Abstracts
Abstract
Isaac Fellman’s Dead Collections: A Novel (2022) portrays a fictional archivist named Sol who experiences chronic illness in the form of vampirism. While he has many symptoms including cold skin and reliance on weekly blood transfusions, it is his life-threatening photophobia (aversion to sunlight) that becomes a serious impediment to commuting to and from work. While Sol and his vampirism are clearly fictional, the novel accurately depicts working in libraries with a chronic illness. This article compares and connects Dead Collections to the growing body of literature on library workers with disabilities and chronic illness, particularly articles that give voice to those with relevant lived experiences. Highlights of this discussion include the topics of non-apparent illnesses, disclosure, passing, reactions to disability among coworkers and supervisors, and the promises and disappointments of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Keywords:
- Disabilities,
- chronic illness,
- Americans with Disabilities Act
Résumé
Le roman Dead Collections: A Novel (2022) d’Isaac Fellman met en scène un archiviste fictif, Sol, qui soufre d’une maladie chronique sous la forme du vampirisme. Quoiqu’il présente plusieurs symptômes y compris la peau froide et le besoin de transfusions sanguines hebdomadaires, sa photophobie (aversion au soleil) menace sa vie et devient un sérieux obstacle lors de ses déplacements domicile-travail. Malgré le fait que Sol et son vampirisme soient clairement fictifs, le roman décrit avec précision ce que constitue travailler dans une bibliothèque avec une maladie chronique. Cet article compare et fait un lien entre Dead Collections et la littérature croissante portant sur les employés des bibliothèques ayant un handicap ou une maladie chronique, surtout les articles qui donnent une voix à ceux vivant cette réalité. Les faits saillants de ces discussions comprennent les sujets de la non-apparence de maladie, la divulgation, les réactions des collègues face à un handicap et les promesses et déceptions de la Americans with Disabilities Act.
Mots-clés :
- handicaps,
- maladie chronique,
- Americans with Disabilities Act
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Appendices
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