OLA Conference 2018

As presenters we aim to shed some light on how public and academic librarians can create welcoming spaces for their transgender and gender nonconforming communities through collection development, signage and marketing, programming, and other professional skillset applications. A large part of serving trans and gender nonconforming populations may involve removing existing barriers to service, and the program will cover how updating circulation practices and staff training can aide in building bridges over existing divides.

In the last decade, transgender awareness has expanded greatly; in 2014, following the Supreme Court's landmark ruling on gay marriage, Time Magazine featured a cover story--The Transgender Tipping Point--calling transgender issues "America's next civil rights frontier." Oregon's progressive legislation on trans issues has resulted in the 7th highest per capita trans population in the United States, creating a unique opportunity for Oregon libraries to serve this much-in-need demographic.