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I would like to show data and explain how important it is to invest in diverse books, as it goes beyond just expanding our collection. Diverse literature plays a critical role in creating an inclusive environment where all students and patrons feel represented and valued, which in turn boosts engagement and learning outcomes. BY increasing our budget, we can ensure that we provide materials that reflect the diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experience of our community, aligning with our commitment to equity and inclusion. This investment isn't just about meeting the needs of our readers in a meaningful way, supporting their growth, empathy, and overall success, and ensuring that no voices go unheard.

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When they see themselves in the books they red, it's like saying, "Hey, you matter." it helps them feel seen, heard, and understood. This kind of recognition boosts their confidence, make them feel like they belong, and reminds them that their stories are important too. It's a simple but powerful way to show that everyone's experience are worth celebrating.

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There was an increase in books that introduced children to environmental themes, such as conservation, climate change, and the importance of protecting the planet. these books aimed to educate and inspire the next generation to be mindful of their impact on the environment

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I would take two tacks: first, on an idealistic level, I would make the point that it's inherently a good thing for the library for us to be able to give our patrons books that reflect them, and reflect lives both like and unlike theirs -- that it furthers the library's mission to offer books that can be mirrors for some, windows for other.

Second, when that didn't work, I would point out that a library that has a reputation for a diverse collection is likely to have higher checkout numbers (people will be more likely to check out books that they can see themselves in!) and foot traffic, which are metrics that management often cares about quite a bit.

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Diverse children's literature affords its readers the opportunity to see themselves and their lives reflected on the page -- especially if the dominant cultural narratives privilege lives that don't look like theirs (and, especially, people who don't look like them). Offering 'mirrors' in this way helps to reinforce self-esteem and pride. This by itself would be enough to justify increasing access to diverse literature, but the 'window' role is also valuable -- giving diverse literature to children who are accustomed to reading and watching material that reflects their own identities can help open their eyes to a world beyond their own, hopefully fostering empathy and understanding.

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It's immediately clear that the selection available does not reflect the diversity of the population at large. The great majority of books available to children are going to either be about a white character or about a nonhuman (usually implicitly coded as white, either directly or through the unspoken assumption that characters not explicitly coded as a particular race are white). While books aren't determinative by themselves of how children think about the world and their place in it, such a monochrome view can't help.

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Eliana Dermody - Increasing Diversity Book Budget

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Eliana Dermody - Increasing Diversity Book Budget

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I like to think that any admin/managers would be like-minded in that diversity and representation is crucial, however I know that, unfortunately, that may not be the case. I think, to begin, it would be helpful to know our community; as the 8 Steps to All-Inclusive reading pointed out, both 'mirror' and 'window' books are necessary. Putting it in terms like that makes it instantly understandable. The 8 Steps in general are a fantastic resource, and I think anybody would see the value. As convincing as that would be-- to me, at least-- I feel that data and numbers are where the concrete proof lies. The ability to reflect our own community is so important, and any admin team would see that.

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It's immediately painstakingly obvious that the children's books published in 2018 do not mirror its audience. The fact that 27% were animal/other books isn't surprising; those sorts of books have always been, and more than likely will always be, popular with kids. However, the fact that 50% of books focused on a white protagonist is unbelievable, especially when compared to the 1% of books featuring American Indians/First Nations characters. The visuals of the slide were so spot-on and heart wrenching; from a room filled to the brim with mirrors, to a small little pocket mirror. In doing some quick research, I was happy to see that by 2024 the numbers had changed a bit, but are still not near balanced; books with a white protagonist went down to 29%, though American Indians/First Nations characters stayed at 1%.

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I would perform an audit of our current collection and "do the math" to show how our numbers skew against the census data. When you look at the data representing children and not the entire population - the numbers are worse! If this was not enough, I would write a long speech, citing research articles, and submit it to my manager, saying that if this were not enough to convince them to increase the budget for representation, then I would appeal t the Director and the Board myself.

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It's critical to give our students and patrons access to diverse literature to open up their minds to the many different people in this world and to better know and understand themselves. If they don't see themselves in the books, then they may feel wronged and that they themselves are "wrong" which is completely awful and false. If people don't develop empathy and an understanding of the many different cultures and ways of living, then our world is doomed and our communities will be filled with fear, hatred, misunderstanding, and worse.

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Pulling up the 2018 census data, it's clear by the numbers that the diversity of characters represented in the books published doesn't even come close to the real numbers. To be fully inclusive, writers, illustrators, and publishers need to represent the world's diverse backgrounds better. I would rather they show census data as a comparison in the infographic and leave out the number of characters represented as animals or other - it adds to the shock value but undermines the real data and the fact that animals, etc. help drive storytelling and empathy as well.

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I personally believe the increase in diverse sources in a library and the need for representation for children requires little explanation, but sadly, that is not a universal opinion. I think I would really focus on how important representation is to children's own identities and how they view themselves. More positive representation in books can mean a more positive outlook on the self, and increase self worth, self value and self esteem. Our job in a school is to provide students with the best opportunities to learn and grow as members of a community, and providing a collection saturated with representation and diversity can allow for all students to grow empathy, learning experiences, pride and social awareness.

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Children are in such a cherished and vital period of their life where they are collecting experiences to learn from so they can form their own identities, goals and dreams, so they deserve to be exposed to literature with experiences that mirror their own cultures and experiences to show that what they want to achieve is not only possible, but obtainable.

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I was not very surprised at how high the percentage of animal books was in a children's literature collection. Animals are an incredibly popular topic for children, so the amount of animal-related sources in a collection should mirror such a high level of interest. However, I was extremely disappointed and surprised to see how low the percentages were for minority groups' representation in comparison to white representation, especially in a study that is fairly recent. Talk about an unbalanced collection!

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First, I will look at what is currently in our collection. Hopefully, I can enlist others to help determine which individuals are being represented and by what percentages, as this may be a difficult task to complete. Next, I would use the 8 Steps to All Inclusive-Reading to determine how groups and individuals are being represented. In my opinion, this is possibly the most important step because if a group is improperly represented by enforcing stereotypes, it is more harmful. With this information on hand, I will weed out any dated or harmful material that cannot be used as teaching material on representation. Finally, I can feel confident in providing my findings to the administration on where our collection is failing our community and justify adding more representative material.

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Grace Lin's video hit me the hardest on why it is important for individuals to have access to diverse literature. It is heartbreaking to think about being such a young child and being told you cannot be something because of your ethnicity (or gender). I am glad the video ended on a more uplifting note, but it is clear how vital it is to show diversity within a library's collection. A more diverse collection can change how a community sees ethnicities. No one should ever be embarrassed by things they cannot change and every culture should be embraced, not shunned.

