literature. I am a white woman, and have grown-up in a white privileged environment where I am part of the majority.  I can see arguments for both sides:

• ·      Labeling fiction for minority populations makes it easy to identify for those looking for their interests.
• ·      Labeling creates separation—identifies that these populations “need” a label.

On the subject, the American Library Association’s offers the following interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights:

Viewpoint-neutral directional aids facilitate access by making it easier for users to locate materials. The materials are housed on open shelves and are equally accessible to all users, who may choose to consult or ignore the directional aids at their own discretion (Labels and rating systems, 2005). 

As long as libraries are using them for positive purposes and identification, labels are encouraged.  The ALA further clarifies their position with the following:

When there is a large population of a specific ethnic or language group in an area, it often creates a large demand for items relevant to their experience in the library. To meet that demand and make it simpler for the users to locate those resources, libraries sometimes choose to create a special collection and/or area devoted to those resources. As long as these collections represent diverse points of view within the parameters of the collection and are designed to help patrons find resources relevant to their experience and not to restrict them to a certain section of the library, this practice would be acceptable (Questions and answers, 2010).

I do not know if actually creating a separate section based upon race or sexual orientation is productive.  It can allow those interested to easily find the titles, but it can also discourage the casual browser from discovering those titles if they are not willing to enter those areas. 

Nora K. Jemisin  is an African American woman who writes science fiction.  When looking into this subject, I stumbled across her website/blog.  Her thoughts on the subject are quite interesting. 

Any bookstore or library which shelves my stuff in AAF has assumed that my work is automatically of interest to black readers — and only black readers — because I’m black. It further assumes that black readers don’t care about the book’s actual content; they’ll just read anything by a black author. Yet further this practice assumes that white readers are too xenophobic to consider reading a book written by someone of another race, so such books shouldn’t even be allowed into their sight.

That’s an insult to my ability and the abilities of writers of color in general, and an insult to readers of every race (Jemisin, 2010).

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Her statements sum up exactly why I don’t agree with separate sections for minority interests.  I think that the intention is noble, but can be hurtful to the intended audience.  Nora K. Jemisin continues that argument by stating:

Sadly, I suspect that whoever stuck my book in that library’s AAF section meant well. Thing is, intentions don’t really matter. The worst racism is perpetuated not through intent, but through thoughtless, unquestioning adherence to old, bad habits. We always need to ask ourselves where those habits come from, and whether it’s a good idea to keep perpetuating them. We need to ask whether they hurt more than they help (Jemison, 2010).

My conclusion is that I am okay with labeling fiction, but it must be included in the entire collection.

1. It encourages those interested to find that subject by easily identifying the topic of interest. 
2. By including it in the entire collection, you are encouraging casual browsers that would not seek out those titles if they were separated.
3. Minority interests must be recognized by the majority population, while encouraging all readers to enjoy those interests.  

Jemisin, N.K. (2010). Don’t put my book in the African American section. N.K. Jemisin. http://nkjemisin.com/2010/05/dont-put-my-book-in-the-african-american-section/

Labels and rating systems. (2005). An interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. American Library Association.  Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=interpretations&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8657

Questions and answers on labeling and rating systems. (2010). Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. American Library Association. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/qa-labeling