Week4 by ANGELA BOCCUZZI

Emma H.

2024-02-26 02:58:52 UTC

There is a huge disparity in literature written for and about children who are non-White compared to that which is written with White children in mind. The main characters, the heroes, the teens falling in loved, only look like one type of person in most books. The percentage of non-White protagonists is growing (very slowly), but these kids need representation in literature. They need to be able to see themselves in a story, to feel seen, to feel like they are included in what is happening in the world, and like what is happening in a story could happen to them or their friends. They need more and bigger mirrors and kids outside of their culture, ethnicity, or race, need to have windows into them so they can learn and grow and be empathetic to their peers.

Nicole R.

2024-02-26 05:14:47 UTC

The lack of diversity in children's literature is alarming. A report published in 2018 revealed that only half of the books featured characters from diverse backgrounds. This means that children are not being exposed to different cultures and ethnicities, which could lead to narrow-mindedness and prejudice. Even worse, African/African American characters were featured in just 10% of the books, while Latinx characters were in a mere 5%. This is unacceptable in today's diverse society. We must demand more representation in children's literature to ensure that all children feel valued and included. The stories we read as children shape our worldviews and beliefs, so let's make sure they accurately reflect the world we live in.

Nicole R.

2024-02-26 05:20:03 UTC

It is crucial to offer a wide range of literature to students and patrons for various reasons. First and foremost, representation plays a vital role. When people from diverse backgrounds have access to literature that mirrors their experiences, it can be empowering and validating.

Secondly, exposure to diverse perspectives can develop empathy and understanding, which promote cultural competence and awareness - crucial skills in our increasingly global society.

Thirdly, reading diverse literature can expand readers' horizons, encouraging them to think beyond their own experiences. Furthermore, ensuring that literature is diverse fosters inclusivity in educational and public spaces, creating welcoming environments for all community members. Lastly, diverse books can help combat stereotypes and prejudice by providing more accurate and nuanced portrayals of different groups. By providing diverse literature, we can contribute to a more informed, empathetic, and inclusive society.

Nicole R.

2024-02-26 05:23:31 UTC

Having access to a wide range of literature is incredibly important, as it allows readers to connect with the stories they read on a deeper level. This is especially true for students and patrons, as it helps to boost their self-esteem and sense of belonging. Additionally, exposure to diverse cultures and experiences can promote empathy, understanding, and a more well-rounded worldview. If you're looking to secure additional funding for a diverse collection, it can be helpful to highlight how these books can aid in the development of critical thinking and social awareness. It's also worth noting that with the increasing diversity of our communities, it's more important than ever to have a library collection that reflects a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. A diverse collection can also help to attract a broader audience to the library, promoting inclusivity and ensuring that the library remains a valuable resource for everyone in the community.

Haley P.

2024-02-26 14:17:24 UTC

There is a massive disparity between the representation that exists within children's literature. According to the 2018 publishing statistics, 50% of children's books feature white characters, 27% feature animal characters, 10% feature African/African American characters, 7% feature Asian Pacific Islander/ Asian Pacific American characters, 5% feature Latinx characters, and 1% feature American Indians/First Nations characters. This means that there is more animal representation in children's literature than of the other 85-90% of the world's population, which is harmful since it is only going to enforce a false impression of the reality that these children will grow up in. As such, it will be much harder for these children to go on and develop empathy for other people.

Carol L.

2024-02-26 14:19:06 UTC

In 2018, a report indicated that there was and appalling lack of diversity in children's literature. Almost half of the children's books that where published were about white, American children. This meant that other children from different backgrounds and cultures where not exposed to characters that were like themselves.

Carol L.

2024-02-26 14:23:48 UTC

It is essential to provide students and patrons access to diverse literature for a variety of reasons. Firstly, diverse literature exposes readers to a wide range of perspectives, cultures, and experiences, fostering empathy, understanding, and respect for others. It allows individuals to see themselves reflected in the stories they read, validating their identities and fostering a sense of belonging. Moreover, diverse literature challenges stereotypes, biases, and prejudices, encouraging critical thinking and promoting social justice.

Haley P.

2024-02-26 14:27:26 UTC

Students and patrons need to have access to diverse literature because stories are how we as humans develop our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. By reading and creating stories, we are creating mirrors of how we see ourselves and how we see the people and places around us. As such, stories need to be a reflection of the reality we live in and the reality we want to create. That is why it is so important to have more than one story because it is much harder to create a false impression of the complexity of others around us when we can see how we are similar to each other. By not having access to diverse literature, we are creating a misconception of what other places and people groups are like and are watering down the complexity of humanity. By having limited diversity, it is much harder to see the reflection of ourselves, and is easy to create a single narrative where there are not a lot of diverse stories. Diverse stories emphasize the similarities and celebrate the differences in humanity.

Carol L.

2024-02-26 14:27:47 UTC

Investing in diverse literature demonstrates our library's commitment to representing student's and patrons' varied backgrounds, identities, and experiences. Providing access to diverse books enriches our collection and enhances the educational experience by allowing individuals to explore different perspectives and cultures. Moreover, it aligns with our institution's values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that all community members feel represented, respected, and empowered.

Haley P.

2024-02-26 14:41:53 UTC

I would point out that by increasing the amount of diverse literature within the collection we are improving our current patrons' ability to have critical thinking skills since they are being exposed to stories and experiences that they might not have otherwise had access to. As such, they would likely do better in the long run if they were introduced to diversity earlier rather than later in life since they would be better able to empathize and relate to other people. I would also point out that by creating a more diverse collection, we are also improving the appeal of our collection because a wider variety of people will be able to see themselves reflected in the stories they are consuming. So not only would diversifying the library's collection be beneficial for our current patrons, but it could also result in new patrons who wouldn't have otherwise come to our library.

Shannen K.

2024-02-26 16:38:41 UTC

In 2018, according to a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, there were hardly any children's books depicting characters of diverse backgrounds. 50% featured white characters, but even more surprising was the fact that 27% featured animals. There were more books containing animal characters than Native Americans, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islanders/Americans, and African Americans combined! This means that many children are not seeing characters that are like them, which is a great shame. All children deserve positive representations of their backgrounds starting from a young age, and this clearly isn't happening based on 2018 data.

Shannen K.

2024-02-26 17:04:25 UTC

It is important to give patrons access to diverse literature because it ensures that they do not create a single image--a single story--of an individual or group of people. Chimananda Ngozi highlighted this in her TedTalk, the Danger of a Single Story. When she was a child, the books she read only featured white characters who ate apples, talked about the weather, and drank ginger beer. This in no way reflected her experience as a girl growing up in Nigeria. When she began to write stories, her characters reflected the books that she read because she thought that was the way books had to be. While this changed once she discovered African literature, it is clear that children's literature is white and Eurocentric, meaning that many children do not get to see themselves portrayed positively in the books that they read. They don't get to see their life stories validated as legitimate, and may lose interest in reading. If patrons are only reading stories about white people and their lived experiences, they are likely to stereotype people who are different than them, relying on their own beliefs about what other groups are like than from seeing life from their perspectives.

Shannen K.

2024-02-26 17:14:28 UTC

I think that user studies would be a great way to justify increasing the budget for diverse books. A diverse user population is likely going to demand more diverse books, and will have less tolerance for books that are deemed classics but contain harmful stereotypes, such as The Indian in the Cupboard. If these aren't enough, I would also turn to examples of books written by people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other diverse groups that feature diverse casts and are quite popular. For example, I might reference books like The Hate U Give, which remained a bestseller throughout 2017 and 2018. While some people might clamor for "normal" books, they are just clinging to the past where books only existed from a white, Eurocentric lens. Besides, as we saw in the opening example, in 2018 most books still featured predominantly white casts--meaning that we still have a lot of work to do to change the minds of people who don't want to see diverse books in libraries.

Alexa S.

2024-02-26 17:37:32 UTC

In 2018, half of children's books featured white characters. Behind that, books with animals as the main character makes up nearly 30%. So, in total, less than 25% of children's books were written with diverse characters - and this percentage is made up of African/ African American, Asian Pacific, Latinx, and American Indians. These statistics show that white children saw themselves in, more than likely, every book they read, and because of this, diverse children barely saw themselves.

Alexa S.

2024-02-26 17:43:10 UTC

We have to give our students and patrons access to diverse literature to support representation, offer a wide world view, encourage empathy, and most importantly to break the pattern we saw in 2018 children's books. By including diverse literature in our collections, we can make sure that underrepresented groups can find themselves in a variety of books about different topics (especially books that don't just focus on the differences). We also give students the opportunities to understand, and even connect with, people who are different than them.

Alexa S.

2024-02-26 17:51:32 UTC

As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explains in her TED Talk, it is dangerous to have only one story. Without diverse literature available to students, we are limiting their access to only one perspective. While this perspective may be relatable to some students, it is not relatable for them all, and as educators it is our job to ensure that all students have the same opportunities and equal footing, to ensure no one is ostracized or disregarded. In addition, it is important for children to not only see themselves in literature, but also see others who are different in some ways. Increasing the budget to include more diverse books is a necessity. The lack of representation does not do any justice for our patrons, and as more diverse books are being published, we need to add these into our collection.

Naomi L.

2024-02-26 18:05:14 UTC

in 2018 less than 25% of children's books featured characters from marginalized identities, which is deeply disappointing as this does not represent the demographics of the U.S. and means that already marginalized and underrepresented children are at a disadvantage when it comes to seeing themselves in literature. We know the importance of children seeing themselves in literature to normalize experiences and inspire children to dream big. This also does a disservice to all children regardless of identity because it robs them of the opportunity to build empathy and learn about other cultures and experiences.

Naomi L.

2024-02-26 19:21:37 UTC

It is essential to provide our students and patrons access to diverse literature if we wish to achieve our goal of championing literacy, knowledge, and strong communities. Literacy is not limited to the ability to read words on a page, but extends to cultural literacy, the ability to understand and connect with cultures and experiences beyond your own. This ability will serve our patrons in navigating the world around them with empathy, humility, and curiosity. Knowledge is incomplete if it only includes the perspectives and wisdom of the few. Our communities only grow stronger when we honor, represent, and listen to all members. In order to build these skills our patrons need to be able to see themselves in literature, and learn about the perspectives of others.

Naomi L.

2024-02-26 19:34:41 UTC

I would want to start by gathering relevant evidence in the form of reputable studies on the benefits of diverse collections for students, patrons, and the community, and ideally, their impact on library usage. I would also highlight the ways in which diversifying the collection is in alignment with any mission statements, DEI statements, and values set forth by the library. I would focus on the benefit to the community in the form of "mirrors, windows, and doors" helping all patrons gain insight into the experience of others and building empathy, while providing representation and allowing marginalize folks to see themselves in literature.

