That's a big question, isn't it?
You already know that collection development takes time and money, often in equal amounts. It's important to support the Standards of Learning in a Virginia elementary school library, but it's also a perfect opportunity to reflect diversity in your selections.
Most schools have searchable student data that allows you to determine if a language other than English is spoken at home as well as the race and/or ethnicity families noted when enrolling their child. It's also a safe bet that you are serving many students whose backgrounds reflect multiple cultures.
If you feel overwhelmed about diversifying your collection, don't. Picture books are a great place to start. Because their covers offer a taste of the illustrations inside, this staple of your collection is the easiest to build for diversity.
The idea that we need diverse books has become We Need Diverse Books. This group also has a Facebook and Pinterest presence. If you want a quick starting point to bulk up your consideration file, this group has compiled a lot of resources for you here.
Another great site, especially if 70% or more of your students are eligible for free/reduced lunch is First Book. Check out their Stories for All lists. If your student population meets that 70% threshold, you are eligible to order books from First Book at amazing discounts.
If this task still feels daunting, focus first on the largest minority population in
your school. For many of us, those are our African American students. Where picture books are concerned, I would propose that sometimes it's the diverse illustrators that we need most. Often picture books are written in a way that is open to many avenues for artists.
your school. For many of us, those are our African American students. Where picture books are concerned, I would propose that sometimes it's the diverse illustrators that we need most. Often picture books are written in a way that is open to many avenues for artists.
And if you only have a small portion of your budget left to spend, I would like to mention two names here. Kadir Nelson and Jacqueline Woodson. Yes. Buy all the picture books associated with either one of those talents. Still have some cash? Make sure your Faith Ringgold books are still in good shape- Ezra Jack Keats too.
What's that? You wrote a grant and got MORE money. Way to go! Zip back up to the resources offered on the We Need Diverse Books website. I can't wait to hear about some of your favorites. Here's one of mine:
Of course, children will still read your books if your collection is not diverse.
But, oh the power of finding oneself in a library.
Make sure you display some of these new picture books with the covers facing out to greet your students...as early as open house! Parents and families should also know that you value who they are from the first time they set foot in your library.
Students own our schools' libraries; we merely tend it. Let's make sure that everyone feels that ownership by honoring who they are and may become by stocking our shelves with every possibility.
Those displays at the end of your post are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOne of the hardest things for me to hear from a student leaving the library is, "I didn't find anything I want to read." I believe you have found a solution to that problem statement. Identifying the population of the school and using good customer service questions will help to make that horrible statement extinct. Thank you for sharing the two wonderful resources, We Need Diverse Books and Stories for All. The categories listed on both of these sites will make it easy to pinpoint a specific group or topic. I especially took note of the "war" category as our school has a large military population. The written reviews were very helpful as well. I enjoyed reading several of Woodson's books this summer and found her love of writing and her art of story telling a winning combination.
ReplyDeleteYou are so thoughtful, Sharon. I wish I could live in your library!
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