Diversifying Your Library
The saying goes that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and the second best time is now. The same can be said about ensuring diversity of texts in a classroom or school library.
Step 1
The first step is auditing the books that currently inhabit your shelves. Just like we pull outdated, unfashionable, or ill-fitting clothes from our closets, so should we pull the outdated, unfashionable, or ill-fitting books from our libraries. The audit tool pictured here is a great way to start the audit process. Pull out a bin of books and get started!
Step 2
The next step in the process is a survey of demographics. Knowing the backgrounds, experiences, and lifestyles of your students will help you select books that students want to read, books that are mirrors and windows, and books that inspire. One broad way to start would be analyzing your district specific dashboard. (Know that some of this information may be a few years old!) A narrower focus might see you surveying the media specialists, counselors, and/or principals in your district. They may be able to give you anecdotal demographic information. (Know that this information may be more subjective!) Once you have an understanding of the students your library serves, your search can begin.
Book Tracker
In a recent project for a client, I was tasked to find books for K-5, written about BIPOC characters, written by BIPOC authors who share the lived experiences of those characters. More about that in my previous post! To start my research, I used the Justice Leaders Collaborative Tracking Tool, pictured below. I love the way the columns are set up to allow a user to sort and filter!
Once you know who the books will serve, the reading can start!
Questions to ask when selecting books for your library:
Does this book reflect my students’ families, community, and/or lived experiences?
Does the author and/or illustrator of the book reflect the characters’ heritage or lived experiences?
Is this plot going to spark curiosity or inspiration?
Is this plot going to expand my students’ worldview?
Is this plot going to make my students feel seen?
What questions might my students have about this book?
What do I need to read, learn, or do to best prepare myself for potential discussions about this book?
Other tools to help you diversify your library:
A list of diverse publishing companies from Here Wee Read
Places to find diverse books from We Need Diverse Books
An understanding of the diversity (or lack thereof) in the publishing world from the NY Times
New releases at Barnes and Noble (filtered to kids and sorted by release date!)
Monthly releases from Black Children’s Books and Authors
