Week 14 Prompt Response

If I were responsible for deciding whether or not to separate GBLTQ and African American literature from the rest of the collection or not, I would choose to keep them integrated into the rest of the collection.
My first reason for this is that these two categories are not genres, they are themes. Most library collections will divide their fiction collections by genre, such as Mysteries, Science Fiction, etc. They may also divide the collection by format (Graphic Novels, Large Print) or reading level (Adult, Young Adult, Youth). Further dividing the collection into themes would create confusion for librarians and patrons (Where would a Mystery GLBTQ book be located?), and would create too many different sections. Themes are also a very expansive category type, as I could continue to list themes for hours.
My second reason would be that it is discriminatory. Of course, the intentions of dividing the collection are not bad, but the end result may be bad. While the intention is very different, separating the collection like this may bring up connotations of discrimination in public places (Such as a "White" section and a "Black" section). Again, this is not the intention, but the end result can be harmful, even if the intention was good.
The final reason for keeping them integrated would be to promote a wide experience of themes to patrons within their preferred genres. A person who enjoys Science Fiction may read several, several books within the genre. While they are reading one genre, they will likely encounter a myriad of themes, which will broaden their interests and perspective, all while staying within their beloved Sci-Fi section.