James Miller and David DeAngelis, Pride Library, London, Ontario, Canada: Too Hot to Handle: Accessibility Strategies for Culturally Sensitive Materials at the Pride Library, Western University, Canada

"If such materials only came with clear warning labels like hazardous chemicals, we would have little difficulty detecting their dangerous contents or predicting their harmful effects on an unwary reader."

The Homophobic Classics Collection
at the Pride Library in Canada

In this paper, Professor James Miller and David DeAngelis, the Academic Director and Web Developer of the Pride Library at Western University in Canada, discuss "what to do with culturally sensitive materials deemed to be “hazardous” either to its continuity as a centre of free research or to its credibility as a site for resisting censorship". In this paper, they focus on three red-alert donations for which special strategies have been devised and adopted to ensure accessibility. 

What do you think? What should archives do with homophobic materials, "raunchy gay polaroids, kinky sex manuals or secret journals of a closeted celebrity"? And when might a publication actually be "too hot to handle"? 

To read the full paper, click on the following link: James Miller and David DeAngelis' full paper
Enjoy, discuss, comment and be inspired!