Equitable access: Information seeking behavior, information needs, and necessary library accommodations for transgender patrons

- Transgender patrons have unique needs which differ from those of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) patrons.
- Study participants had many unmet information needs, particularly trans-specific legal and medical information.
- Participants needed libraries to make accommodations for them to feel safe.
- The top needs were recent transgender literature and gender identity/expression in the library's nondiscrimination policy.
- Participants also needed unlocked gender-neutral bathrooms, recent LGBQ literature, and a remote name change process.

This study highlights the unique accommodations integral to welcoming transgender library patrons. Research shows transgender people have unique needs which differ from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) individuals, and experience substantial barriers to obtaining quality library service. Most studies in the past exploring the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender library users focused exclusively on LGBQ users. This study surveyed adult transgender individuals (n = 102) with an online questionnaire. The majority of participants were white, designated female at birth, and under 40 years old. Survey respondents needed libraries to make accommodations for them to feel safe (p < 0.001). The top 5 accommodations needed were recent transgender literature, gender identity or expression as part of library nondiscrimination policy, gender neutral, single-stall bathrooms where a key did not need to be requested, recent LGBQ literature), and an established remote process for name change.