Arkansas libraries steer clear of gay-themed books

Well, I can't say this comes as a big surprise, but a recent study of the collections of Arkansas school, public, and university libraries indicates that juvenile or young adult books with gay themes are conspicuously absent.

"About 21 percent of public libraries, nearly five percent of university libraries, and a shocking less than one percent of school libraries have books containing controversial themes and characters in their collections." (SLJ.com)

Researchers surveyed the catalogs of Arkansas public and university libraries looking for 21 of the most popular gay, bisexual, lesbian, and transgender-themed juvenile or young-adult books published between 1999-2005 (Included in this list was the popular gay teen novel Geography Club, authored by AfterElton contributor Brent Hartinger.) The under-representation of gay-themed coming of age books can be partly attributed to self-censorship:

"The fear of book challenges, negative comments from higher-ups, and the possibility of losing their jobs are common reasons why librarians avoid purchasing these controversial titles."

But the researchers expressed their concern that, often, those individuals overseeing library book purchasing are guided by their personal religious/moral beliefs. Depressing news, particuarly when you consider that the situation in Arkansas is probably typical for most bible-belt states.