by Jarrah Hodge

Many Canadian cities, including Toronto, celebrated Pride this past weekend. In that vein I’m re-posting an interview I did with my former Vancouver Public Library colleague Tara Robertson for my Bitch Magazine Blogs column Revenge of the Feminerd.

Libraries are a haven for nerdy types, both as patrons and as staff. They also play an important role for social justice by standing against censorship.

I spent seven years working at libraries, starting to shelve books when I was 15 and eventually graduating to the check-in/check-out desks for a part-time job during university. Looking into libraries for this post I decided to talk to my former colleague Tara Robertson.

In 2009 Tara put together a group called the Lesbrarians to take part in the Vancouver Dyke March (photo above, with Tara second from left). Last year they had about 35 lesbian, bisexual, and queer women who worked in libraries, archives or other information organizations, as well as writers and library lovers participate. We met when we both worked at the Vancouver Public Library and she’s done quite a bit of work on LGBTQ and feminist issues, so I knew she’d be a great resource.

You can also find her on Twitter @tararobertson.

Me: First, can you tell me a bit about yourself?

Tara: I’m a librarian at an art and design university where I try to provide better access to information through better information systems. I’m a reluctant cataloger and an organizer in many senses of the word. I am allergic to shushing.

Me: What role do you think libraries/librarians can play in creating a safe space for queer patrons?

Tara: Public libraries play a critical role for many marginalized populations. Public libraries are some of the few public, non-commercial spaces that remain in our society. Also in an information economy, libraries are one of the few places that people can freely access information, whether it’s using free wireless, the library’s computers and databases, or traditional materials like books and DVDs. Public libraries also provide access to leisure materials like wonderfully trashy TV series, paperbacks and magazines. This is also important.

Librarians need to work harder at unpacking “nice lady” values and collaborate with our communities (including the folks who don’t feel welcome in libraries) to refine our library collections and services so that we are a safe and welcoming place for all folks. Doing this will make libraries safer for many people, including queers. Read more