LGBTQ+ Resources : Queer Fiction

While most people might think university libraries only house books for research and course studies, they'd be wrong! The University of South Alabama also has a selection of fiction titles that relate to our collection focus, some of which deal with a variety of queer themes. But how does one find these titles?

Titles of fiction can be found under the PN, PR, and PS class of call numbers. While simply browsing the shelves might render sufficient results, patrons might try searching our library's catalog to narrow their choices. 

Simply searching for "gay fiction," however, might not supply the best results, as it will provide entries for non-fiction books about gay fiction, biographies of gay authors, fiction written by authors named Gay, and so on. 

Perhaps the best way to remedy this issue is to complete a subject search. Most titles in the library are assigned relevant subject headings that help to describe and organize our wide range of material. Therefore, completing a relevant subject search is a good way to cut out the noise.

Steps to a subject search:

1. In SOUTHcat, select the "Advanced Search" tab. 
2. Choose which terms and term combinations you'd like to try. Examples: gay AND fiction; lesbians AND fiction; transgender AND fiction.
3. In the drop-down tabs, switch from "Keyword Anywhere" to "Subject" for all your chosen terms.
4. Hitting search now will provide results for a wide range of resources, from physical books to eBooks to films. If you wish to restrict your results to fiction in the book stacks only, select "Marx Library Bookstacks" as your location.

SEE: LGBTQIA+ Subject Headings