Collection Development 

In order to meet the information and intellectual freedom needs of LGBTQIA2S+ teens, collection development is crucial. Libraries can serve LGBTQIA2S+ youth by ensuring that the community is reflected in library collections. 

Hanick and Keyes (2023) argue that in order to develop an attitude of cultural humility when practicing collection development and analyzing titles for young readers a librarian must be committed to three areas: "accuracy, decentering yourself, and mitigating power imbalances by rejecting self-focused responses" (p. 63). When selecting books for LGBTQIA2S+ teens, we must remember that we are not reading for ourselves but for the community and their diverse identities and experiences. When reading and selecting books for our patrons, we must ask ourselves—how will LGBTQIA2S+ teens receive this? "Too often books assume a white, male, neurotypical, middle-class, able-bodied, cisgender, or heterosexual audience" (Hanick & Keyes, 2023). Vaccaro, August, and Kennedy (2012) emphasize the importance of diverse collections, arguing that LGBTQ youth feel a sense of belonging and inclusion when they see themselves reflected positively in literature. The books we include in our collections should be representative of our LGBTQIA2S+ patrons—including their age, ethnic, racial, socio-economic, and personal identities. It's not possible to create an exhaustive or complete collection, but it's vital to continue to make space for new stories and allow patrons to make requests as well.