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In children's books published in 2018, a character's background could be determined with a coin flip; half the time, they would be white, and the other half would be anything else. Take all the books with white character backgrounds out and flip another coin; this time, it would be to see if the character was a human or an animal. There are obviously massive issues with these percentages.

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To justify an increase in the budget for diverse books, I would emphasize that investing in diverse literature is crucial for fostering an inclusive environment that reflects the varied backgrounds of our students/patrons, enhances their engagement and learning, and aligns with our commitment to equity and social responsibility. Research shows that access to diverse books improves literacy outcomes and helps develop empathy and critical thinking skills, which are essential for preparing students to thrive in a multicultural society. Additionally, by expanding our collection, we can attract a wider audience, increase circulation, and demonstrate our dedication to meeting the needs of all community members.

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Providing students and patrons with access to diverse literature is essential for fostering an inclusive and empathetic learning environment. Diverse literature exposes readers to a variety of perspectives, cultures, and experiences, helping them to understand and appreciate the complexities of the world around them. It promotes critical thinking and encourages discussions about identity, social justice, and equity, allowing students to see themselves reflected in the stories they read while also gaining insight into the lives of others. This access not only enriches their educational experience but also cultivates a sense of belonging and respect for diversity, ultimately preparing them to navigate and contribute positively to a multicultural society.

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Several important findings on the portrayal of various perspectives and characters in children's literature are highlighted in the 2018 Diversity in Children's Literature graphic. Here are some important points: Characters from marginalized backgrounds, such as people of color, LGBTQ+ persons, and people with disabilities, were noticeably underrepresented in children's literature when compared to their percentages in the general population, as the graphic illustrates. There was a clear discrepancy in the diversity of authors and characters. The fact that white authors wrote a large number of children's books with diverse characters raises concerns about representation and authenticity in literature. Although there was some representation of other racial and ethnic groups, characters from specific groups—like Black and Indigenous characters—were frequently portrayed in constrained or clichéd ways. This implies that more complex and diversified representations are required. Despite the difficulties, there was a discernible trend in the industry toward the publication of a greater number of varied titles, suggesting a positive change. This expansion is indicative of a growing understanding of the value of representation in children's books. The illustration highlights the need of raising awareness and advocating for diversity in children's literature. The slow shifts in the publishing environment can be attributed to movements and organizations working to increase representation. All things considered, the 2018 Diversity in Children's Literature graphic is an important reminder of the continued need for diversity and representation—both in terms of authors and characters—in children's literature.

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I would first start by creating a team of librarians who work in different departments of the library (children's, teens, adult). I'd ask them to make a list of diverse titles in our collection and see what can be kept and what needs to be updated. Its important that we try to weed out any information that contain stereotypes or offensive language. After we have compiled these lists I would then ask each to find popular titles that we could add to our collection from various different backgrounds. I would then approach admin with these lists and express to them the importance and benefits of our users having access to this information.

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Having students and patrons have access to diverse literature play an important role in many different aspects. For starters it help readers of specific cultural backgrounds identify and relate to characters, making them feel more connected to the story and making their voice feel heard. Its also a great opportunity to help then learn about their background as well as teach others who may not be familiar with it. Diverse literature can be a way of spreading cultural awareness by informing readers on specific topics within certain cultures, in turn making them more culturally aware.

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According to the Diverse & Inclusive Literature slides, statistics gathered by the CCBC showed that out of 3,134 books that depict characters from diverse backgrounds that were published in 2018, 50% were white, 27% were animals, 10% were African American, 7% were asian pacific islanders, 5% latinx, and 1% american indians. As made obvious by these stats diverse literature is severely lacking. Children being unable to identify with the characters in these books can cause negative effects.

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My administrators love data and research. The key to making a request to my administrators would be to compile a diversity audit report on TitleWave. Once I established the areas that need additional funding ( I am in UPK-12 library). I would create a list of books that would help us meet the goal of increasing the diversity in the specific area. This would also allow for a budget to be established. Administrators need to know what and how much, the list of books or plans for the future would be essential. I would create a cover letter that summarizes the plan and bolsters it with research that supports the need for diversity and ongoing collection development.

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Diversity in children's literature is clearly not well represented. The slide graphic shows that white characters are more clearly represented than all other populations. Animal characters have a more distinct representation than all other non-white populations. Although animal characters may be easily relatable for children, this graphic shows that children's literature misses the mark in providing diverse representations of diverse populations.

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First, we must evaluate our collection through the lens of diversity. Who's story gets to be told in our current collection? Then, take the temperature of your organization. Does our value of a diverse collection align with existing policy and mission statements published by our institution? Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and the answer to this will inform how much justification you will need to give.

In addition to the importance of doors and windows that I mentioned in question 2, often times budgetary conversations can be supplemented with research. Perform your diversity audit, and back up your findings with numbers. Compare those numbers with the demographics of your school, and remind the administrators of the importance of multiple perspectives across the board for young adults.

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Diversity in YA collections can develop the perspectives of the patrons they serve. This development of perspective is beneficial for both minority and majority identities. To see oneself reflected in a boom gives you the ability to picture yourself in a surplus of stories, and to see a wealth of other identities may save you from the pitfalls of having only a "single story". A diversity of stories at the formative time of adolescence can provide a more accurate picture of the world for young adults, and is as crucial as the opposite is dangerous.

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The graphic shows a clear disparity of character depictions in children's literature. White characters are represented at least as much as every other demographic on the list combined, more so if we were to nix animals from the list. Speaking of which, it is worth noting that there are more depictions of animal characters than there are of every racial demographic.

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The first thing I noticed, which most people here have, is the representation for white characters is higher than every other culture. That the next highest percentage is animals/other shows how large the imbalance at that time. Why is it that animals have a bigger presence in children's books than any other culture that is actually reading and interacting with these books? Sure, pets and cute animals are natural draws. But you know what else is a natural draw? Seeing yourself in the book you're reading. I can only hope that the stats have changed since 2018.

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Justifying Budget For Diverse Books - Riley R

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Justifying Budget For Diverse Books - Riley R

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Ultimately, I see justifying budget increases for buying more diverse books as a three-step process.

First, establish and articulate a goal for what the library's collection should look like. In broad philosophical terms, the idea of mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors is a great starting point for why having a diverse assortment of books immediately visible is important for all library users. In concrete terms, you can point to ALA standards or the collection development policies of whatever institution this is taking place with.

Second, establish how the current collection measures up to those goals. Something like a diversity audit can be a valuable tool for both proving a need for greater diversity overall and identifying specific areas where the collection especially falls short.

Third, once you've established what your goals are, why they are valuable, and why the collection needs to change to meet those goals, identify and communicate possible solutions. Budget increases to purchase more diverse books are an obvious solution if the administration can be persuaded, but for the sake of argument, they aren't the only one. If the administration cannot provide more funding, you could also cut back on purchases or weed more aggressively for books that do not contribute to the diversity goals that you have established. If the status quo of existing non-diverse books is sufficiently important to admin, then granting increased funding may be the most palatable solution.

