In this solid addition to the series, Houde offers straightforward and student-centered advice to public and school librarians, starting with the most basic question: Why do we need to make a special effort to serve and represent LGBTQ teens? For many, the answer will be obvious, but nevertheless, Houde lays out research-supported reasoning as she addresses this question and many others. Since serving marginalized populations often involves managing pushback from directors and community members, including requests for censorship of LGBTQ materials, this kind of foundational information is critical. The practical suggestions on collection development, privacy, outreach, and creating a welcoming environment are spot-on. Best of all, most of the steps outlined are simple yet powerful, raising librarians’ consciousness of the needs of diverse groups and helping to provide a library space that strives to be as inclusive as possible. VERDICT School and public libraries are often a safe space for LGBTQ youth, making this an excellent guide for librarians who work with young adults, regardless of their level of practice.–Erin Downey, Boise School District, ID

School Library Journal

In this engaging book, author Lisa Houde addresses the inherent challenges and issues related to working with LGBTQ teen communities. Covering traditional library topics such as programming and collection development, she also discusses those specific to LGBTQ teens such as creating safe zones. One of the best features of the book is the huge bibliography. The annotations go beyond mere description, offering a ‘final word’ of advice about each title from the perspective of a librarian. Houde’s breezy style makes reading through this book seem like talking over coffee with a mentor.

Ellen Greenblatt, Emerita, University of Colorado; Lecturer, San Jose State University and University of Wisconsin-Madison iSchools

Amazing—what a valuable, comprehensive, and inclusive resource! Lisa Houde’s Serving LGBTQ Teens goes far beyond a standard bibliography for collection development to offer solutions for creating welcoming library spaces, reaching out to the community, and addressing efforts to censor LGBTQ material. Every librarian who wants to meet the needs of their diverse patrons should have this book.

Jerome Pohlen, Author, Gay & Lesbian History for Kids: the Century-Long Struggle for LGBT rights, with 21 Activities

Lisa Houde’s book, Serving LGBTQ Teens: A Practical Guide for Librarians, takes an energetic and accessible approach to providing library services to LGBTQ+ youth. The volume is grounded in best library practice, while expanding its strategies of inclusion. Hough’s focus on safe space, honest collections, and engaging activities allows the library to function as a mirror of the best the LGBTQ+ community has to offer its members, and also as a door inviting those members into the broader community as a whole.

Joyce M. Latham, Associate Professor, School of Information Studies, Chancellors representative to the Chancellor's Advisory Committee for LGBT+ Advocacy at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee