This project investigates whether workers in Canadian academic libraries are receiving gender diversity training and in what forms. The recent rise of anti-trans sentiment and aggression on Canadian streets, in parliaments, schools, libraries and online spaces warrants an urgent recentering of trans communities in both our scholarship and work environments. Since at least 2005, LIS literature has been exploring the experience of trans and gender non-conforming  library patrons and workers by assessing their needs and the barriers they face. Staff training around gender diversity, identity and expression is an oft-repeated recommendation in this research. Yet there is little evidence of how widely training on these topics is offered to library workers, much less how effective it might be or how it is experienced by participants. 
Our study aims to address that gap through an anonymous online survey of Canadian academic library workers. Specific questions examine: how gender diversity training was initiated or sought out; whether it consisted of a one-shot session or an ongoing process; whether it was part of a larger EDI training program; whether the training motivated participants to engage in different behaviors at their workplace; and whether the training felt sufficient. For academic library workers who have not received training, we ask whether they would like to learn more about gender diversity, and if so, what forms of training they seek and what access barriers exist for them. We hope that our results can contribute to ongoing discussions of the role of the library in supporting trans and gender non-conforming patrons and staff, and potentially be of practical use to managers and administrators considering staff training around gender diversity as well as to those evaluating their training programs.

Our research is in its early stages: as of this writing we are finalizing our ethics proposal, with the intention of launching the survey in March. We envision our Forum presentation as an active exchange with fellow librarians and researchers, both around the topics we are exploring and the actual progress of our study. We anticipate that the survey will still be open at the time of the Forum, therefore we will not present any data or results. We will discuss our review of the literature, describe the development of our survey instrument, and seek feedback to enrich and nuance our future data analysis.