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Riley Ruppert - Access to Diverse Literature

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Riley Ruppert - Access to Diverse Literature

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Rudine Sims Bishop's concept of mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors nearly summarizes some of the importance of access to diverse literature. It is essential to have access to both stories that reflect one's own identities and experiences (mirrors) and stories that reflect a range of identities and experiences outside one's own (windows). In Bishop's analogy, the latter may also become sliding glass doors if they invite someone to engage with a world beyond their own. Diverse literature goes a long way towards offering both mirrors to those without representation and windows to those with an overabundance of it. Truly diverse literature should also represent not only a wide range of identities and backgrounds, but a wide range of perspectives and experiences within those identities and backgrounds. This connects with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's ideas about the danger of a single story.

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The representation of white characters in 2018 children's books clearly far outstrips that of every other (actual human, non-animal) group combined, signifying a marked imbalance in how often different backgrounds are represented in children's literature. Out of curiosity, I compared these numbers to U.S. demographic statistics and found that Latinx characters in particular are strikingly underrepresented relative to this country's actual population. (I will note that this might be a flawed comparison, since the graphic doesn't actually specify whether it is looking just at books published in the United States or at books from around the world. But if this is instead supposed to represent children's books worldwide, the overrepresentation of white characters would speak to even more drastic disparities in publishing).

That said, while the underrepresentation of Latinx characters is particularly striking, the fact that most other groups (talking animals aside) are roughly proportionate to U.S. population numbers doesn't mean that these trends are without consequence. Being part of a small minority can be a very isolating experience, and robust representation is an essential part of feeling included in the broader cultural conversation, of seeing one's own viewpoint embodied rather than merely viewed as an accessory to the dominant culture. (And that's another question - whether these numbers represent viewpoint characters, or include side characters.)

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In order to justify the increase in our budget for additional books, I would highly suggest to keep up with this ever changing environment. In keeping with the times and the inclusion of diversity, I feel that we need to increase our inventory of more diverse stories. This would better serve our patrons because not only are individuals learning about other cultures, minority groups are also being represented. I feel that one of the many rules of being a librarian is to include many different groups of people. This way, we can also have new patrons coming to the libraries if we include more diverse backgrounds.

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Very similar to what I just talked about in my other post, diverse cultures deserve to be talked about and represented in books. Books are a great learning tool for many individuals, they bring different worlds alive when they are spoken about. Meaning that in order to talk about them, authors/librarians need to bring awareness to the diverse and local cultures around the world. Authors need to write more stories about different cultures, not just about white individuals. Librarians need to change up the books that are being talked about the most. There needs to become a change in how diverse cultures are being represented. With books, comes learning. We need to be able to give our students/patrons diverse literature in order to bring different groups together.

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What I noticed when looking at the infographic was the lack of diversity in children's books. Animals/Other are represented more than minority groups. Minority groups include African Americans, Asian Pacific, Latinx and American Indians. This is very upsetting because children from these groups deserve to see themselves represented in books. Seeing their cultures not be represented can have a very negative affect on themselves and their self esteem. Another reason why not being represented in children's books for certain groups is the lack of other children not knowing about other groups. Meaning that books are for learning and if children see other cultures represented in books being read to them then they can learn about other cultures. All children deserve to be represented in books.

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Aside from expressing the merit of diversity on its own, I would develop an audit of the library's collection to show where some areas may be lacking in diverse titles. Based on this data, I would draw up a tentative list of titles, as well as a proposed budget, and present them to the admin/manager as part of a proposal for increased diversity. As part of this research, I may poll patrons/students and ask them what diverse populations they feel are underrepresented in the library, as their perceptions should be considered in collection development and budgeting concerns. I would also include national demographics and other related statistics to compare to the data of the collection. Hopefully, concrete research, combined with student/patron opinions, would justify an increased budget for more diverse books.

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Students/patrons should have access to diverse books not only so that they can see themselves reflected in stories, which is very important, but also so they can explore the diverse and unique backgrounds of others. As mentioned by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, who wrote the groundbreaking article, "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors," books can be windows through which you can see other worlds, worlds which may seem different at first, but may in fact match up to your own world in ways you never imagined. Access to diverse literature is a way to cultivate acceptance and understanding amongst young readers. Librarians do not underestimate the power of a great story, and diverse literature should be easily accessible for this very reason.

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When looking at the infographic "Diversity in Children's Books (2018)," I noticed that the highest percentage of books in that year were about Animal/Other characters (27%). With 50% of children's books containing white characters, and only 10% of books of that year containing African American characters, I think that there was a significant imbalance of children's books with people from diverse backgrounds in 2018, and I'm curious to see how much, if at all, this has changed during the past few years. I was especially surprised to see how little books there were in 2018 about Hispanic/Latino populations, as they make up a large percentage of the overall U.S. population. Ultimately, this infographic reveals that children's books should better reflect diverse populations in America. Interestingly, the first thing I noticed from the picture in the article titled, "2018 Proved Black Kids Read (And White Kids Read Books With Black Leads)," was that the majority of the books contained main characters who also happened to be people of color, especially black female heroines; this made me wonder why that increase of black representation wasn't better reflected in children's books published in 2018, as well.

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Joslin M. - Justifying Diverse Books to Admin

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Joslin M. - Justifying Diverse Books to Admin

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When trying to convince admin to take action, the most important argument is any one involving student academic performance. Obviously, as mentioned in my prior posts, diverse literature is paramount for positive self-image and self-empowerment. However, that can be extrapolated to student performance. If students see positive images of themselves and are convinced that they can succeed, then they will be more likely to put effort into their academics. Similarly, if students from a privileged background see other students in a new light, they will be more willing to collaborate and assist those outside of their cultural circle. All of these factors together raises the school's morale and academic performance.

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Joslin M. - Access to Diverse Literature

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Joslin M. - Access to Diverse Literature

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I touched upon this in my answer for the first question, but diverse literature is important to all because it provides a means of reflection, connection, and empathy. Young people need an opportunity to see themselves in literature because--as expressed in "The Danger of a Single Story--" a lack of reflections results in lower self-esteem and believing one does not belong in the larger world. On the flipside, connection and empathy are spawned by seeing and experiencing other people's stories. By having a fuller understanding of other people, young adults can not only identify instances of injustice and maltreatment, but can make a point of highlighting and uplifting others' voices.

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I would begin by pointing out the mission statement of the library, that we "serve as centers of information, education, culture and entertainment for the residents of Erie County," and then by examining the gaps in our collections and where we could increase diversity. How can we serve as a center of education and culture without properly representing all diverse cultures, and disproportionally focusing on one group? In a world that is becoming smaller through the use of the internet and technology, but seemingly more divided in acceptance of those different from us, it is essential that the library serves as a mirror, a window, and a sliding glass door into the diverse world around us. The resources provided, such as We Need Diverse Books, would be a great place to get started in filling these gaps.