Liana E

2024-02-26 20:17:29 UTC

It is surprising that in the year of 2018, (only about 5 years ago!) there had been only about 23% of children's books written about minority populations according to the report written on diversity in children's books. The majority of the population of the united states is apart of these underrepresented minority groups in literature. Minority children need to see themselves and their cultures represented more in the books they read. These statistics show that minority children are not a priority to authors, or most likely that there are not enough authors of these backgrounds involved in children's literature.

Liana E

2024-02-26 20:57:18 UTC

It is imperative that we as Librarians are able to provide access to diverse literature as these are voices that are typically majorly underrepresented in literature. We must be able to show representation of all cultures and nationalities to ensure that all people have the chance to see themselves represented and others to see people that are different than them. This is especially important for children as they need to learn about people that are different than themselves in order to gain empathy and understanding. Minority children need to see themselves represented in their books so that they can feel like they can do anything or be anyone they want, that they are just as important as anyone else. Increasing diversity in literature benefits all to gain a broader view of the world in order to understand and respect each other better.

Liana E

2024-02-26 21:11:45 UTC

I would first start with creating a team of Librarians to go through out current children's collection and create a spread sheet or document identifying the themes, topics and characters involved in each title. I would prefer to do this and have meetings with this group of Librarians in order to discus our findings to determine how to categorize them, but we could also use online services such as the Diversity audit. The Diversity Audit would be a great tool for libraries with larger collections as doing everything on our own could take possible years to properly document a collection.

The next step would be to bring our findings to the head of the department/head of acquisitions/collection management, with a report summarizing our findings and access to our document. I would discuss the benefits of having a diverse collection as being able to represent all children regardless of race, nationality, language, skin color or gender. Representing all these groups of people is essential as our population will continue to grow; and as children need to grow up learning about others and seeing themselves represented in their literature in order for them to grow up as well rounded, understanding, respectful and empathetic individuals.

Ally Pleuss

2024-02-26 21:34:53 UTC

I noticed that a minority child is more likely to read a book with an animal as the main character than a book depicting characters that look like them. This leads me to believe that young children can be left feeling "invisible" by the imbalanced representation.

Emily Baio

ebaio1 — 2024-02-26 22:09:16 UTC

From the graphic posted about published children's books from 2018, it is clear that there is a lack of representation of POC individuals. Over 50% of books had a white main character and were most likely written by a white individual. Minority children are left by the wayside in terms of representation which can leave them with a disdain for their culture. If they aren't good enough to be represented in a novel, then are they good enough?

Emily Baio

ebaio1 — 2024-02-26 22:12:20 UTC

The importance of giving students/patrons diverse literature is that if they aren't privy to it, they will never learn to be an ally, a better friend, and most importantly learn about other cultures! We live in such an exciting time where creativity is flowing like a waterfall constantly. The value in educating students/patrons in diverse literature lies in their willingness to open their minds to the narrow view of the world they may have. By incorporating more diversity into a collection, they can learn and understand more about the cultures around them besides the stereotypes thrust upon them.

Emily Baio

ebaio1 — 2024-02-26 22:18:53 UTC

I would first examine the collection that is currently available and spend time weeding/archiving books that no longer serve a relevant purpose. From there, I would categorize based on POC, LGBTQ+ representation, and themes (such as the character is a little girl with two dads). I would then bring my findings to my manager, with research explaining the importance of diverse literature to a growing child's mind, and insist they consider adding more to the budget to ensure that all children feel represented in their school. I would stress the importance of children needing to be able to sympathize and understand other cultures. For any reason, if there would be pushback, from parents, and staff alike, I would let my manager know that I stand with them and would like to see what the kids would think. Do they want to be represented in their library? Do they want a strong character representing their culture? From that, I would hope my manager/admin would adjust the budget accordingly.

Faith M

2024-02-26 22:44:11 UTC

The biggest thing that I noticed about the graphic about Children's books published in 2018 was that the majority of them depict characters who are white. About 50% of the characters depicted are white, 27% are animals or other, and African American, Asian pacific islander/Asian pacific american, Latinx, and American Indian/First Nation collectively are less (at 23%) than the percentage of characters depicted who are animals/other (at 27%), and less than half when compared to white characters. It paints a poor picture that animals/other characters are depicted more than minority children, everybody deserves to have a character that they relate to and feel represented by.

Ally Pleuss

2024-02-26 22:45:00 UTC

While it's important for marginalized students to see themselves reflected in stories, it's also vital that we have windows to other worlds and ways of life for students who, thus far, have only seen themselves reflected in books and mainstream media. A balance of stories helps students see things from the viewpoint of others. A collection that is very narrowly focused can have a negative impact on the self-worth of marginalized groups and offer a false sense of what the world is like. Children are impressionable, vulnerable, and capable of internalizing what is said about themselves or others in books. If there is a narrow-minded, single story displayed, then they will lack the ability to expand their understanding and to challenge the narrow beliefs. Diverse literature is crucial to developing world views that are open and inclusive.

Ally Pleuss

2024-02-26 23:01:13 UTC

Based on a recent TitleWise analysis, my collection has 35% diverse titles and 24% social and emotional learning titles. I would start by explaining diversity audits to my administrator, giving her a current status report, then lay out my plan of action for increasing the diversity of our collection. There are 39 categories in a TitleWise diversity audit, so I would prioritize those that are most lacking. I would lay out how long it would take to improve our collection based on the current budget, then demonstrate how much faster that could be accomplished if the budget were increased $X above the state minimum we receive per student.

Faith M

2024-02-27 01:15:22 UTC

A major reason that it is important to give patrons/students access to diverse literature is to allow them to have windows into other worlds, and help them realize the diversity, variety, and wealth of differences and similarities that humans experience. By providing both a realistic and variety of stories, students and patrons learn to understand that people are different and gain empathy and understanding of others. This can help people acknowledge and understand when meeting new people and others of different cultures etc. that they and others they meet are deserving of empathy and understanding.

Rose F

2024-02-27 01:28:55 UTC

27% of the children’s books in 2018 depicted animals/other, while only 23% of the children’s books in 2018 included a character that was American Indians/First Nations, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander/Asian Pacific American, or African/African American. It is unfortunate that more animals and animated objects were portrayed more in children’s books than children of minority backgrounds. Additionally, the depiction of white children is slightly less than both of these categories combined. The image itself displays this as well through the use of mirrors. The white child has multiple mirrors to reflect how often they are shown in children’s books and looks happy, while the mirror and emotion lessens as the image moves towards the left on American Indians/First Nations at 1%. It shows that there is less of an emphasis on certain characters and how that can affect children in the real world from these backgrounds; if they cannot see themself in the books, then they may see themselves as invisible in the world.

Rose F

2024-02-27 01:29:18 UTC

Having access to diverse literature is important because students/patrons should be able to see themselves in the story and also those about people who are not like them. Grace Lin explains in her TEDTalk that books can show you the world (other people), but also act as a reflection (seeing yourself). It is vital that patrons have access to materials that they feel connected to and can relate to. They should be able to see value in themselves, which may not be the case if they are not shown in books, as the Diversity in Children’s Books of 2018 image portrayed. Additionally, seeing different backgrounds promotes awareness to others, education, and acceptance. It should be a responsibility of the library to make these resources accessible.

Rose F

2024-02-27 01:31:01 UTC

I would perform a Diversity Audit of my current collection and analyze the results. Diverse BookFinder is a great organization to utilize services from. They have a Collection Analysis Tool (CAT) to “help you diversify your picture book collection,” and from their website it is free. Since this would not cost anything, hopefully it will help appeal to the admin and from the results we can prove the need for more diverse books. I think it is important to have materials representative of many backgrounds and be mindful of any special populations our community serves. It is also good to include a variety of styles, such as picture books, fiction, and non-fiction. Often I have found that there are collections with diverse books, but only include it one-dimensionally, like Jewish children and the Holocaust, but not Jewish children in any other time period or context; and make sure that our books are not only portraying stereotypes of these groups. CAT offers an understanding of how the groups are represented in the collection. As described in Question 2, the library should provide access to diverse materials and I would explain to the admin that we need to be open-minded and serve everyone.

Faith M

2024-02-27 01:38:36 UTC

Providing access to diverse literature helps reach out to those who traditionally don't have stories or characters or narratives that they can relate to. I would probably mention this and look at the demographics of the area that the library is in and run an analysis of the current books in our collection. Doing so and showing metrics about how many diverse books we have and include narratives, articles, and research detailing the benefits to including more diverse literature within our collection.

Erikka R.

erikkara — 2024-02-27 01:52:04 UTC

If you add up the percentages of the books representing People of Color, it equals 23% which is less than the percentage of books featuring animals. It is significantly less than the books where White characters are featured. The illustration also depicts the feelings of the children who are not represented equally or as fairly as their White counterparts. Look at their expressions compared to the White child and the Bear? These are not the faces of happy children who see themselves reflected back in the books they read.

Erikka R.

erikkara — 2024-02-27 02:33:51 UTC

"Reading is an act of empathy. It allows us to understand and embrace the experiences of others." -LeVar Burton

Access to diverse literature is crucial for students and patrons for several reasons. As Rudine Sims Bishop eloquently states, we need diverse books so that children can see themselves mirrored in the world. This representation fosters a sense of belonging and self-worth.

In a time when our society is increasingly polarized, diverse literature serves as a bridge, teaching empathy and understanding. These books reveal our differences, but importantly, they also highlight our commonalities, showing us that we share more with others than we might initially think.

Moreover, diverse books offer a window into different cultures and religions, providing opportunities to engage with and learn about them without leaving home. They serve as conversation starters, fostering interaction with communities different from our own.

In essence, diverse literature is a powerful tool for education, empathy, and engagement, making it an invaluable resource in libraries.

Erikka R.

erikkara — 2024-02-27 02:48:51 UTC

I would start by following Lee and Low’s eight steps to all-inclusive reading to justify the need for a budget increase to include more diverse books. This process involves answering critical questions about our current collection and programming, which will highlight the areas where we lack diversity.

Next, I would present the results of a diversity audit to the library administrator or manager. This audit would provide concrete evidence of the gaps in our collection, reinforcing the need for more diverse titles.

To address any financial concerns, I would devise a plan for a return on investment for the budget increase. This could involve tracking circulation statistics, program attendance, and patron feedback to demonstrate the positive impact of diverse books on our library services.

Finally, I would demonstrate how increasing the diverse books budget will increase patronage. Diverse books attract a wider audience as they allow more patrons to see themselves represented in our collection. This increased patronage can lead to higher circulation numbers, more program attendance, and overall greater engagement with the library.

Investing in diverse books is not just a matter of representation—it’s a strategic move that can enhance our library’s relevance, reach, and impact in our community.

Alex Ruffini

2024-02-27 02:53:41 UTC

In 2018, the published children's books failed to adequately depict and adequately represent characters from diverse backgrounds. 50% of children's books published during this year depicted white characters, while diverse backgrounds were depicted essentially half as much. If you combine the percentage of books depicting characters from diverse backgrounds, it equals 23%, which is in fact less than half of the books published representing white characters. Within the data presented, the artwork also depicts how underrepresented characters of color truly were during this year. The mere 1% of American Indians, 5% of Latinx, 7% of Asian Pacific Islander/American, and 10% of African Americans all show children holding mirrors that are significantly smaller than the white character depicted. Meaning they do not see themselves and their culture being represented in these books, while white individuals see themselves all over essentially. Even animals at 27% were depicted more in children's books during this year than those of color, which seems like an absurdity but is true. Hopefully, more can be done to ensure that children's books work towards depicting and representing characters from diverse backgrounds, as diversity is something to be celebrated and represented equally.

Culleen M.

2024-02-27 03:45:31 UTC

When looking at the image of diversity in children’s books from 2018, it is clear to see that BIYOC populations are underrepresented in children’s books. Less than a quarter of the books had characters from these groups with indigenous people only being represented in 23 out 3134 books. The majority of the characters represented the white population, giving a false sense of importance to this group. More diverse books are needed because everyone deserves to have books with characters that they can relate to.

Alex Ruffini

2024-02-27 04:00:10 UTC

We must give our students/patrons access to diverse literature because it allows them to foster empathy and self-worth. Often when you have a student/patron that is new to the community and may not look like anybody else, it may be easy for them to forget about their culture and who they truly are. If they have access to books that represent and depict characters from their culture, they will develop self-worth and feel as if they do belong and their culture is something to celebrate and not ignore because no one else looks like them. That is why it is important to have a collection that represents and depicts many different cultures. Additionally, students/patrons who are often not underrepresented should also have access to diverse literature to help them develop empathy. By looking at books as a metaphorical window, they can see the world outside of themselves and from different viewpoints. Looking at stories with different cultures allows students/patrons to accept people who may look different and understand that it is okay to be different. If students/patrons only have access to books that depict one culture, they will develop a false sense of what the world is and will have a difficult time accepting others, developing empathy for others, and getting along with others. In order to foster a community of acceptance, kindness, and empathetic learners, we must ensure our collections recognize a vast array of cultures, so students/patrons can understand that being different is okay.

Culleen M.

2024-02-27 04:00:36 UTC

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” – Haruki Murakami . This quote reminds me of Chamanda Ngozi Adichie’s story of how she only wrote stories with white characters because that is all she ever read about. But books can provide windows and mirrors to the world around us. As students read books, they connect with characters in the story, often seeing their own reflections in the characters, like a mirror. When books have characters that are different from us, students are given the opportunity to explore a world outside of their own. They learn to appreciate different cultures and begin to have empathy with people who are different from themselves. Diverse books provide this opportunity.

Culleen M.

2024-02-27 04:13:11 UTC

My first step would be to run a diversity analysis of my collection. Using Titlewave, because our OPAC is Destiny by Follett, I would run the collection analysis report and would focus on the diversity information. Next I would review the books that are considered to be a part of the diversity collection and determine how they fit into Lee & Low ‘s 8 steps to creating an inclusive collection. I would determine where the shortcomings are in the collection. I would create an infographic depicting all the information. Finally, I would go to my administrator and present the information I have gathered and explain the need to have books that not only allow students to see themselves in the story but also explain the need to have books that allow students to gain an appreciation for worlds outside their own. Finally, I would request a budget increase to allow me to purchase the diverse books that are need to enhance our collection.

Alex Ruffini

2024-02-27 04:38:54 UTC

To convince my admin/manager to increase the budget to purchase more diverse books, I would present information regarding the overwhelming benefits it has on students/patrons backed by data. To prepare for this proposal of a budget increase, I would work towards collecting data regarding the demographics of the users and see which groups might not be represented in our collection of books. Also, look specifically at just the books in the collection and see which groups or cultures are significantly lacking on the shelves. With the data on our users and books in hand, I would make the case that we must work towards getting not just a few, but many books that represent all the diverse cultures that are present in this community or school. In doing so, I would explain that these books would allow all of our students/patrons to gain new perspectives, see the world from a different lens, and develop empathy for others. Allowing them to understand that being exposed to stories that are different from your own, only helps our students/patrons become more understanding and kind human beings. Additionally, kids deserve to see their own experiences reflected in books to help them understand that they belong and also to help build their self-worth as individuals. With all of these benefits and data presented to my admin/manager, I would hope they would realize the urgent need for diversifying the collection, especially with the undeniable benefits it has on students' character and growth as human beings living in a continuously evolving and diversifying nation.

Courtney T.

2024-02-27 14:06:38 UTC

I was surprised to see the amount of diversity in 2018; however, the skew of percentages themselves is depressing. Something surprising was that [Animals] had a 27% representation, whereas [American Indians/ First Nations] individuals had a 1% representation rate. According to the image, there were 864 books featuring animals and 712 books representing diverse characters- the number of books featuring animals was still higher despite adding the book count of four different categories. Only when the animal books were added to the 712 diverse books did the amount equate to the staggering 1,558 books (50%) representing white characters. 1,576 vs. 1,558.

I guess what I really noticed was that books featuring animals (who are more racially ambiguous) were likelier to be written about and published in 2018, compared to books with diverse characters.

Courtney T.

2024-02-27 14:26:13 UTC

Many of the speakers for this week spoke about "windows" and how books were windows to see from the perspective of another individual. By making these books available and accessible to students and patrons, librarians are giving them a "window" to see another person's story through literature. This is especially important for areas that are mainly white and lacking diversity. Having diverse books read may also open minds.

For example, Grace Lin's talk mentions a childhood incident in which a classmate says to her, "You can't be Dorothy [referencing the Wizard of Oz]. You're Chinese." As an adult, Lin laments that she and her classmates didn't have access to diverse books. If they had, Lin wonders if their classmate's response would have differed.

Courtney T.

2024-02-27 15:01:33 UTC

I would justify the budget increase for more diverse books to my admin/manager on a person-to-person level. Regardless of things like circulation stats, sometimes what a patron/student needs to see is someone who looks like them in a book -- something that would reinforce their existence in a space. Everyone should be able to see themself "mirrored" in a book.

Showcasing books featuring characters of diverse backgrounds may also examine their different and unique problems. For example, Shauntay Grant's, "My Fade is Fresh" features a black character who goes to a barbershop to decide on a hairstyle for herself. This book uses its protagonist to tell a story about agency and loving your own hair.

Allison F

2024-02-27 16:22:12 UTC

The illustration displaying the lack of diversity in children's books from 2018 is very impactful and revealing about the truth behind the majority of published books. Apart from simply looking at the percentages, the actual numbers are also included, revealing that just 23 books were published with American Indian/ First Nation characters, and this is only looking at one minority group. That is really disheartening to learn especially when considering that there were 864 books with animal characters! Although they may carry many important messages, they do not relate to diverse readers in a way that diverse characters can.

Allison F.

2024-02-27 16:43:31 UTC

I absolutely loved learning about "windows" and "mirrors" from diverse readers in the included videos on the slides. The women spoke about how important it would have been for them to see diverse characters in the books that they read, but unfortunately they only saw white characters who were often glorified. It is so important for our students/patrons to be exposed to characters and stories that are relatable to their own lives and cultures, which act as mirrors and reflections to their experiences. However, it is also important for our students/patrons to be exposed to characters and stories that are different from their own, which act as windows into different lives. This creates a standard of inclusivity and knowledge about others that students can build off of throughout their lives. Without being exposed to mirrors and windows, one might neglect their own culture, or be judgemental about others.

Allison F

2024-02-27 16:51:00 UTC

Justifying a larger collection of diverse books to your supervisor/admin can be especially difficult if they have not been exposed to diverse books themselves and the benefits that they hold. A starting point can be looking into the diversity of your community or students, and showing the need for a collection that reaches out to the variety of minority groups. However, as we learned in the slides there is also a great importance in having a diverse collection even if there is a great majority of white patrons/students, as books act as windows into other experiences which teach children and teens inclusivity. Therefore, I would certainly expose to my supervisor/admin the benefits of having a collection that is both mirrors and windows, as it relates to creating traits in young students where they are open to different peoples and perspectives in life.

Karen E

2024-02-27 20:36:55 UTC

The graphic showing the diversity in children’s books in 2018 is shocking. I had no idea how poorly represented all other cultures and worldviews still are outside of the white experience. Although I like using books that feature animals, it is sad that they have significantly more representation in children’s books than other cultures. I never really thought much on this topic until we read “Sulwe” in our library a couple years ago and one of the girl’s eyes just lit up seeing someone that looked like her, felt like her, and experienced the world like her in a book.

Karen E

2024-02-27 20:58:40 UTC

The women featured in the videos in this week’s presentation explained best why it is important to give readers access to a diverse collection. Grace Lin shared the importance of mirrors and windows in books. That all people deserve to see themselves refelcted in books and it is a disservice to only receive reflections, which can overflate their place in the world. Windows encourage empathy and growth and can broaden a reader’s worldview, which is so valuable in our globally collected world. Rudine Sims Bishop adds sliding doors to the illustration. That reading allows the reader to slip into another world, allowing insight to things they may never come in contact with in their lives. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk was incredibly powerful. She shared that when she began writing it reflected what she read, not the world she experienced. She also shared through various stories the harm of being told a single story. How a single story reduces other cultures leading to a narrower worldview. Therefore, we can broaden our reader’s world view, increase their empathy, and expand their knowledge by providing a diverse collection.

Karen E

2024-02-27 21:21:44 UTC

Although it is difficult to get an increase in budget at all, expanding the diversity of our collection is an excellent reason. I would support this claim by showing the statistics of the current collection and the lack of diversity in it. Then I would share the stories of Grace Lin and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to let them hear the importance of diverse collections. How we can foster and grow better human beings by being exposed to worlds outside of their own, helping them be better prepared to participate in our global world. Lastly, I would quote Jennifer LaGarde from librarygirl.net that “every family is normal, every experience is real, every person is valuable, and every reader deserves to see that reflected”.

Brillante S

2024-02-27 21:24:51 UTC

One of my first thoughts after seeing the graphic of children's books published in 2018 was, well what is the percentage of the population that falls within these different racial categories? My next question being, does that matter? The population of white Americans is higher than black Americans, so does that mean books should follow that same breakdown? Perhaps to a certain extent, but obviously, representation of all races is very important as we've learned, so that people can easily find books where characters look like them and so that others can see the same. I'd be curious what the breakdown today, in 2024, shows as I see so many wonderful diverse/inclusive books coming out today, but perhaps the numbers would still be similar.

Brillante S

2024-02-27 21:28:23 UTC

As we learned from the videos, there is danger in people only hearing one story, often times stories filled with harmful and untrue stereotypes about people of a different cultures/race/sexual orientation/etc. In my own experience, as I read diverse books about people with differences from me, I am truly drawn to the similarities that we all have and see that we are all much more alike than we are different. That is why it is important to give our students/patrons diverse literature, because it breaks down barriers and ultimately leads to more empathetic and understanding communities.

Brillante S

2024-02-27 21:33:08 UTC

I would use examples from the videos to help justify that we need more diverse literature. I would help my manager see that there are kids who come in to the library and have a hard time finding themselves (using Grace Lin's example of not being able to see herself in books). I would discuss the impact that diverse/inclusive literature can have on a person as they see themselves in the stories, or as onlookers into the lives of people who might have different experiences. I would explain that this is one of the greatest things we can do for our users in order to help build an empathetic and kinder community around us.

Tracey V

2024-02-27 23:51:08 UTC

It makes me sad that there are more books written about animals (27%) than there are of the four marginalized groups in the graphic combined (23%). It is important that children see them represented /reflected in literature. The amount of white children represented is more than double that of the other four groups combined as well.

I think the use of mirrors as well as the quantity of them is so powerful in the image. The white child is surrounded by mirrors and can see themselves in a variety of ways. There is even a disco/mirrorball! I also noticed that the mirrors for the white child reflect a number of different dreams/adventures with images of royalty, astronauts, and puppies. I think that the shrinking size of the mirrors and facial expressions say a lot as well.

Toni Ann M

2024-02-28 00:19:16 UTC

Children's books in 2018, appear to lack diverse backgrounds, as seen in the statistics. I am taken back that 27% of book characters depicted animals, while African Americans, Asian Pacific, Latinx, and American Indians were less than that.

Toni Ann M.

2024-02-28 00:21:44 UTC

Having access to diverse literature is so powerful. Patrons should have access to diverse literature to gain views and perspectives into the lives of others, into the lives they lead, and into the lives they want to lead. THe video that stuck with me the most was about comparing books to mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors. Patrons need diverse literature to be able to step into the background, cultures and lives of others, who live differently than they do.

Toni Ann M.

2024-02-28 00:24:20 UTC

In order to increase my budget for more diverse books, I would use the quote, "I need to prepare kids for their world, not ours." I thoughts this was an extremely powerful concept, and so true. I would also have statistics ready as to what types of books I currently have in the collection, as well as samples of what products/titles I felt I was missing to further sell my point. I would also have a graphic prepared to explain the concept of mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors as it relates to diverse literature.

Tracey V

2024-02-28 01:59:04 UTC

I found Grace Lin's stories about her childhood to be incredibly powerful. I appreciated her moment of clarity when she realized she didn't know why her parents moved from Taiwan to the United States and that she could speak Italian but didn't know any Chinese. I loved the analogies of the "windows" and "mirrors." I've frequently heard about "mirrors" and that children need to see themselves reflected in literature, media, etc, but I don't recall hearing about the concerns that children can get an exaggerated sense of self worth and false sense of what the world is like. It makes total sense and I think about the books that I had in my home library as a child and the books that I encountered at school and wonder how that shaped my world view in my youth. I like that Lin asked us to look at our children's bookshelves and make sure that their collection doesn't solely consist of books that are mirrors. My children's shelves have a lot more diversity then mine did growing up, but I think there is room for improvement!

I also love the TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and have seen it numerous times before. A few years ago I was teaching a class called Foundations of Culture & Identity and I asked students to examine their views about the world, and to determine how those views were shaped. This was one of the videos I assigned for them to reflect on and we had a really amazing discussion!

Irina Kirilina

2024-02-28 15:06:23 UTC

I noticed that majority of the books were published about white people and animals and only a small percentage included diverse cultures. While that does not look good, there is also no data included for other years. If in 2015 there were higher ratio of books being published about animals and white people and even less or no books being published about diverse cultures, then 2018 is an improvement even if a small one.

Irina K

2024-02-28 15:10:37 UTC

The videos showed that providing students and patrons with access to diverse literature creates inclusivity, empathy, and a broader understanding of the world. Diverse literature reflects a variety of perspectives, cultures, and experiences which in return helps individuals develop a more well-rounded and tolerant point of view.

Irina K

2024-02-28 15:14:48 UTC

I would explain that expanding the budget to include more diverse books will improve the library's collection, usage and will promote inclusivity. Diverse literature creates a more comprehensive understanding of different cultures and perspectives, ultimately better preparing our students/patrons for a diverse and interconnected world. I would also look at the demographics around the area to get a better sense of what types of people are using the library.

Jadyn S

jadynstallone — 2024-02-28 17:13:46 UTC

I think it is quite obvious looking at the data given from 2018 publishing that white characters make up the majority of protagonists in children's books. The artist/creator(s) of the graphic also made a smart choice in showing this data visually through what is shown in the mirrors surrounding the white child. In the small, damaged mirrors of the children of other races, they are reflected back to themselves as they are, but the white child is depicted as a superhero, an astronaut, royalty, etc. I think what they are also implying about this is that white characters are the default for telling imaginative fiction stories, while many books depicting nonwhite characters often center on their cultures and sometimes even their struggles. It is not a bad thing that these books focus on their cultures, but it is a problem that that seems to be one of the only ways publishing companies will justify publishing a diverse book when they could just buy another book about a white character.

Stephanie H

2024-02-28 17:49:12 UTC

The first thing to catch my eye was the fact that their were more children's books written about animal characters (27%) compared to a book about kid's of a different race which is just a shame. I knew a lot of books had white characters in them but the fact is as high as 50% really just shows the lack of diversity that was going on, specifically for that year. I would like to hope in this current year that there has been an improvement at least.

Stephanie H

2024-02-28 17:54:46 UTC

The videos bring up the impact of just reading books only featuring mostly one perspective. It doesn't let you expand your view, and can make you yearn for a new one you didn't even know about. Just like Grace Lee and her having a lack of books featuring chinese or asian characters. The fact that Chimamanda was only writing stories about white characters and items that weren't even found in the place she lives is telling. Book are one of the first things of contact a child gets about the world, so it also a great opportunity for children to get a view of another's child's perspective even if they live don't live an area that's diverse. They can still have a diverse view of mind.

Stephanie H

2024-02-28 17:58:49 UTC

I would go into explaining just how important it is for people, let alone children too be exposed to more diverse books. I really like the concepts of books being both mirrors and windows. Libraries are also known for a sense of community, and what better way to bond with more people than to understand and take into account their culture and views. I think some images for that concept would help. Also if I could I would bring up the stats of how currently diverse our collection was and maybe ask patrons if they want to see more diverse books. And shoe the results to my admin/manager.

Jadyn S

jadynstallone — 2024-02-28 18:02:13 UTC

I believe that books are teachers of empathy, which is why I believe it is important to provide all patrons access to diverse books. As the various speakers in this week's presentation pointed out, it is important for children to experience perspectives, realities, and worlds that are different from their own. Treating diverse stories as you would any story about white characters normalizes these stories and perspectives for children of all races. As Grace Lin's story proves, access to diverse books can teach kids that anyone can be the protagonist of a story. Anyone can be Dorothy.

Jadyn S

jadynstallone — 2024-02-28 18:39:27 UTC

I would argue to administration that diverse books are valuable for all readers. As discussed in the previous question, reading diverse books can teach empathy and open children up to lived experiences that are different from their own. Diverse books can also be about fantasy worlds and settings, and it is important to have those too so children don't fall into the false belief that "white books" are "normal books". The old literary canon is great for certain reasons, nobody is really arguing that. However it does not reflect the world children are currently living in. When I was in school for teaching secondary ed., I had multiple great discussions with middle school teachers about how they were working on changing out the books in the curriculum for more current ones that students today could better relate to. Diverse books are reflective of the world as it is in 2024, and that's why they should be part of libraries.

Kelaiah W

2024-02-28 19:22:58 UTC

Honestly, I'm absolutely shocked by the lack of diversity in children's books published in 2018. What is most obviously noticeable from the infographic is that 50% of the books published feature white characters. While there is nothing wrong with featuring white characters, the percentage overall seems too high in my opinion. 2018 feels far too recent of a year to not be placing a priority on diversity in children's books. It's unfortunate that the second highest percentage of character types is "animas/other". I certainly hope diversity in children's books has increased and improved over the last 6 years.

Kelaiah W

2024-02-28 19:29:34 UTC

There are an overwhelming amount of reasons it is important to give our students access to diverse literature. For the purposes of keeping this response short, I will touch on two main reasons: 1. Diverse literature ensures that students from all backgrounds can find someone to personally identify within our books. And 2. Diverse literature gives students from all backgrounds a glimpse into the lived experiences and stories of individuals who might be different from them (and it can also highlight shared experiences students might not be aware of). The fact of the matter is, seeing someone who looks like you on the cover of a book makes a difference. And in turn, reading about someone different from you can help you to better understand and relate to your peers.

Kelaiah W

2024-02-28 19:35:00 UTC

I would justify an increase in my budget to include more diverse books by referencing the diversity in my school's population, and by referencing studies that show the benefits of diverse books. The current school I work in is incredibly diverse, which would be an important part of my justification process. Students need stories that feature people who look like them, and that is just a fact. Alternatively, even if I worked in a school that lacked student diversity, I would call upon articles and studies that highlight the overall benefits of student access to diverse stories. Our videos this week especially would be a great resource. As readers, we need to identify with characters just as much as we need to experience new characters that broaden our understanding of those around us.

Brianna S

2024-02-28 21:43:27 UTC

In 2018, not many diverse books were published. To be more precise, 50% of the books published contained white characters. One may think well, that means the other 50% were diverse, how great! Well, 27% of the characters were animals. Now we are at 77%, which leaves 23% for actual diversity. That's honestly a shame, I hope that now in 2024 those numbers look different.

Brianna S

2024-02-28 22:38:02 UTC

As the diverse population in schools grows, and America as a whole, it is crucial diverse literature is available. Students need windows, mirrors, and doorways, one does not work without the other. If students are only reading books that are windows, they are not seeing themselves and their values. The students can not connect to the material, which may lead to them not actually learning or gaining skills. Also, if there are only windows, students may feel like their culture or background is not as worthy as others. If students are only experiencing mirrors in text they are not receiving insight outside of their own world. With only mirrors in the literature, students fail to develop empathy and understanding of different perspectives.

I wanted to also note that I found Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie saying that a single story "robs people of their dignity" very powerful.

Brianna S

2024-02-28 23:02:20 UTC

I would justify more diverse books to the administration by first having the data on what kind of diverse literature we currently have and what is missing by doing a diversity analysis on the collection. I would then compare that data to the demographics in the school. I would then explain it is our responsibility as educators to provide students with literature they connect with, going into a windows and mirrors discussion. I would have a total of what the books would cost, and note the effect of having more diverse literature is greater than the cost.

Daniel S.

2024-02-29 01:59:07 UTC

With children's books published in 2018, there was a clear discrepancy in what was being published. Half of the books focused on white characters, and 27% focused on animals. That means that all books published containing POC was less than that of those focused on animals, even if you combined all of them together! This made me take a quick look into the publishing statistics in more recent years, and I've found that in 2022, according to the CCBC, 39% of the books published had a BIPOC person as the primary character/subject. I'm glad things have been improving to show more diversity.

Daniel S.

2024-02-29 02:03:55 UTC

Diverse literature provides a lot of important and beneficial information about others. It gives students and patrons a chance to see themselves represented in a character, whether it be race, gender, culture, sexuality, or ability. It also gives others cultural awareness, as readers would gain insight into different aspects, traditions, and customs. It also reflects society and the world, as the world is increasingly diverse. Giving access to diverse literature is a way to foster not only empathy, but a more comprehensive view of the world that we live in.

Daniel S.

2024-02-29 02:07:18 UTC

A collection without diversity falls flat for everyone, so the need for diverse books is always there. Increasing spending on these books, whether it be allocating more of the budget towards these collections or applying for grants to substitute the lack of budget will help foster an environment of inclusivity in the library, as well as expand culture knowledge, and broaden the publics perspectives. Diverse books still include stories that are timeless and lovable, but can also foster a stronger sense of community and empathy.

Rachael F.

2024-02-29 15:49:50 UTC

Not only is there a blatant lack of diversity in children's books published in 2018, this makes you realize the lack of diverse authors that are able to create art to share with the world, and children in particular, about their experience. One of the articles we read indicated how a white man wrote a book about girls attending a Women's March, when it should be the person having that experience sharing it, so it makes you wonder if this is a lack of authors willing to share their work or a lack of publishers willing to publish it. Either way the numbers, as well as this image, are staggering in how misrepresented minorities are in the world.

Rachael F.

2024-02-29 15:57:22 UTC

There are a multitude of reasons why it is important to have access to diverse literature. The main one being so that every child can see themselves represented in fun, adventurous, uplifting, encouraging stories. These videos indicated just how crucial it is for children from different backgrounds to see their cultures represented so that they can feel pride in who they are. Being "horrified by your own reflection," "feeling like your nobody," that they "could never be important," or could "never see outside themselves" as Grace Lin states in her video shows that children that want to love the books that they're reading also need to learn how to love themselves through those stories.

Rachael F.

2024-02-29 16:08:15 UTC

I would justify the need for more diverse books by explaining that these children that are growing up in our community need to have a more expansive view of the world around them. Utilizing information from the videos I would explain the way that books are "mirrors, windows, and sliding doors" for children to be able to see themselves and others who have had different experiences to develop empathy. The white children being represented gives them "an exaggerated sense of their own self-worth and a false sense of what the world is like" which will greatly impact how they treat others not only at this time in their life but for the rest of their lives. These children are at an age where they're "young and impressionable" and need to be exposed to many different experiences and ideas so that they can better understand themselves as well as those around them that may be different from them. These books would be used to "empower and humanize" all of the children that have access to this wide range of diverse material. It will spark conversations and ideas that they may never have encountered had they not been exposed to them in these books.

Annie T.

2024-02-29 17:05:54 UTC

It is kind of shocking that there were more stories about animals than about all the nonwhite human characters put together! The U.S. Census Bureau in 2020 found that 60.1% of U.S. residents were white. This only magnifies the need for representation for other races! People need to see themselves in literature to feel empowered to aspire to the things those characters can do. People need to see those different from themselves to build understanding, interest, and empathy.

Annie T.

2024-02-29 17:14:34 UTC

As Cahill, Ingram, and Joo write in their article, it is important to access diverse stories in order to relate to the characters in several ways. It is important to see yourself represented, important to learn about how others live and feel, and to explore other worlds and experiences. The inclusion of diverse materials in a collection is a necessity for all readers. Even if the population of readers is homogenous, the collection of literature should not be.

Annie T.

2024-02-29 17:41:36 UTC

As my manager responds well to research and data, I would start by explaining why diverse books are important for all readers. I would explain the harm that could be done by not exposing our readers to a wealth of different stories. Then, I would share results of a collection audit. I would point out how a vast majority of our collection tells the same kind of story from the same point of view, and that even if I spent the entire budget on diverse materials, completely ignoring new materials that feature non minority characters and themes, the collection would not be balanced. I would explain that a budget increase to work towards balancing the collection could be short term, until it was in better shape, and after that the focus could be on keeping new purchases proportional.

Tiffany S.

2024-02-29 20:07:45 UTC

In 2018, there were more books published about animals than there were about all other ethnicities combined. White children are given plenty of materials that reflect themselves and all the possibilities they could achieve. The white child in the picture sees himself as a king, a superhero, an astronaut, etc. while at the very end the America Indians/First Nation child barely has a mirror big enough to see a portion of his face. Representation of diverse characters in children’s literature is crucial in helping all children see themselves reflected in stories. The limited diverse material made available proves more work needs to be done in creating diverse content.

Reflection (Kristen W)

2024-02-29 20:23:31 UTC

In 2018, there are a majority of books that feature dominantly white characters. They are slowly introducing Pacific islander and Native american characters.

Importance of Diversity (Kristen W)

2024-02-29 20:25:03 UTC

Diversity and diverse themes are important because that is what the world is like out there. The world is not the same but filled with many different cultures and characters. According to the Ted Talks we don't want to give just a single story or representation of a vast group of people. We want to explore the world and have various themes represented in books.

Increase budget? (Kristen W)

2024-02-29 20:26:11 UTC

I would justify an increased budget for diverse books because this will help the children experience diversity even if it's very minor in their lives.

Julie Nascimento

2024-02-29 21:02:12 UTC

The illustration that accompanies the information about diversity in children's books in 2018, really puts into perspective how important diverse representation is. I noticed that while the white child sees themself reflected in multiple surfaces, they also see themselves in a multitude of different roles: an astronaut, a firefighter, a superhero, etc. The children coming from less represented backgrounds are seeing themselves in progressively smaller frames of reflection and are seeing themselves exactly as who they currently are, not what they hope, or could grow, to become. The white child is so well-represented in the books they're reading that they grow up believing they can be anything they want, and that's great, but publishers need to ensure that children of all backgrounds are able to grow up feeling that type of empowerment through representation.

Julie Nascimento

2024-02-29 21:41:31 UTC

It's important to provide access to diverse literature because it ensures a greater chance that patrons and students will choose to read a book that reflects someone of a background different than their own. This type of diverse representation can then become the stage for an increased understanding between peers, which can result in "single story" stereotypes being dispelled. I thought these three speeches were wonderful!

Julie Nascimento

2024-02-29 21:57:41 UTC

Professionally, I would show up with the facts of the matter. I would most likely run an analysis of our current collection using a software like Follett Titlewave to prove that there is a lack of diverse books in our collection. Data speaks for itself but in order to speak volumes I would explain to my manager how diverse books aren't just important to add to our collection, they're an absolute necessity. Growing up without representation of yourself, let alone positive representation, can lead to a breeding ground of low self-esteem and low self-worth. It can prolong a lack of understanding, lack of tolerance, and inflated sense of self in children who are well-represented already. Including more diverse books in a collection doesn't take away from anyone, it truly benefits everyone.

Katharine Morse

2024-02-29 22:02:56 UTC

In 2018, half of all children's books were about white characters. Animal representation was also higher than the percentage of stories about Black, AAPI, Latinx, and Native American characters combined.

Katharine Morse

2024-02-29 22:11:11 UTC

It is important to provide access to diverse literature because people need to see themselves represented in the stories they read, and they also need to read stories that speak to the world outside of them. Reading diverse literature increases empathy, understanding, tolerance, and education, and brings a variety of stories to the ears of broader audiences.

Katharine Mors

2024-02-29 22:16:14 UTC

I would bring to the attention of the administration the way that all of our students need to be accurately represented in the stories featured in the literature in our library, as well as the fact that our student body needs to be exposed to stories that reflect the greater world. Diverse stories and diverse voices educate, and increase empathy, tolerance, and understanding. Students need mirrors as well as windows in the books they read, and diversity is essential to having a confident, curious, empathetic, and well-rounded student body.

Meagan K.

2024-02-29 22:33:27 UTC

Unfortunately, this infographic highlights a stark gap in diversity of children's books published in 2018. We need to prioritize the inclusion of BIPOC main characters in children's books. I also believe that there are so many amazing books out there by BIPOC authors about BIPOC children, but they do not get bought at a higher rate. Decolonizing the library and collection development practices is the most important thing we can do in order to teach kids about other people as well as themselves.

Meagan K.

2024-02-29 22:51:37 UTC

As librarians doing collection development, we're essentially gatekeepers of the information that our patrons access. When thinking about diverse literature, it is our job to offer a wide range of diverse authors, stories, and characters that reflect the world. Eurocentric characters and stories are not all that is out there, and it is our job to make sure other stories are told. Giving patrons access to this information will also broaden their world view and they will have more exciting lives. Patrons will be able to see themselves in books, learn about people they don't know in books, and empathize with characters.

Meagan K.

2024-02-29 22:56:01 UTC

Initially, I would do a diversity audit of my collection to come with facts and stats. I would then talk to my manager/admin and explain that we are severely lacking in diverse books and explain how this is doing more harm than good to our patronage. I would also stress that we need to supply books that are mirrors and windows for our patrons. That they should be able to access all of this information, and that we are the gatekeepers who have the ability to broaden their world.

Samantha S.

2024-02-29 23:37:02 UTC

Children's books published in 2018 represent a very different view of the world, one where more books were written about animals than about any members of the BIPOC community together. As well, the depictions of BIPOC children as sad, barely able to see themselves in their small or broken mirrors, when the white child is full of optimism and the bear can see his full self represent the reality of not having diverse children's stories: so little can be reflected on.

Samantha S.

2024-02-29 23:39:36 UTC

Children are impressionable. They need to see positive influences within their stories. A black child needs to see that they too can achieve the greatness achieved in traditional literature, in the eyes of a character they can relate to. As well, children need to understand the experiences of others so that they can empathize with their neighbors. Diverse literature is for everyone, not just the people represented in the stories. We all need stories to understand our the diversity of our friends.

Wes M

2024-02-29 23:50:34 UTC

After looking at those statistics of the books published in 2018, I can honestly say I was a bit shocked. I am well aware of the fact that the publishing industry favors whites, but I had no idea that the percentages of diverse books were that low. I was also really disappointed to see that there were more books written about animals than about marginalized people, and unfortunately I think that really shows where are priorities are as a society and it's not good.

Samantha S.

2024-02-29 23:53:51 UTC

First, I would assess our community. What does it look like? Who comes in to the library and who does not? How can we bring everyone in. Then I would take a look into our collection. What needs to be added? What is no longer appropriate? Do things need to be moved around? What books are being taken out and what books have not? Based on this data, I would present to the director where we'd need to adjust. Using facts to back up this information I hope would allow for us to reallocate our budget to purchase more inclusive books!

Wes M

2024-02-29 23:59:47 UTC

I think that Grace Lin summed it up nicely in her video, Books are both a mirror and and widow into the world. It's important for kids to see themselves in books so that they can be prod of who they are, but its just as important for kids to read books with characters not about them, so that they can gain a better understanding of the world around them.

I enjoyed all the videos and thought they all did a great job at addressing the importance of this issue.

Wes M

2024-03-01 00:11:19 UTC

I would say that its important for kids to read books with characters not about them, so that they will become more excepting of all types of people, and gain a better understanding of the world that we live in. That the more diversity that we have in our collection the better our community will be.

Alexandra D.

2024-03-01 00:20:14 UTC

As I tell patrons, it's our job to provide ALL the possible perspectives and topics because we can't possibly know everything about our patrons using it. It's important to show diversity in our collection so that every child can feel included. Every child should be able to find themselves in the collection. And even more so, it's crucial for kids to read about OTHER kids different from them to foster acceptance and help them learn about people they're going to meet in school and everywhere else.

Alexandra D.

2024-03-01 00:22:46 UTC

I would first take notice of which kinds of books people were requesting that we didn't have in our collection. With this information, I would look up a chunk of books that are still in print and well-received that would definitely be appreciated by the people who asked for books of that nature, and show them to my manager, explaining that our collection has a gap we need to fill in order to better serve our population.

Books- from 2018 (Karleigh Stevens)

2024-03-01 00:26:42 UTC

Those statistics of books back in 2018 was very shocking and eye opening to me. The fact that many of the books available in this specific library is less than 50% is a bit ridiculous. Many diverse students within a school should feel a sense of welcoming and be able to see books on their cultures in the library to notice that their culture and place in society means something. I had this idea that when I become a librarian I would have a separate inclusive book shelf within the library and putting some of these books on display as well to bring a sense of welcoming and allowing all students to see that this space is a safe space where they can express themselves and be cared for. Most students when not seeing books be included and on display may turn off the idea to visit the library and as librarians we need to create a space that welcomes all students and them feel welcome in the space can in the long run increase their reading and learning skills.

Alexandra D.

2024-03-01 00:29:21 UTC

I'm disappointed by the statistics in the slideshow, but am unfortunately not surprised. I like to think we've improved by now (a little?) to shift the scales, especially judging by the holiday and "Around the World" collections that I've seen at my branch, but I'm unsure about the actual statistics. The fact that more books focus on animals than diverse groups was very surprising, however. That publishers have such a skewed idea of what books they should be printing is ridiculous.

Students/patrons access to diverse books- Karleigh Stevens

2024-03-01 00:36:40 UTC

There is an importance in giving our students/patrons access to diverse literature because it brings a sense of a strong foundation in building knowledge on different cultures and societies. Also bringing diverse books into the library community allows students/patrons to see a sense of welcoming and understanding that all humans are unique and important in today’s world. These stories tend to create positive skills and help patrons to react to all types of stories in an engaging way. Readers and writers like to see views of all kinds, to learn everything, it allows a sense of opening to the world and they help empower patrons to understand how people act in the world. I thought Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie pointed out the importance of allowing access to books with different cultures because it gives “ a view of looking out a window” in order to see how others act in the world. It gives a sense of acceptance in allowing where someone may come from and be able to see the uniqueness of each individual.

YouTube video- The Danger of the Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Admin/ manager- increase diverse book collections(Karleigh Stevens)

2024-03-01 00:41:17 UTC

The first step I would take is assessing the collection of books and how many may be seen as diverse. Seeing the specific topics in my collection and which one may be lacking I would bring this to the attention of the admin/manager and giving them a presentation on the importance on building on specific topics/culture that may be lacking. Giving the different collection analysis and pointing this out to admins/managers should allow them a chance to see the importance of inclusion and diverse books and bringing these books into the library will increase students/patrons to visit who normally would not visit the library. Pointing out that many students/patrons reading skills will increase as they visit the library will be a big step for the administration/manager to see because the positive increase affects how well the students perform in school and that should be the major goal when working with libraries.

Macileigh B.

2024-03-01 03:35:00 UTC

This is so upsetting to see. I hope this is changing and that authors, illustrators, publishers, and buyers are aware of this disparity. Reading this made me feel sick; I want to go through all of my kids' books and weed the children's section at the library I work at right now!! We have been working on reorganizing our library and the next area is children's picture books; I know our budget for this school year is gone but we can add to our list.

Macileigh B.

2024-03-01 03:44:34 UTC

It is important to provide our students/patrons access to diverse literature because like the TED talk said, "the consequence of a single story robs people of humanity." Children need to see themselves in books, they need to see others, and they need to look outside or step outside and enter the life of others. We can not allow the single story to continue.

Macileigh B.

2024-03-01 03:59:50 UTC

I would run our collection analysis highlighting the areas lacking and along side have information like the slide that shows the children's books published in 2018 as well as our districts social justice and equity statements and goals. I would have the information very well organized and include graphs and visuals. (I read somewhere that you need to get an admin/managers attention in 2 minutes or they start to tune you out). I would include statistics on schools, libraries, etc. and the positive impact providing more diverse books has on the students, staff, community. I would include a detailed plan on how I planned to diversify our library with a timeline, budget, and show the proposed collection analysis if given the budget increase (a before and after). Hopefully this would hook them.

Tiffany S.

2024-03-01 12:46:54 UTC

Students/patrons should have access to diverse literature because it helps promote inclusivity, representation, and understanding of different perspectives. Diverse literature allows people to see themselves reflected in stories. It also exposes them to experiences and cultures different from their own challenging stereotypes and broadening their worldview. This can create empathy, cultural awareness, and tolerance.

Tiffany S.

2024-03-01 13:13:09 UTC

To justify the budget increase for more diverse books, I would first do a diversity audit to see what areas of diversity we are strong in, and which ones require more attention. I would also find a way to get patron feedback on which book topics/subjects they are most interested in. I would then speak to my admin about the lack of diversity in our collection, emphasizing the educational value of diverse books in providing a more inclusive and representative portray of different cultural backgrounds, and perspective. I would also note the wide range of books would support the needs and the interest of our patrons, which would create a more inclusive and engaging environment. I would add supporting a diverse collection would enhance our library’s reputation and announce to the community we are committed to promoting diversity equity, and inclusion. This would positively impact on our image, generating more patron usage.

Cindy G.

2024-03-01 13:34:38 UTC

In 2018, children's books showed some diversity, but 50% were still about white children and families and more than 25% featured characters who were animals. That leaves less than 25% to be shared among Native Americans, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. I have been buying children's books for almost 10 years now and I have noticed much greater diversity in children's books the last few years. In the reviews I read, reviewers frequently remark on how the characters appear, noting "brown skin" or "pale skin and blue eyes" so that buyers are more aware of the characters featured. 2018 was only 5 years ago, but I think the children's publishing industry is making good strides towards greater representation of our diverse world population.

Cindy G.

2024-03-01 13:42:28 UTC

It is vitally important to give our patrons and students access to diverse literature. Between the internet and greater access to world travel, more people are coming into contact with each other and one way to gain an understanding of other cultures is through literature. It is important for children to see themselves in the books they read and it is also important for them to see others, to be able to empathize with them. Books with diverse characters can be those mirrors and windows, as described in two of the videos we watched. Stories can be the bridges that connect us, helping us overcome stereotypes and promoting tolerance of differences.

Cindy G.

2024-03-01 13:50:49 UTC

Although the population of the town where I work and live is not particularly diverse, justifying purchases of diverse literature is easier than ever. Now that publishers are producing more diverse books, many of them are reviewed in professional journals and many of them are receiving starred reviews and winning awards. That alone can justify their purchase. However, being in a not-particularly-diverse town, our children need to read about and empathize with children of different backgrounds. It will help them see our inherent similarities and give understanding and tolerance to our differences. When you read a book, you get inside the minds and lives of the characters. This brings about an empathy that is unmatched in any other media. Diverse books are essential for all populations.

Angela G.

2024-03-01 15:02:15 UTC

WHAT THE MIRROR REFLECTS BACK?

As some of my class mates have pointed out, the lack of diversity in children's books' characters is not surprising. There is a huge disparity per the statistics. So I won't focus on the stats. Instead, I'll focus on the mirror images. Did anyone notice how the children are reflected back to themselves? The BIPOC children look uncertain and unsure of themselves--almost questioning their identities. Which only illustrates the absence of their identities in children's literature. Conversely, the bear and their white counterpart are joyful. Sure of themselves. And the white boy's identity and his interests are reflected everywhere. He is seen! He is celebrated! Very telling isn't it?

2018 Safiya Washington

2024-03-01 17:48:08 UTC

Interestingly enough, the statistics of books in 2018 did not shock me at all. In 2018, I was teaching 3rd grade in a school that was mostly Black and Hispanic and the challenge to find books that were curriculum aligned and also reflected their identities only progressed. What I mean by this is I think if this statistic was done in 2024 after all the book bans are also taken into consideration, diverse groups are even less represented than in 2018. I saw this in the selections provided for our book fair this year and in so many current english and history curriculums

Isabella W

2024-03-01 18:06:50 UTC

I wish that it surprised me that more animals were featured in children's books (27%) than POC (23%) in 2018. There is a huge disparity when animals are featured more often than diverse characters. Also, considering 50% of the children's books that were published feature white characters it shows that white children are still being centered in published media. This graphic provided important statistics, but perhaps even more significant is how it showed the impact that it has on children to not see themselves represented. The viewer can see the images on the wall of the white child being reflected at him, there is no lack of media for white students. Whereas with the other children featured, some can barely see their reflection. How are children ever supposed to see themselves in media if there are so few pieces that reflect their own lived experiences?

The Dangers of the single story Safiya Washington

2024-03-01 18:33:39 UTC

It is important to give our students and patrons access to diverse literature for so many different reasons. It is essential to making sure students and patrons feel represented in the resources and materials provided. It is essential to providing information and resources that give patrons an actual representation of the world, which is exceptionally diverse. We are not providing patrons or students with all of anything if we begin to weed resources out because they do not fit the dominate narrative.

Data Driven Approach Safiya Washington

2024-03-01 18:35:50 UTC

Any time I am making a pitch to admin I like to include data that supports my argument. I would include the demographic breakdown of the population we serve accompanied with a breakdown of how many resources we have that represent those populations and use that to highlight a need for more representation.

Isabella W

2024-03-01 19:22:50 UTC

Diverse literature is important for our students and patrons of libraries to read because our world is not just a reflection of who we are. If we don't have diverse literature it may seem like everyone has the same experiences, but the world is multifaceted just like us. There are so many different stories and we will never know everyone's, but by having diverse media people can see the stories of people who are different than them. They can step into another person's shoes and see the world through their eyes. Diverse literature allows people to have a window into another person's lived experience. It is also important for people to be able to see themselves in the books they read. Children need to see that they are represented and that their stories and lives matter.

