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"The Provision of Lesbian Fiction in Public Libraries in Scotland." A. Broadley. I. Ruthven. Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde. 2015. Download PDF (BibTeX)

Abstract:
The aim of the research was to investigate the provision of lesbian fiction in Scottish public libraries and to make recommendations for improvements that were informed and justified by the value of providing lesbian fiction for lesbian women. Collection development policies and supplier selection practices were analysed to determine the level of consideration of LGBT materials and users in collection development while a quantitative checklist survey assessed holdings of recently published lesbian fiction. A survey questionnaire was also used to explore the value of reading lesbian fiction in the lives of lesbian women in order to justify its provision in public libraries. It was found that lesbian fiction is not always actively considered in collection development, and ineffective and inconsistent cataloguing practices are used. Recommendations include that approaches to collection development, including selection practices and cataloguing, need to become proactive in order to provide lesbian women with access to lesbian fiction, the value of which is suggested to be an improved reading experience, the sense of community and support the coming out process of lesbian women.