Research Focuses on Literary Depictions and Library Access for Often Marginalized Populations
Two Wilmington College students presented posters of their original research at a statewide conference of academic libraries earlier this month.
PICTURED: Virginia Kongos displays her research poster on the history of segregation in American libraries.
Sophomores Virginia Kongos and Jadrien Douglas were among students from across the state who presented at the Ohio Public Academic Libraries (OPAL) Conference at the Athenaeum of Ohio in Cincinnati Aug. 1 and 2.
Kongos, a biology/health sciences major from Cincinnati, shared her research titled “Overdue: Exploring the History of Segregation in America’s Libraries.”
“When most people think of segregation in America during the 1950s-60s, they recall lunch counters, schools and buses — however, there is little discussion surrounding the segregation that exists in libraries,” she said, noting her poster features a visual collection depicting racial segregation in libraries.
“As part of an academic institution, it is important for librarians to understand their profession’s history and appreciate how much of our country has changed in the hope that everyone would have access to a brighter future.”
Douglas, a communication arts major from Martinsville, featured her research titled “Graphic Novels and the LGBT+ Community: A Mistreatment of Queer Characters and a Fight for representation.”
She described her research poster as presenting “an informational session about the toxic nature surrounding LGBT+ characters in traditional novels and how graphic novels have been leading a change in these, while also encouraging the expansion and understanding that graphic novels can be more than just children’s books.”