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It is important for patrons and students to have access to diverse literature as we live in a diverse world. As each of the presenters pointed out, books should be mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors, so that we see not only ourselves but others as well. All children deserve to see a main character who looks like them represented in media. Representation of different cultures, backgrounds, and worldviews helps to develop empathy, understanding, and acceptance of everyone around us, not just those who look like us. It is also important that the diverse stories we see are not just "one story" as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie points out. African American stories should not only be about slavery, and LGBTQ+ stories should not only be coming out stories, but rather, we need to see these characters living their lives.

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Sarah H. - Children's books published in 2018

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Sarah H. - Children's books published in 2018

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Right away I noticed that not only are white children represented in 50% of the books published, but the animals/other category is larger than the African/African American, AAPI, Latinx, and American Indians/First Nation categories combined. These statistics do not reflect the actual children in America, and there is a severe lack of diversity in children's books. I would hope that since 2018 representation in children's literature has increased.

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What immediately drew my attention--and what concerned me the most--about these statistics is the fact that the "animals/other" category comprised a larger selection of children's books then all the smaller categories combined. In other words: animals have a greater representation in children's literature than the combined representation of American Indian children, Latinx children, AAPI children, and Black children. This is deeply upsetting on many levels. Firstly, children from these minority backgrounds deserve to see themselves in literature and it has been proven that seeing one's culture in literature is an element of positive self-image. Yet as a whole the writing industry is more interested in animals than whole populations of children. Secondly, it is also important for children in privileged communities to be exposed to other cultures in order to develop empathy, compassion, and general worldly knowledge. Otherwise, we risk letting that 50% representation of white children grow more out of control.

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I think a diversity audit of the existing collection using Titlewise, TeachingBooks, or Diverse BookFinder would be a good first step here. I would highlight the gaps in the collection alongside the collective development policy and mission statement of the library to explain why a higher budget for purchasing diverse books is necessary. I'd also put together a list of titles I would purchase, and explain how I'd incorporate diverse literature into programming and displays.

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What struck me when viewing the slide on children's books published in 2018 was the lack of representation. More books about animals than every minority group combined?! I also noticed the artist's use of mirror size to demonstrate what not being seen feels like. I think this is a great way to show the impact that lack of representation has on children. I hope these numbers have shifted in the years since.

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If necessary, I would start with a diversity audit (slides 9 & 10) and update our patron demographics. I would analyze these two reports to identify gaps and ways to fill them. I would also refer to the library's mission statement and goals to emphasize the overall philosophy of inclusion. Once the justification is made, I would identify opportunities in the current budget and look outside for potential grants or other funding.

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It is important to give students/patrons access to diverse literature so they can consume media that reflect the actual makeup of our communities. I was familiar with two of the speakers, and the concept of mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors perfectly provides a simple explanation. It is so important for everyone to see themselves in books (and more), and it is important for diverse cultures to be seen by others as well. Literature expands worldviews, and as such, a worldview should be depicted.

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The first thing I noticed was the percentage of books depicting characters that were animal/other was more than the first four diverse background segments combined (23% vs. 27%). I also noticed how unbalanced the number of books depicting white characters was compared to the diverse backgrounds. I was surprised because it was only six years ago. I would be curious to know what it is now (and hope it's an improvement).

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I request an increase in our budget to expand our collection of diverse books. Our current collection needs to adequately reflect the various cultures, identities, and experiences that make up our community. Investing in more diverse literature will significantly benefit our library and its patrons for the following reasons:

Each diverse group within our community wants to feel recognized and valued. By including more diverse books, we ensure that each cultural, racial, and identity group can find stories that reflect their own experiences. This representation fosters a sense of belonging and pride, allowing patrons to feel special and acknowledged when they see their stories on our shelves.

Children are like a blank slate, and what they are exposed to can profoundly influence their understanding of the world. Introducing children to a diverse collection of books from a young age will help prevent or reduce the development of stereotypes and prejudice. By showcasing the beauty of different cultures and perspectives, we create a foundation for future generations that is more inclusive, accepting, and empathetic.

Having a more diverse collection can also promote a more significant readership. In today's society, where diversity and inclusion are increasingly valued, providing a broad range of books that reflect our community's varied experiences will encourage more people to read and visit the library. This will likely increase circulation as patrons find books they can personally relate to, leading to greater satisfaction and engagement with our resources.

When each group in our community sees themselves represented in our collection, they will feel a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Diverse literature has the power to entertain and connect with readers on a personal level, making our library a space where everyone feels seen and appreciated.

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While reviewing infographics on children's books published in 2018, I noticed a significant imbalance in the distribution of representation. Books that centered on white culture far outweighed those representing other cultures. Surprisingly, even books about animals had a higher percentage than those focusing on non-white characters or cultures. Although some books showcased the experiences of non-white communities, the percentage is still alarmingly low.

This disparity highlights the need for more books that reflect all patrons' diverse backgrounds and experiences. By increasing the number of books patrons can see themselves in, we can change the narrative and enhance the sense of belonging and validation that diverse literature can provide. It is essential to offer stories representing all communities, as these narratives can help reshape perception, challenge stereotypes, and create a more inclusive literary environment for readers of all backgrounds.

Diverse representation in literature not only helps non-white patrons feel recognized but also encourages empathy and understanding among all readers, making it crucial that we continue to advocate for more equitable representation in children's books.

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When approaching admin or a manager, I would first want to have data and statistics to back up my ideas. I would collect data on the current collection so that I can point to specific gaps in the collection that need to be addressed. I would also have a clear plan of what materials would be purchased and how I chose those. Additionally, I would explain the importance of having a diverse collection in which all groups are adequately represented. I would also connect this to learning outcomes, since it is important for students to both make connections to literature and to learn about different cultures or identities from literature.

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It is important to give students and patrons access to diverse literature so that they can see characters that they connect to and so they can see characters that are different from them. As this week’s videos illustrated, it can be very harmful to students who don’t see characters who look like them and share their culture. They also need these characters and books to match their interests, personality, etc., so a variety of representation is necessary in each genre and at each reading level. Additionally, books with characters of different cultures and identities can help students learn about and understand others. Again, there needs to be a variety of representation to reflect the differences within the group and prevent a narrow view or reinforced stereotypes of these people.

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POC characters have very little representation while white characters and even animal characters make up most of what is seen in children’s books. The illustrator of this graphic shows the impact of this lack of representation by depicting the POC children representing their ethnic and cultural backgrounds looking in small, broken mirrors. This shows how it is difficult to see themselves in the books they’re reading, and the few times they do, there is not much variety or they can’t find a character they connect to. On the other hand, the white child gets to to see himself as an astronaut, a firefighter, a prince, and anything else they may want to be.

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The children's books created in 2018 did not represent most Americans, but I am not surprised. Representation in the media has primarily been more focused on whites than any other race. It is only fairly recently that books had main characters that are of different races, genders, abilities, etc. While we have made progress in this area, there is still significant work to be done.

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My childrens department is wonderful and has a large selection of diverse books, and my director is incredibly supportive of having a diverse collection. If I had to convince my department head or director to buy more diverse books though, I would say that a library is part of the community, and should represent everyone in the community. I would also say that if we want kids to grow up to be empathetic and understanding of others, we need to provide them with materials that show them how to do that.

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It is important because the world is not made up of only one type of person. Reading diverse literature can provide insights into other cultures and perspectives, and helps to form empathy, and see things from a different perspective. It's also important for everyone to be able to see themselves in books, and that is our job as librarians, to ensure everyone has access to these books. When you are represented in books, you feel seen and understood and valued. Likewise, all kids need to see all kinds of kids in books so they can understand what the world looks like, and gain understanding and empathy.

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When justifying the need for more diverse literature in your library budget, I think it is important to reference the community you serve and the benefits of providing diverse material. I would want to cite credible sources and works/studies of library professionals to express the impact a lack and abundance of diverse literature has on children, their development, and their success. The 2018 graphic seen in class is a great source of reference when expressing how books that "mirror" only one demographic is harmful to those who only are given "windows" to that single demographic. Additionally, I would evaluate and asses the existing diverse materials in the collection. If materials are outdated or harmful, I would make a case in reference to our collection development policy.

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To justify an increased budget for diverse books, I would provide evidence of the school's demographic data and information on the diversity of the current collection. I would make a case for the collection to reflect the student population of the school, citing research on the importance of students seeing themselves reflected in literature. If the student population is not particularly diverse, I would cite research which discusses the importance of students being exposed to different experiences and perspectives through literature. If a diversity audit has not been recently conducted, I would prioritize conducting at least a partial audit prior to requesting a budget increase.

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Something that doesn't personally sit right with me is saying that libraries must provide diverse literature to "teach tolerance". Diverse literature and stories exist because as humans we are diverse. And just as it was shown in the 2018 graphic, libraries and our missions are not just meant for a white demographic. Our identities, experiences, culture, tradition, race, gender, sexuality, etc. are what make us who we are. When the library provides children and students with diverse literature we are providing much more than just mirrors and windows. We create an environment that values and cherishes the voice, dreams, expressions, and identity of each child.

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It is important to give students access to diverse literature in order for them to see themselves represented. People who are not part of the default groups in society (able-bodied, white, cisgender) should also have literature that reflects their life experiences. Diverse books are also important to white communities in order to dispel stereotypes and provide a more balanced view of the world.

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Rudine Sims Bishop's paper on "mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors" is an excellent discussion on the importance of genuine, positive, and authentic representation in children's literature and how stories can mirror ourselves and our experiences, it can show us different people and different worlds, and it can also be a place where we can see ourselves, freely, in an exchange of worlds and experiences. In the graphic we see that in 2018, children of color were only offered windows into the lives, experiences, and worlds of animals and white children. While diversity in literature and its importance has been greatly improved, librarians must be thoughtful and conscious of what representation looks like, what it can do for children, and its immense value.

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Children's books published in 2018 disproportionately feature white characters and do not accurately reflect the makeup of the population as a whole. It seems that the creator of this image makes it a point to emphasize that even animals have more representation than certain groups of people. It is also important to note that these are broad categories that comprise many different people and experiences. I also appreciate the creator's visual of mirrors, representing the level to which readers are able to see themselves in books.

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What’s Best for our Community (Kailey V)

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What’s Best for our Community (Kailey V)

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One point would be that it is important for our community to be represented in our library, because the main point of a library is to be a place where all people in the community can find the resources they need. I would explain that there are diverse people who visit the library every day and it is important that they can find themselves represented in our selection. I would add on that it’s important for our patrons to have materials available that don’t represent them so that they can learn about other people and gain a wider perspective.

I also think it would be important to note that many diverse stories are popular today. A lot of the books that we see getting adapted into television and movies are books about people of color, lgbtq people, diverse families, and cultures. Additionally, a lot of the most awarded books today are the ones about diverse experiences. As popular literature evolves, libraries must keep up by providing these popular and awarded diverse stories to our patrons.

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It’s important to give our patrons access to diverse literature, because we are diverse people. We are one of the most diverse country’s on Earth; we are diverse ethnically, racially, religiously, politically, ideologically, we have diverse kinds of families, traditions, cultures, etc. It’s important that patrons, especially children, have literature that represents them and reflects their own identities. As librarians, we should be aiming for all people to feel comfortable in the library and for all people to feel seen and acknowledged in the library. However, it’s also important for patrons to have access to stories about people who are not like them, as this is essential learning and growth. If there was only literature about our own religions, cultures, and stories, how would we learn anything about ourselves, our neighbors, or the world?

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More Animals than Children of Color (Kailey V)

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More Animals than Children of Color (Kailey V)

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I believe I have seen this graphic many times since 2018 - way before I was ever on the path to a career in librarianship. Even then, I found it ridiculous that more books with animals as the main character were being published than books with children of color as the main character. Aside from this, what I noticed next, was that one marginalized group was grossly underrepresented. While each marginalized group seems to be underrepresented as main characters in children’s literature, Latino people are by far the most underrepresented, as this group makes up nearly 20% of the United States population, but only 5% of main characters in children’s literature.

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Windows and Mirrors for the Library - Jessica Post

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Windows and Mirrors for the Library - Jessica Post

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Our organizations mission is to meet the needs of our community but to also encourage education, literacy, personal enjoyment and professional growth. In order to meet this mission our collection must reflection diverse and inclusive voices. In order to empower and validate all of our community members, we must have a diverse selection of works. Seeing a reflection of ones self validate our own stories and empowers us to share those stories. In order to connect and build understanding in our community, we must have diverse works. Owning a wide variety of stories opens up one's world view and perspective showing that we're all made of up a variety of stories. Ultimately, a more diverse collection would help us meet our libraries mission.

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Connection, Sliding glass doors - Jessica Post

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Connection, Sliding glass doors - Jessica Post

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It is important to give our patrons access to diverse literature to connect with each other as well as with ourselves. Listening to two very famous authors say that they wrote about white people as children rather than their own stories was heartbreaking. Access to diverse literature connects children with their own experiences and allows them to see themselves thus empowering and validating their own stories. On the other hand, it connects children with different experiences. Children who are able to access diverse literature are able to get a glimpse into another person's story. This helps to build empathy and understanding allowing these children to better connect with the diverse landscape around them.

