2SLGBTQ+ Studies Research Guide

To identify books on your topic, search the Library Catalogue using the keyword option. The books in the library are located on floors 6 through 10. Reference and Reserve books are located on the 2nd floor. With a few exceptions, books are shelved according to an alphanumeric sequence of call numbers.

Most LGBTQ+ Studies books are located in the HQ 74 – HQ 77 call number range on the 7th floor.

If you do not have a specific author or title of a book, and you do not know the Library of Congress Subject Heading, search the Library Catalogue by Keyword(s) option.

Useful topics that relate to LGBTQ+ Studies:

• Bisexuals
• Feminism
• Gay and lesbian studies
• Gay men
• Gays in popular culture
• Gender identity
• Homosexuality
• Lesbianism
• Lesbians
• Sex role
• Trangender people
• Transsexuals

(Note: the LIbrary of Congress subject heading Transsexuals is used instead of Transgendered.)

In general, you can find titles related to LGBTQ+ Studies in the following call number ranges:

Helpful keywords for conducting scholarly research on trans issues include terms related to gender (e.g. trans, queer, "gender non-conforming"), trans relevant issues (e.g. passing, "gender dysphoria"), or culturally specific terminology (e.g. Hijra). These terms can be combined in a search in addition to keywords specific to your research area (e.g. midwifery, fashion).

Subject headings provide another powerful manner of searching. Library of Congress Subject Headings in use in the TMU Library catalogue include:

Transgender People
Transgender Children
Transgender Parents
Transphobia
Transgender People in Literature
Transgender People’s Writings
Transgender Youth
Gender nonconformity
Gender nonconformity on television

A search that combines all of the above.

Clicking on any of these subject headings will show all resources for this title. These are also listed in catalogue descriptions, as shown below. Similar subject headings are also available in journal databases in the advanced search function.

• Alternative Press Index AI3 .A27 (Alternative Press Index is the leading guide to the alternative press in North America. Approximately 250 alternative, radical and left publications are indexed. Titles covered include: The Advocate, BLK, The Body Politic, Gay Community News, Lambda Book Report, Lesbian Contradiction, Out/Look, RFD, Rites.)
• Completely queer: the Gay and Lesbian encyclopedia HQ75 .H63 1998
• Dictionary of homophobia HQ76.4 .D5313 2008
• Encyclopedia of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history in America online
• Gay and Lesbian Issues: Abstracts of the Psychological and Behavioral Literature, 1986-1996 HQ76.3.U5 Z9 1997
• Gay and lesbian issues : a reference handbook HQ76.25 .S748 2003
• Gay Canada : a bibliography and videography, 1984-2000 Z7164.H74 S64 2001
• Gay histories and cultures: an encyclopedia HQ75.13 .G37 2000
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered literature : a genre guide Z1229.G25 B67 2008
• glbtq: an encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, & queer culture online
• Historical dictionary of the gay liberation movement HQ76.5 .H86 1999
• Images in the dark : an encyclopedia of gay and lesbian film and video PN1995.9.H55 M87 1994
• Lesbian histories and cultures: an encyclopedia HQ75.5 .L439 2000
• Lesbian and gay liberation in Canada: a selected annotated chronology, 1964-1975 HQ76.8.C3 M35 1996  and online
• Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada: a selected annotated chronology, 1976–1981 online
• Queer encyclopedia of the visual arts N72.H64 Q44 2004
• Who’s who in lesbian and gay writing PN451 .W545 2002

Your keywords are the main concepts or ideas of your paper. 

For example the keywords for a paper on “youth employment in Canada” would be:

• Youth
• Employment
• Canada

Use synonyms: Often there are multiple ways to express the same concept. For example these synonyms mean essentially the same thing – make sure to use them:

employment can also be:

• job
• work
• career

Use “AND” and “OR”: By bridging your truncated keywords and synonyms with the capitalized search words “AND” and “OR” (known as Boolean operators), you can search for multiple concepts effectively.

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