Isabella W

2024-03-01 19:43:53 UTC

To justify an increase in my budget to obtain more diverse books within my library's collection I would take stock of the books I currently have and then see which areas we are lacking in. I would also investigate the diveristy statistics of the school in order to prove the need for a collection that features more diverse books. Lastly, I would emphasize the importance of having diverse books, both so that students can see themselves reflected, but also so that people who don't have those lived experiences can gain more empathy for their peers.

Abigail R

2024-03-01 19:47:00 UTC

This is very disappointing, especially for only 6 years ago. It is often jarring to see just how inequitable industries such as publishing are. Only 23 books centering Indigenous stories is grossly inadequate, and sad, as depicted by the child who is only able to see a very small portion of his eye reflected back onto him. The white child is very confident and able to understand his place in the world, because he sees himself reflected back everywhere. While it is important to publish books about animals, I think it is disturbing that children would have an easier time accessing information about animals, than they would about children of similar race or ethnicity.

Abigail R

2024-03-01 19:53:34 UTC

It is important to give our students access to diverse literature because a diverse collection reflects our diverse world. Not only is it important, as we know, for students to be able to identify themselves in the literature they read, but it is also important for others to be exposed to books about people who are different from them. This fosters empathy, and a more realistic and grounded understanding of the world around us. Grace Lin's story exemplifies these ideas, and we can see how a lack of representation can contribute to misinformation and stereotypes about entire groups of people, as well as to self-hatred and sadness for many people.

Nicole F.

2024-03-01 19:57:01 UTC

The statistics show that more books were printed in 2018 that have animal characters than BIPOC characters. Mirrors, windows, and doors - I think not. It is important to have literature that reflects its readers, especially marginalized populations, such as people of color and the LGBTQIA+ community. I am thankful that since 2018, the numbers have improved (see statistics above from https://socialjusticebooks.org/statistics-show-increasing-number-of-diverse-books-for-children-and-teens/), but we still have work to do to increase diversity in literature. This also includes publishing more work by diverse and authentic authors.

Abigail R

2024-03-01 19:59:46 UTC

I think this depends on the specific circumstance, and the demographic of that particular school, but I would echo much of what Dr. Bishop explained in terms of not only providing mirrors for underrepresented and marginalized students, but also providing windows for students who may have a skewed sense of the world due to not being exposed to anything other than themselves. Fostering empathy and understanding is key in raising intelligent well-informed citizens, and providing access to diverse materials is only the bare minimum. Restricting access to information can be detrimental to educational goals, and does not help to produce free and critical thinkers.

Savannah B

2024-03-01 20:02:06 UTC

Reflecting on the statistics on children's books published in 2018 is disappointing but not surprising. The fact that there were more books published with animals as main characters than people of color is completely inappropriate and does not reflect the demographics of the families that are engaging in children's books. Children deserve to be able to see themselves represented in the books they read and are read from a young age, and deserve to see a wide array of different people represented as well. Although this was still recent, I do feel that we are making strides towards better inclusion with more recently published work, but there is still more work to be done.

Savannah B

2024-03-01 20:26:46 UTC

Ensuring that patrons have access to diverse literature is incredibly important because it reflects the diverse world we live in. Showing children and teens a reflection of themselves in literature is an important way to affirm that everyone belongs in the community no matter their differences. It's also important because it exposes readers to characters different from themselves, and lets them really step into their shoes and experience their life.

Savannah B

2024-03-01 20:31:40 UTC

When justifying the budget to buy more diverse titles, I think it's important to bring in the demographics of the area your library is in. If you work in a pretty diverse area, it's very important to make sure that your patrons feel themselves reflected in the collection they're borrowing from. And even if your area is not very diverse it's just as important to make sure that your patrons are exposed to books that have a diverse array of characters in order to further normalize diversity in your patrons.

Lindsey B

2024-03-01 21:24:38 UTC

It is important because the world is diverse. Children NEED to see themselves in books and in movies. They need representation. They need positive influences. The world is not white. The world is not male. Children AND adults should always read diverse literature because they can learn something new about a culture or way of thinking.

Lindsey B

2024-03-01 21:27:20 UTC

I would hope that I would not have to fight for this and that the place I work at would not try to ban or challenge any books that I order. I would be respectful in person or an email and try to find statistics to show them. I may try to talk to students individually so that they can share their favorite book or their opinion on the impact of diverse books. I could share my experience or recommend banned/diverse books for them to read. No matter what my budget is, I would focus primarily on buying diverse/newer books.

Lindsey B

2024-03-01 21:30:58 UTC

I have seen this before and the 2015 is like 70% white. I would hope that the 2023 one would be significantly more diverse. It is interesting that people are more comfortable writing about animals. I do think that it may be hard to write diversity in if the author is a white male and maybe we need more diverse authors too (but it will never be as simple as that). When diverse characters are added in, it is to get that diversity card. Unfortunately, these stats do not surprise me. It is sad though.

Nicole F.

2024-03-01 21:45:00 UTC

Readers need to be able to see themselves represented in literature, and they need to be able to learn from different perspectives. Diverse literature can teach readers that they they have a voice that matters,, and it can teach readers about the world around them that they may not see on a regular basis.

Nicole F.

2024-03-01 21:58:43 UTC

I would share with my admin/manager the importance of diverse literature - that reading and learning about people from different perspectives fosters empathy and appreciation for other cultures, and it helps the reader to know that they are worthy of representation. I would provide resources for my admin to read that support the inclusion of diverse literature, such as the list below from the American Library Association:

• provide positive role models for culturally diverse children;

• introduce children to characters with similar experiences and emotions;

• convey the richness and beauty of the diverse cultures in the United States;

• reinforce a distinct cultural identity;

• promote multilingual and literacy development;

• inspire learning of other cultures and general cultural knowledge;

• facilitate acceptance of cultures different from one’s own; and

• foster global connections

While this list is geared towrd children, the benefits of diverse literature relate to all ages.

Reference

Naido, C. (2015, April 5). The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/ALSCwhitepaper_importance%20of%20diversity_with%20graphics_FINAL.pdf

Nicole F.

2024-03-01 22:01:00 UTC

Edit: "mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors."

(I cannot figure out how to edit my post after publishing. Apologies.)

There are more animal books than all the books about/by minorities combined. -Shannon Williams

2024-03-01 22:21:44 UTC

Two reasons: 1st everyone deserves to see themselves in stories, 2nd some kids will only encounter people different from their own identity through fiction and need to know POC can be heroes too as well as the difficulties POC face -Shannon Williams

2024-03-01 22:26:10 UTC

The school I work at is roughly 2/3 POC (black, Latinx, mixed race) We have a lot of books dealing with race and racism. We need more books about black joy or Latinx kids saving the world from monsters the same as Percy Jackson. Our students deserve to see themselves as heroes and having stories outside of their race/generational trauma -Shannon Williams

2024-03-01 22:29:25 UTC

Mariel B

2024-03-01 22:55:28 UTC

I know animals are cute, but why are there so many more books printed with them as the characters than minorities.

There are so many good stories out there probably waiting to be published, that will bring the percentages up.

Mariel B

2024-03-01 22:58:37 UTC

Diverse literature is so important towards building acceptance and understanding. There is a book called Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor, and it does a great job in touching on the topic of understanding.

Children, teenagers, everyone should be able to see a version of themselves in literature/media.

Mariel B

2024-03-01 23:00:28 UTC

Diverse literature is so important because it helps shape empathy within students and helps them gain perspective about other cultures and what other people may be going through.

If we want a brighter and kinder future we need to show the current students how to see and care for one another, no matter what their backgrounds are.

Tracey V

2024-03-01 23:34:55 UTC

I would use a variety of justifications to get admin approval to increase my budget to enable me to increase the amount of diverse books in the collection. My arguments would vary depending on the demographics of the school district I was working in. If the school had a large population of POC I would argue the merits of students seeing characters in the books that provide mirrors or reflect themselves. If I worked at a school that didn't have a lot of diversity, I would argue like Grace Lin, that students also need novels that serve as windows so they can see what the outside world looks like. I would also complete a diversity audit so that I had specific data to support my request.

Angela G.

2024-03-01 23:40:33 UTC

It is important for our students/patrons to have access to diverse literature in order to see themselves reflected back. In all three videos, particularly Grace Lin's and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's talks, when you are only filtered one point of view, the world is a myopic one. The importance of accessing diverse literature is to hear more than one voice, more than one story. For students/patrons it's so crucial that they see themselves reflected back in characters that look like them, speak like them, maybe whose family come from a different country like them, follow different customs at home like them. This all matters and can tie into one's self-esteem and self-worth. When you see yourself reflected back, the world goes from myopic to Technicolor to far-reaching.

Angela G.

2024-03-02 00:13:01 UTC

One good thing about where I work is that the community is very culturally diverse and that is reflected or mirrored in our chilrden's, YA, and adult fiction and non-fiction collections. But if I were ever to go elsewhere, and the collection didn't reflect diverse authors and stories, I would make a case for it by auditing the collection similarly to how it was done in Karen Jensen's article "Diversity Auditing 101: How to Evaluate Your Collection." Also I would keep patrons in mind who were of diverse backgrounds and study the area of the village or surrounding areas. Because the public library I work at is also part of a bigger consortium that interloans copiously. I would also run the statistics on the books with BIPOC leads that are in our collection and find out how well they circulated. With all this information laid out on paper, I would share with my supervisor or Administration to make a case for a more diverse, inclusive collection. I probably would continue to do this because I know how valuable it is to have students/patrons to feel seen.

Timothy T

2024-03-02 01:28:58 UTC

I noticed the amount of representation is definitely off of what should statistically be likely. I don't know if its publishers discouraging protagonists of color, or if its writers of those races not being given the faculties they need, but its definitely a disparity. If we took the entire United States into account, it realistically needs a 6% increase in African Americans, and a complete drop of animals, etc. I know its foolish to imagine books matching racial stats perfectly but its kind of concerning that large swaths of the population are overtaken by talking bears...as much as I love bears.

Timothy T

2024-03-02 01:31:58 UTC

I think giving students the access to all possible options is essential for them to form a healthy outlook on life and to get preferences of their own. Despite being an avid reader, its shocking how little minority representation my books had. It ranged from animorphs, that may have had a hispanic and black lead in some books, but two fifths of the books were white protagonists, one fifth was an animal that sometimes was a white adolescent(its complicated), and sometimes it was an alien....who could become a white kid. Its telling that when "best black characters of our childhood" discussions come up this past week, the posts depict Piccolo from DBZ, Martian Manhunter from comic books, and other inhuman characters among them, because black youth had so little representation that they identified with two green aliens with deep voices.

