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Sexuality in Libraries Group



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Sexuality in Libraries Group
http://www.croydononline.org/hs/bissues/who.htm

Who and What is SILG?
http://www.croydononline.org/hs/bissues/who.htm

   Who and What?

    Why was SILG setup?

   Following the successful Burning Issues conference examining public
   library services to lesbians and gay men in 1996 several library staff
   met informally to take forward some of the ideas raised during the
   course of that day. Those present felt that this would be a useful
   vehicle for exploring ways library services can work with each other
   to improve the quality of services already available and develop new
   ones. A more formal forum was set up and the Burning Issues Group was
   duly established.

   Some lesbians, gay men and bisexuals feel unable to be open about
   their sexual orientation for fear of losing their jobs, their homes,
   their children or the support of family and friends. For these reasons
   although lesbians, gay men and bisexuals form significant minorities
   of people in many library catchment areas, attempts to accurately
   quantify population figures have been unsuccessful.

   As service providers and as members of staff, library employees need
   to be aware that no legal protection from discrimination or incitement
   to hatred exists for lesbians and gay men. Stonewall, a national
   lobbying organisation working for equality and social justice for
   Lesbians and gay men found that one in six lesbians and gay men has
   suffered discrimination in the workplace and nearly 10% of the 200
   surveyed said that they had lost a job because of their sexual
   orientation.

   In December 200 it was decided that changing the group's name was
   needed to improve its visibility in response to queries from
   interested and practicing professionals. The new name, Sexuality
   Issues in Libraries group (SILG), was chosen as it gives a better
   indication to the information world what our "Burning Issues" are.

   Our four core aims
     * To improve the quality of library and information services for
       lesbians and gay men and thus improve use and quality of library
       and information services overall
     * To work in partnership with relevant agencies to develop
       strategies and policies for service development and training
     * To share and encourage best practise
     * To be open and available for any library worker, or anyone,
       interested or involved in this area of service provision

   Library Stock Policy

   Material about lesbian and gay bisexual issues and written by
   lesbians, gay men and bisexuals should be bought as part of a quality
   targeted library stock. The same guidelines of quality and relevance
   as apply to other groups should be applied to these groups, and
   provision should be made for special categories, for example ethnic
   minorities. All subject areas should be considered in selection and,
   as with other user groups, the stock should aim to meet that
   particular information, leisure and education needs of homosexual and
   bisexual people of all ages and cultures. This will include
   information about local and national groups, supported material on
   "coming out" to parents and both popular and literary fiction and
   non-fiction.

   Main  Who and What  Organisations  Diary  Resources  Contact

   This page was last updated on 30th March 2001
http://www.croydononline.org/hs/bissues/who.htm

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