Sexuality in LIS

This book is forthcoming in the Litwin Books Series on Gender and Sexuality in Information Studies, Emily Drabinski, Series Editor

Access to information about sex, and platforms for sex education, have changed radically in the digital era. As curators and providers of information about sexuality, librarians have a responsibility to keep up with developments in both the types of information available, and the platforms on which that information is most readily accessible. In addition, sex is different: collecting and curating sex-related materials, as well as providing sex related information, are both fraught with a variety of issues including personal, political and religious values, age-appropriateness, censorship, and collection maintenance (less generously: vandalism).

This handbook supports professionals interested in developing critical approaches to work at the intersection of sex information, sexuality education, and librarianship. It guides librarians in building collections, accessing recommend resources, and creating a comfortable and supportive environment for patrons to do sex-related research. The collection offers methods for addressing or incorporating sexuality information in our teaching, cataloging, programming, and outreach. Though chapters are authored by individual experts, the book is intended as a cohesive handbook on sexuality information in libraries.