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There is a significant lack of representation for American Indians, Latinx, and Asian Pacific islander in out children's literature. There is a huge gap between this representation and the representation of white people and even the representation of animal characters. However, this is such an exciting time to be apart of the library world. Librarians' constant dedication to promoting and sharing diverse and inclusive literature is all over my local libraries and I soak it up every time. Reading diverse voices is an amazing way of widening one's world view. This is the reason we must continue to push for more representation. For a child this is hugely important. I hope to see this industry continue to push for more diverse and inclusive literature.

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The first step to justifying a budget increase is to analyze the collection. Using a Titlewave collection analysis, you can find gaps in the collection of inclusive and diverse materials. This can be put in a proposal that links to the school's mission of diversity and inclusion, making a case for a weeding project to eliminate dated books that cast a negative light on other cultures and seeding books that represent and celebrate our community members.

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Students and patrons need to see themselves reflected in our collection so that they know they have a place and value in our community. As a white woman, it can sometimes be hard to imagine not being able to find a fiction or nonfiction book that features someone like me, but many Americans do face this issue. Further, many books about minority populations are told by white authors who can view the population with bias that is translated negatively in their work. At the same time children need windows into other cultures so that they can build understanding and empathy and glass doors that allow people from different cultures an entry into another worlds that they are unfamiliar with. It is a dis-service to out whole community when a community member's experience is not honored.

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In 2018, the books being created and distributed overlooked the lives of many Americans. Priority to stories on the White experience and Animals took center stage. From the stats presented, it is also unclear if the stories from diverse populations were told by the groups being written about or by white authors. While it is important to include stories from diverse cultures, it is also vital that the stories are written by the members of that population. I also noted that when looking at the categories, LGBTQIA+ was not represented in the statistics. It is important that people from minority groups see themselves represented in literature and society at large.

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Diverse stories are important to give a voice to and humanize people of all different backgrounds. Since the library is typically a welcoming and inclusive environment, this should not be a difficult request to accomplish. However, I think some thought should go into the request first. What I mean by that is I think an inventory of the types of stories you have in your collection should be a primary step. You want to see approximately how many stories represent the people in your community and even outside of your community (since books can be a mirror, but also a window). For example, if you have a lot of patrons from the Latinx community, but only a handful of stories with characters from this community, you would want to address this in your request. A proper understanding of the books in your collection and even your patrons would be crucial when justifying your request.

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Patrons/students should have access to diverse literature and stories. The world is a very diverse place and literature should be used to help express that. Books should provide stories and characters that different students can connect with. Books can show you the world, they can show you a reflection of yourself and they can also be used as a window into the lives of your peers. By being exposed to diverse literature, students can learn self love for themselves and even learn to build compassion, love and empathy for their classmates. And this character building can transcensd the academic environment and follow them into their lives beyond. It is also important to note that if children do not see themselves and their classmates reflected in literature, they may not be able to fully accept who they are or who their classmates are. Diverse literature can be a tool used to help children understood who they are and who the people are that inhabit the world with them.

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After reviewing the statistics provided for books published in 2018, it is clear that there is a common trend. Out of approximately 3,134 books that were published for children during this time, the majority of the books were stories involving white people or animals. This means that over 50% of the stories that were introduced into the world for kids during this time represented only a portion of the people in the world. Plus, there were more stories published about just animals then there were about individuals from all of the remaining backgrounds combined! So, what about children from other races and backgrounds? What kind of message is this sending to them and how can we, as librarians, strive to ensure that diversity is adequately represented in our collections?

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Fortunately, in my experiences, it has not been difficult to convince administration that we need more diverse books. It has become a hot topic in many schools. However, it is expected that I purchase the books out of my current budget. In order to request an increase in the budget, I would create a written proposal. I would provide administration with a collection analysis and then highlight the areas that need improvement. I would identify why each area needs updating with more diverse titles so they understand where the gaps are. Next, I would create a booklist of titles I would like to purchase to justify the amount of money requested. Hopefully, administration will be able to see how the increase in diverse titles makes for a library collection that represents the entire school population.

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It is very important to offer students/patrons access to diverse literature. So often students' only access to literature is what is offered in their home by their parents or in the classroom by their teacher. Due to this, the titles they are exposed to are at the digression of the adults making the choices. If students are able to go to the library and be exposed to diverse literature, it opens up their world. I love the analogy of some books being mirrors and some being windows. Students need opportunities to see themselves in a book to help develop a greater sense of self-understanding. With that understanding, they need to learn to see their place in the world and experience life as other people experience it. They should be able to learn about different cultures, religions, political viewpoints etc. A library should be a place where are all welcomed and all are represented.

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I would justify this decision by showing the manager one or both of the articles we read and by explaining that diverse books do not just appeal to a certain "niche" audience, but that they can have tremendous popularity with the general population of readers. I would provide the example of The Hate U Give. In my library community, I feel that it is still important to carry books with white cisgender characters in them, since that group is a large part of our community. However, I would tell the manager that to reflect the diversity of the community, we must also include a large number of books that reflect the diversity in the population. And by including diverse books, we may draw more people into the library who previously felt marginalized, therefore impacting library use, circulation and program attendance in a positive way.

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I feel it is very important to give students and patrons access to diverse literature because I grew up in a time (1970's) when children's books had mainly white cisgender characters (although I think I remember one of Judy Blume's books had an Asian girl as a secondary character). So when I think of diversity needed in children's books, I often see not only the inclusion of a previously marginalized population, but also the introduction of that population to white children who may not otherwise have any contact with that population other than through hearsay or comments by white cisgender family and friends. Reading a diverse book may be the only way that child is introduced to a marginalized group and the only way that the child can humanize that group. It is a tremendous learning experience for a child and this is why we need to make sure that various community members are represented in the collection. The library functions not only as a community hub but also as a secondary and adjunct hub to the community school system. Prejudice gets in the way of those functions, and when replaced by inclusivity and diversity, the child learns how to become a productive and contributive member of the community.

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Six years ago, in 2018, there was very little representation of African Americans, Latinx, Asians or Native Americans in children's books. The characters in most children's fiction books that year, and in years before it, were either white or were animals. When I think about this lack of representation and the injustice and exclusionary practices it reflects, I wonder if we have made any progress since this study was issued. I can only give anecdotal evidence from my library, but today there are definitely a lot more children's and YA books in which both the authors and characters are from diverse backgrounds. I feel the efforts of organizations like We Need Diverse Books have really helped publicize and improve the situation. However, if anyone has an experience which is different from mine, I'd be very interested to hear it. Thank you!

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Books published in 2018 contained predominantly white characters. This is a sad fact for a variety of reasons. First and foremost it denies people of other races the opportunity to see themselves depicted in literature. It is a wonderful gift to read both fiction and nonfiction stories with characters that mirror your life so that a connection can be made. Having similar cultures and experiences with characters allows the reader to delve into the book and enjoy the richness of a shared schema. Another very important reason is that it denies all readers, regardless of their ethnicity, the opportunity to learn through others experiences. As rich as it is to connect with a characters with a similar culture, it is also wonderful to learn through the cultural experiences of others. It can help foster compassion, curiosity and the ability to see the world though other people's eyes.

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I'm fortunate in that my library director will just provide funding, but I think the diversity audit would be my key to increased funding. I like to present a nice graphic with numbers, and it would also be helpful to show how that funding would fill gaps in the overall library system that we share with 40 other branches.

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Giving access to the mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors is important to every patron! In the first reflection, where there was not much diversity in 2018, reminded me of how limited our collections can be even when they appear diverse - if there are three books with a First Nations main character, First Nations children don't necessarily want to read those same three over and over to see themselves. Diversity in characters but also variety in that diversity is so important!

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I read in one of my classmate's response about decolonizing the library and I think that is going to become my new collection development slogan. I was surprised by how few First Nations books were published in 2018, and feel like I should take an audit of the picture books on my library's shelves to see how close that is to our collection.

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Coming into a new job, I've been very lucky that my new director explicitly wants me to increase the diversity of the collection. If I had to convince a director, I would start with a diversity audit comparing our collection to the average library's collection. I would back up the need for a diverse collection by pointing at the benefits gained by encouraging kids to read widely and consider different points of view. I would also compare the diversity of our collection to the demographics of our area - if I were in a predominantly black neighborhood, I would want the collection to mimic that as best as possible, and if I was in a predominantly white neighborhood, I would want to make sure my collection was developed enough that reading diverse viewpoints would happen naturally, whether a kid was seeking that out or not.

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Reading fiction widely is proven to increase empathy. I've seen some articles going around lately about the importance of letting kids read challenging books. This is the one I'm thinking of specifically - https://theconversation.com/how-teens-benefit-from-being-able-to-read-disturbing-books-that-some-want-to-ban-223533

While it's not necessarily about diverse literature, it is about books that are being challenged, which overlaps heavily with diverse literature, and lets the kids say in their own words what they get from it. And it turns out, they get a lot.

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Should we worry, as massive book-banning efforts imply, that young people will be harmed by certain kinds of books? For over a decade and through hundreds of interviews, my colleague, literacy professor Peter Johnston, and I have studied how adolescents experience reading when they have unfettered access to young adult literature. Our findings suggest that many are helped rather than harmed by such reading.

For one study, we spent a year in a public middle school in a small, mid-Atlantic town, observing and talking to eighth grade students whose teachers, rather than assigning the "classics" or traditional academic texts, let students choose what to read and gave them time to read daily in class. To support student engagement, they made available hundreds of contemporary books that are relevant to the students' lives. The books included many of the titles currently being challenged, according to PEN America, which is a nonprofit that advocates against censorship, among other things. The titles include Ellen Hopkins' " Identical," Jay Asher's " Thirteen Reasons Why," Patricia McCormick's " Sold," and others that were banned because of themes of sex and violence.

We were interested in what the students perceived to be the consequences of reading young adult literature. They tended to read books they described as "disturbing." At the end of the school year, we interviewed 71 of the students about changes in their reading and relationships with peers and family.

We also asked open-ended questions about how, if at all, they had changed as people since the beginning of the year. Beyond reading substantially more than they had previously, they reported positive changes in their social, emotional and intellectual lives that they attributed to reading, the kinds of books they read and the conversations those books provoked.

Here are six ways students told us they had been changed by reading and talking about edgy young adult books.

1. They became more empathetic

The students chose mostly fiction, with characters whose life circumstances in many cases differed from their own, including those associated with race, gender, sexuality, culture, language, mental health and household income. Because fiction provides windows into the minds of others, it has the potential to improve empathy, which becomes more probable when readers get emotionally involved in stories.

This is consistent with what the students reported. As one student explained after reading a book about a bullied character, "Like when you see people ... you think, well, they don't have problems or whatever, but then some of the ones I've read, you can just understand people better."

2. They improved relationships

The books contained stark realities about humanity. For instance, some books dealt with how children and teens might be exploited by adults or how mental illness might radically affect a person's behavior.

Students shared that as they read, they were encountering some of this information for the first time. Their initial instinct, they said, was to find someone else who had read the book and talk about it.

Consequently, students who rarely talked to each other came together over books. In the process, they learned about each other, became friends or at least developed greater appreciation for each other. They also talked to family members, including parents, some of whom they convinced to read the books.

Relationships in books made teens rethink their own relationships. "Her mom was all rude to her," one student recalled about a character. "It kind of had me feeling bad, 'cause I was rude to my aunt, and my situation could have been worse."

Students shared that reading about characters in dire circumstances changed how they thought about their own families. For instance, several admitted that reading a book about a girl their age who was abducted and abused by an adult male made them more likely to listen to their parents' advice about safety. Others reading that same book reported becoming more protective of siblings.

3. They became more thoughtful

Reading about the decisions characters made gave the teens a chance to see the potential consequences of their own future choices.

Some described positive characters as role models. Others described using characters who made questionable decisions as cautionary tales and tools of self-reflection.

Statements such as one student's comment that "I have changed because I think more about things before I do them" were common and were related to problems teens were already facing or could see on the horizon. These problems included toxic relationships, substance abuse, gang-related activity and risky sexual behaviors.

4. They were happier

Despite the fact that many students chose books with serious and unsettling content, students claimed reading made them feel better.

Some explicitly attested to the pleasure of reading. "It's the happiest I'll get," one student stated about the time she spent with the books.

More frequently, students described how mental trips through books helped them reconsider their own worries compared with characters with much harder lives.

"You do get an appreciation for what you do have, and, like, for being thankful for the happiness and joy in your life," one explained. "Some of those books, it's crazy what's in there."

5. Books helped students heal

Some students reported that books helped them heal from depression and grief.

"When I was younger, I lost my best friend," one student shared after reading about a character whose mother died. "It was really hard for me, but books like that really take me back and help me remember her but without getting really upset."

Many pointed to good feelings they got from meaningful book conversations with peers. That is not surprising given the link between positive social relationships and young people's happiness.

6. They became better readers

Some of the books were difficult for students to read, but they persisted even though they had to work harder to understand them. Other research has found that this persistence is related to the interest that students had in the subjects of the books.

Students reported rereading large chunks of books or even entire books to clear up confusion about storylines, and asking teachers and peers for help with problems such as unfamiliar vocabulary. Their scores on end-of-year reading tests improved, whereas scores for other students remained flat. That is not surprising, since the students in our study read so much. Also, they read mainly fiction, which is correlated with better reading skills compared with other genres.

