Catch up on ALIANewGrad’s latest #WednesdayWandersQandA Twitter chat from Wednesday March 1st with Alia Rainbow Group.

Find some #professionaldevelopment resources and ideas to provide inclusive library spaces, programs and diverse #LGBTQIA+ book collections.

ALIANewGrads WEDNESDAYWANDERSQandA Alia Rainbow Twitter chat

ALIANewGrads: Welcome to ALIANewGrads latest #WednesdayWandersQandA Twitter chat.

Twitter chat:

Answer 1_ Alia Rainbow:

ALIA Rainbow is a group of LGBTQIA+ library professionals, students and allies. We focus on professional development but often discuss collection development, programming, training and anything that involves LGBTQIA+ library staff and clients. We’re always looking for new members, so if this sounds like something you’d enjoy, please get in touch!ALIA Rainbow is a supportive and inclusive group for students and new graduates who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community or would like to be allies. We meet online once a month, so it is not a huge time commitment. Joining ALIA Rainbow is a great way to network with library professionals who share the same interests as you.

Answer 2_Alia Rainbow:

ALIA Rainbow is a supportive and inclusive group for students and new graduates who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community or would like to be allies. We meet online once a month, so it is not a huge time commitment. Joining ALIA Rainbow is a great way to network with library professionals who share the same interests as you.

Answer 3_Alia Rainbow:

Come to an ALIA Rainbow meeting! Meetings go for one hour and count as part of your CPD. Writing an article for ALIA INCITE is another professional development activity that doesn’t take much time and allows you to gain CPD points by communicating with a targeted audience. Join ALIA NGAC #AusLibChat to network online. Presenting at an ALIA conference will help tackle public speaking fears and allow you to share ideas with colleagues across the industry.

Answer 4_Alia Rainbow:

Have a community consultation with LGBTQIA+ clients who can provide you with insights into what they like to read. 

Lists like American Library Association Rainbow Book List can be helpful, and in Australia, Love Oz YA are very active in promoting queer YA. Read online newspapers like The Guardian and the Sydney Morning Herald, which provide book reviews that might be useful. Social media like TikTok and Twitter is also surprising source of information about new books and what people are reading.

Have a community consultation with #LGBTQIA+ clients who can provide you with insights into what they like to read. View @ALALibrary #RainbowBookList & @LoveOzYA for book lists. Read @guardian & Sydney Morning Herald for book reviews. Explore Twitter & TikTok for new books.

Answer 5_Alia Rainbow:

YA novels I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston, Published in (2022) and Dancing Barefoot by Alice Boyle, Published in (2022).

Recommend reading Caught in the Act by Shane Jenek, Published in (2022).

 Big Love: Reclaiming myself, my people, my country by Brooke Blurton, Published in (2022) Recent non-fiction titles that question the binaries we use when talking about gender and sexuality. 

You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson.Published in (2020).

Answer 6_ Alia Rainbow:

Some program ideas we have heard about are LGBTQIA+ zine making,
crafternoons, film screenings, speed dating and wardrobe swaps. We love Drag
Queen story times and would like to see drag queens help LGBTQIA+ clients to
promote their social media profiles or provide make up workshops.

Answer 7_Alia Rainbow:

You can tweet us on Twitter @AliaRainbow or get in touch via our Alia Rainbow website.

Thank you for Alia Rainbow for joining our WednesdayWandersQandA.