Something I’ve become increasingly observant of since beginning this program at Longwood is the need for inclusion of all patrons. This, in particular, means that our libraries must provide access to a wide selection of resources and materials.
My main source of interest is the representation of diverse characters in fiction. Books are such a powerful tool for opening a person’s mind, as I am continually learning in my own reading. It is imperative to me that we provide opportunities for our students to read about characters who face different challenges, whether those challenges are related to physical ability, gender, nationality, political affiliation, values, identity, race, sexual orientation, religion, body, economic situations, class, or culture. When students have the opportunity to read about characters who are like them, they feel less alone and create a deeper connection to their literature. When they read about characters whose experiences are different from their own, students are better able to understand others’ perspectives and daily struggles. One of John Green’s themes in his novel, Paper Towns, is the necessity to “imagine people complexly.” Diversity among the characters, subjects, and writers in our libraries will assist our students in opening their minds to that very concept.
Two of my favorite blogs and campaigns for this cause are Diversity in YA and We Need Diverse Books. I follow their blogs on Tumblr, which allows me to see their regular updates books with diverse characters, including new releases, reviews, and interviews with authors.
There was also a crowdfunded Indiegogo campaign over the summer for Rainbow Boxes, which was “a charitable initiative that aims to connect LGBTQIA books to readers, founded by YA authors Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta,” and inspired by We Need Diverse Books. What I LOVED about this was that people were able to come together to fund as much of this campaign goal as possible: to send a box of inclusive books to a public library and a GSA/LGBTQIA homeless shelter in each of the United States. Though it was only 60% funded, I think it was a very noble campaign that still has resources to do a significant amount of good. Their campaign video was great, too, and included 15 reasons why we need inclusive fiction:
The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children from ALA gives the background or diversity in libraries and ALA’s position on the subject, which would be a good document to steer administration or book/resource-challengers towards, should an issue arise over the acquisition or funding for diverse/inclusive materials. School Library Journal also had an entire Diversity issue in 2014, which included features on girls in the technology fields, cross-racial scenes in picture books, how to support LGBT students, and other helpful topics.
This topic is something that is constantly in the back of my mind, popping up to remind me of how little we actually do see diversity in all forms of media. I am excited to (hopefully) be attending NerdCon: Stories in a few weeks, where they will have a diverse panel of storytellers discussing this very issue. Representation is, to me, the key to creating a true community environment in a library: one where every patron feels safe and welcome.
Michelle, I totally agree with you in that the library can and should be on the forefront of diversity. Because the library will eventually service all students in the school, it should have books and materials to catch the attention of every student. The young adult literature class that I took this summer spent a lot of time discussing the need for students to be exposed to several types of books; I recall many books concerning LGBT lifestyles and discussing with our classmates how having these books would be beneficial, yet controversial in some aspects, to the students in the school. I just checked out We Need Diverse books and discovered a great website dedicated to empowering every single person and his or her diverse perspectives. Several blogs and article topics were discussed including racism, transgender, and Hispanic American culture. As long as sites like this exists, librarians will have the knowledge necessary to expand the library culture and stock the shelves with not only the most popular books, but the diverse books also.
ReplyDeleteHaving a diverse library is also based upon the community where the school is located. The library must also develop the collections based on whether it’s a farming community, factory community, industrial community, rural, or city. Librarians should consider economics, cultures, and religions when choosing materials. There are so many factors to creating that true community environment you mentioned, but it can be done! Thanks for choosing this topic to discuss. Diversity should be the most important factor in creating an awesome library!
Michelle, I totally agree with you in that the library can and should be on the forefront of diversity. Because the library will eventually service all students in the school, it should have books and materials to catch the attention of every student. The young adult literature class that I took this summer spent a lot of time discussing the need for students to be exposed to several types of books; I recall many books concerning LGBT lifestyles and discussing with our classmates how having these books would be beneficial, yet controversial in some aspects, to the students in the school. I just checked out We Need Diverse books and discovered a great website dedicated to empowering every single person and his or her diverse perspectives. Several blogs and article topics were discussed including racism, transgender, and Hispanic American culture. As long as sites like this exists, librarians will have the knowledge necessary to expand the library culture and stock the shelves with not only the most popular books, but the diverse books also.
ReplyDeleteHaving a diverse library is also based upon the community where the school is located. The library must also develop the collections based on whether it’s a farming community, factory community, industrial community, rural, or city. Librarians should consider economics, cultures, and religions when choosing materials. There are so many factors to creating that true community environment you mentioned, but it can be done! Thanks for choosing this topic to discuss. Diversity should be the most important factor in creating an awesome library!