Students said they started visiting public libraries and bookstores. Declarations like "I'm a bookworm now" suggested they began viewing themselves as readers. They also reported larger changes. "I think I got smarter," one student remarked.

The positive transformations reported by students we interviewed cannot be generalized, but experimentally controlled studies yield related findings. For instance, adolescents who read and talk to each other about stories with social themes report greater motivation to read, greater use of reading strategies, such as rereading what they don't understand, and insight into human nature than those who do not.

Our research left us reflecting on why we want young people to read in the first place. Do we want them to reap the social, emotional, moral and academic benefits that reading confers? If so, preserving their access to relevant books - even the "disturbing" ones - matters a lot.

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How teens benefit from being able to read 'disturbing' books that some want to ban

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Amid calls to ban certain books from libraries and schools, research shows that students benefit when they have the ability to choose which materials they want to read.

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I wasn't necessarily surprised by the proportions, although the 1% of Native characters was the most shocking. I've pulled together enough displays and worked with librarians on DEI pushes for various collections that I knew collections were pretty dire. I just started at a new library and in its most recent diversity audit, the children's room only has 6% diverse titles. This is including all races and gender/sexuality. I knew that librarians (generally) were and are not deliberately creating biased collections, but to see the actual numbers is pretty jarring.

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I think I would prepare a proposal that presented the justification for diverse collections and the results of a diversity audit in our collection. Assuming the need for development was found in the results, I would describe how dangerous it is to have limited materials on any one group. As Chimamanda Ngoni Adichie stresses in her TEDX Talk, when you only have one story about a group of people, you risk misunderstanding them as whole. That is why it is not enough to have just one or two books reflecting one group that may be a minority in your school. Not only are you neglecting them, but you are also severely limiting the rest of your readers to a small perspective.

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It is important for readers to have access to both books that act as mirrors and books that act as windows. A book as a mirror is one that shows a reflection of your own story, which is important to help you celebrate your background, understand your identity, and feel a sense of pride and belonging in who you are. On the flip side, it is very important to expose yourself to books that act as windows into what the world is like for people different from you. Reading diverse books allows people to develop empathy for others and to understand what their world might be like. In Grace Lin’s TEDX Talk, she shared how she had tried to reject being Chinese as a child because she never saw herself reflected anywhere. Thankfully, as a developing author and illustrator, she was eventually inspired to explore her heritage and incorporated it into her work. In doing so, we have at least one example from her talk about how impactful it can be to provide students access to diverse books. A new Asian student was being picked on in an elementary school class until the class read one of Lin’s books, and the children then became excited and intrigued by the culture depicted. Perhaps the young Asian student, a minority in her school, would decide to celebrate her identity as a result of this book instead of trying to hide it as Grace did growing up.

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Books depicting American Indians/First Nations, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander/ Asian Pacific American, and African/ African American characters combined made up less than a quarter of the books published that year for children! There were more books depicting animals than all of these groups combined. Half of the books published depicted white characters.

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I would complete a collection audit, research the most recent county census and then report to the director the lack of DEI titles in the collection, the proof from the census that they are needed, and also remind them that people who are not from these communities also need literature accessible to them that is for, by, and about people who are different from them. The library is for everyone, and the increased budget would help us to provide resources to meet this need.

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Giving our patrons access to diverse literature is a way to increase their knowledge of the world, their empathy, provide windows and mirrors for everyone, and show that everyone is represented and welcomed at the library.

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I think I would start by looking at my community and forming a report that reviews the diversity of people I serve. Alongside that, I would write a report citing official sources such as the ALA and YALSA that emphasize the importance of diverse literature that is representative of a community, but also informative of cultures and identifies that are different from one's own.

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Diverse literature is incredibly important because it represents the diversity of the community. But further than that, it introduces people (especially children) to backgrounds and cultures that are different than their own. This is not only important for knowledge building, but it forms empathy for others.

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It is genuinely mind boggling that there are (significantly!) more children's literature featuring animals than Black, Asian, indigenous, or Latinx characters. Let alone that 50% of the literature is white!

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In order to push for more diverse books, I would create a presentation on how many libraries lack diverse materials. I would include graphics and videos such as the ones included in this presentation, where people share their personal experiences by wanting to feel seen through realistic characters in literature and being understood rather than stereotyped. I would even go as far as to take a poll of students or local patrons and ask what themes, cultures or types of characters they would like to see in new books. Then, I could use these results as a way to convince upper management to allow for a larger budget for more diverse materials.

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Providing patrons and students with access to diverse literature can help those who are underrepresented to feel seen. Not only that, it can give others who do not face these issues the opportunity to see other people and understand their culture, experiences and ways of life. It is a way to educate readers.

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There is a significant lack of diversity in children's book characters when looking at the graphic from 2018. An inference for why this is could be that a majority of the authors are white and create white characters that look like and represent them, as described in the presentation. Most people create representations of what they know or what is close to them.

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I would convey to my admin/manager the necessity of representation in children's literature. I would assert that the library serves as a resource for ALL members of the community and that the current data showcases an overwhelming and disappointing bias in their representation, and that this has a severely negative impact on those of diverse backgrounds. I would assert that it is the library's duty to ensure that all patrons feel welcomed, and that by prioritizing books that do not depict underrepresented or diverse characters, the library thereby showcases a blatant disregard and neglectfulness in its service to the community. Moreover, I would argue that it is absolutely imperative for children to feel seen and understood by the stories that they read. Children use the stories that they read to help understand the world around them. It is of the utmost importance that the library serves as a resource for all children to be able to see themselves in the stories they read. I would also warn my admin/manager that by only providing stories and materials that reinforces a bias towards one background (i.e. the representation of white characters as shown in the data) and neglects representing those of diverse backgrounds, the library, unintentionally or not, takes a damaging and ignorant stance reflective of the example provided in Jennifer LaGarde's article; that these books are the "norm". The library must be able to provide equitable service to ALL of its users and as such, must take efforts to represent all backgrounds and cultures equally in the materials that they offer. Having culturally diverse materials would also familiarize children with different cultures and backgrounds, fostering a more empathetic worldview.

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It is imperative that children be able to see themselves represented in the stories that they read. Stories are a means by which children can understand and make sense of the world around them and themselves within it. It is important to provide children with books that showcase a variety of different perspectives in order to teach them about the world around them. Additionally, children should be able to see themselves in the works that they read. The previously discussed graphic from 2018 showcases a troubling precedent where 50% of the children's books being published depicted white characters, while stories about characters from diverse backgrounds did not even make up a quarter of that number, in total. It is important for children's books to showcase a variety of different lives, narratives and perspectives in order to foster an understanding and empathetic outlook for children reading, and for the children reading to be able to see themselves reflected in the characters they are reading about to show that they are not alone. Absolutely everyone deserves to see themselves in the stories that they read, and the fact that this is a discussion that is still under debate is disappointing and distressing.