Timothy T

2024-03-02 01:33:57 UTC

I think it would depend on the area. I'd probably look at our stats and compare them to the racial statistics of the local teens that may frequent the library or potentially could. I'd show if there was a disparity between them, and argue that we'd have more patrons if they thought they could get books more relevant to their own needs.

Shaina Montero

2024-03-02 01:47:55 UTC

I noticed that books published in 2018 are still lacking in diversity. Although many minorities are included in children’s literature, half are still surrounding those who are white. It is shocking as well to see that books with animals are more common than those with African/African American characters. This is a poor reflection on our country and society as there is much diversity in real life. I’d hope to see an increase in representation come this year.

Chrissy Carney

2024-03-02 02:02:15 UTC

I think it is interesting that there are more animal characters than POC characters in children's books! It reminds me of when my kid was little in the 2010's and I would read a lot to them. The thing that bothered me most back then was the lack of representation of different family structures. I was a single mom at the time, and there was no kid in a book (or show/movie) that had a single mom! There were very rare instances of divorced parents, and it was always a side character and not the main character. Someone like Daniel Tiger always had a mom and a dad, and it always made me feel inferior. I can imagine the main character always being "white" make other people feel that way too.

Elis Martinez

2024-03-02 02:12:21 UTC

To me, it isn’t very surprising how white-leaning children’s books were in 2018. This infographic actually reminded me of a conversation I had with a coworker about 2 weeks ago where she mentioned that if you want a children’s book to be successful it has to be titled a cute name (like Lily or Olivia) and have a cute animal be the main character. This infographic just kind of reinforces that understanding as well. I am glad to see in the 2023 report that while the white primary character is still more predominantly showcased, it has dropped from 50% to 29% as well as the change from latinx to latine.

Elis Martinez

2024-03-02 02:12:46 UTC

I think Grace Lin puts it perfectly in her TED talk, while kids need mirrors in books they also need windows. Diversity in literature allows for students and patrons to see themselves reflected in stories and impact how they view themselves, but it also allows for students and patrons to be exposed to narratives and cultures they may not have been exposed to before. Grace Lin’s ted talk really hit home with me, as I remember feeling the same way she did. Growing up my mom, bless her little heart, tried really hard to teach me and my brother about our Mexican culture because my dad had tried really hard to assimilate. She always wanted me to be reflected in the shows I watched and toys I played with, my first Barbie was a Pocohantus doll because it was the closest one that looked like me as a kid. But there wasn’t a whole lot out there that really reflected me and the ones that kind of did just generalized all of latine culture into one monolith. I eventually grew resentful and was only further encouraged by other people’s perspectives and understanding of latine people. So I do think it is important to give students and patrons the opportunity to learn, grow, and engage in self-love by having their stories shown.

Elis Martinez

2024-03-02 02:13:03 UTC

So my director is really big on numbers, she is a numbers girlie. I think the best way to justify to her would be to pull the demographic statistics of both the local high school and the town as a whole. The reason for the local high school is because we are located literally right next to our town high school and the students will visit the library after school as a safe space to hang out and wait for parents to pick them up or to work on school work. Our high school has a demographic of 80% white and 20% “minority enrolled”, to me this means that we are already not meeting the needs for 20% of one of our largest age demographics. In addition, we are also falling short in fully meeting the needs for the remaining 80% as they are not being offered alternative materials.

Chrissy Carney

2024-03-02 02:13:27 UTC

I have watched the "One Story" TED Ed before and it's very insightful. I like how she gave some examples of how she was victim to the "one story" as well. This is why stories are so important in a literal sense, reading books. Books inform us of our culture, so reading books to children or giving them access to diverse books helps them expand their mindset and grow up in an inclusive culture. Diverse stories can be so important because a child might otherwise not encounter diversity. A kid growing up in the countryside may have never seen a girl wearing a hijab before, but if you read a story about it you introduce them to the concept. Then, when a new girl comes to their school who wears one, they aren't surprised or made false judgements about this new girl. It can help her feel accepted so much quicker.

Chrissy Carney

2024-03-02 02:22:17 UTC

I actually am going through this at my job currently. We manage a collection that is available to the tri-county area libraries and they often order holiday books to supplement their collections. In this last wave of holidays I noticed we had TONS of Christmas books, only a tiny few Jewish books, and absolutely no Muslim/Ramadan books. They argued that we just don't have that many demographic in our counties populations but I know that's not true, I've met them, they are my neighbors and were my students when I worked in the schools in these counties. Even if you're not that demographic though you should be able to learn about other cultures that are not your own, so it would be serving everyone in our area to have those books. I made an amazon wish list of books I think we should add to the collection, and it got approved, yay!

Mary Nichols

2024-03-02 02:27:03 UTC

I noticed that animals as characters are more included in literature in 2018 while backgrounds other than white are grossly underrepresented. It confuses me how the use of animals as characters would be seen as more widely accepted and deemed relatable than character that is BIPOC.

Mary Nichols

2024-03-02 02:31:10 UTC

Books are reflective of ourselves and it is important to have characters and stories that are reflective of diverse people and their experiences.

Shaina Montero

2024-03-02 02:32:53 UTC

It is important for kids to see characters that look like themselves. This can increase self-confidence and make them feel less alone. Additionally, it is beneficial for kids to be exposed to other ethnicities and races. This helps expand their viewpoint and decreases ignorance. Books should be a representation of the world around us and it is doing a disservice to neglect that there is diversity in our society. The three videos provided help support this as children need “mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors.” The idea of a single story was particularly interesting to me as I feel like we’ve all fallen prey to prejudice and stereotypes. The way to combat this is diversity in literature and sources.

Shaina Montero

2024-03-02 02:39:36 UTC

It is not ideal to receive pushback from an employer in regard to diversity in literature. An employer might be upset when it comes to spending more money but I would justify it in the way that the research backs the benefits that come with diverse literature. Mentioning the demographics of the community the library exists in can additionally help paint a picture to your employer of why it is needed. It would be also helpful to discuss what is the best way to diversify the library’s stock without breaking the bank. If the community supports the idea enough perhaps donations or fundraisers can be arranged. I would just ultimately hope my employer would be caring and have a problem solving attitude toward it.

Mary Nichols

2024-03-02 02:53:11 UTC

The library director at one of my libraries of employment has a trans daughter and I would appeal to her own personal experiences about how not every LGBTQ child has a parent like her that is accepting and embracing of their child's identity and for them the library would be perhaps the only place that they can find experiences in books that resemble their own and the same would be for those of BIPOC children who may feel like the minority in their community and lack representation. I would make this point because this particular library has a good representation of LGBTQ literature, but it is lacking in BIPOC literature.

Isabella Ragona

2024-03-02 05:01:14 UTC

The first thing I noticed looking at this graphic is that children's books published in 2018 (only SIX years ago) are shockingly lacking in diversity. While I know animals and other characters are popular especially in children's picture books, it was incredibly disheartening to see that they take precedent of representing BIPOC communities. However, upon further reflection I realized that this should be no surprise. Earlier today, I had the pleasure of curating the Women's History month display for the children's room at my library of employment. I am very fortunate to work for a library system that values diversity, therefore it is at the forefront of our minds when purchasing for collections. However, I slowly began to realize how under represented strong, female, BIPOC main characters were in picture books, chapter books and even published biographies alike. So while I found these statistics shocking at first glance, I now realize I saw it first hand today.

Isabella Ragona

2024-03-02 05:33:32 UTC

I really like the analog of mirrors and windows used in several of the videos from the presentation. Most arguments for the importance of diverse literature focus on representation (which is crucial), but what's just as important is children's expansion of viewpoints and the world around them. Diverse literature not only allows children to seem themselves represented, whether it be by race, ethnicity, ability, or gender presentation, but allows other children to learn about those that may be different from them and can teach them empathy for other human beings.

Isabella Ragona

2024-03-02 05:39:04 UTC

The first way I'd justify the necessity for an increase in budget to allow for more diverse materials to be purchased is by running a full diversity audit of the collection. I would ensure to point out specific groups that may be lacking in representation and explain how the ability to access diverse literature can allow people of marginalized groups, specifically the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled communities, to feel represented, seen, and heard. Additionally, I would explain the necessity for the community served, regardless of demographics, to be exposed to different points of view, and that by doing this can allow them to learn and understand from those that are different than them. Finally I would emphasize how increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in a collection will further foster understanding and empathy within the community and outside the community in the greater world.

Tyler Sutherland

2024-03-02 06:28:13 UTC

2018 was not a banner year for children's books in terms of demographic representation. Some might argue it is 'proportional' to the ethnographic data of America, but firstly I would argue that we are not a country made up of 27% anthropomorphic creatures, and secondly that books are not based on a census tract. Books should be more inclusive of all because there are a whole ton of us in this life, and allowing children of different backgrounds to see each other as human will foster greater ties amongst communities against anti-human disorders such as racism, religious hatred, and xenophobia. Also, especially in the case of showing books with gay, non-gender conforming, or disabled characters in them, it allows children who are pushed into the absolute fringes of "acceptability" to accept and love who they are. That is especially important with this push towards erasure and isolation that is emerging against these communities from outside groups.

Tyler Sutherland

2024-03-02 06:32:56 UTC

Allowing children to start and develop common connections with their fellow humans is super important for growth. And for non-children as well; it is never too late to start turning over a new leaf. There are some who come out of the closet in their midlives who say they were never allowed to even think of the word "gay" in a positive light when they were younger. There are others who may have hated others for their skin but had that part of them shattered when meeting their new grandchild. I've seen these things occur myself. I've heard their stories, and frankly I believe if we had given people more diverse literature earlier then these stories of internalized trauma and wasted years of wanton personal disorder at the behest of nothing would never have happened.

Tyler Sutherland

2024-03-02 06:37:38 UTC

If it's not the right thing to do, then it's the smart thing to do to keep people coming back. On Long Island, a hotbed of right-wing politics, there was an empty election where a slate of book-banners got snuck in to the Board of Trustees in Smithtown and they tried to ban the LGBTQIA+ displays in the library, particularly in the Children's section. The displays were celebrating diversity amongst us all, and the board with less than a dozen votes to each of their names tried to ban even the idea of there being gays, lesbians, or trans people. The community responded in force, demanding the board of trustees reverse its decisions and to back off and leave their children and the libraries be. They succeeded, the board buckled. Hatred is not popular, it's merely exploitative and opportunistic. We need to stand our ground, listen to the community even when it does not speak, and cater to our better angels.

Carrie M.

2024-03-02 19:32:30 UTC

2018 published books failed to represent minorities in America. The world is unique with its differences and we should embrace and represent that in books.

Carrie M.

2024-03-02 19:44:50 UTC

Diverse literature allows children to see the world through the lens of others. It allows them to see themselves. Diverse literature shows children the similarities and differences in each other and how special and unique this is. It gives them knowledge to be relatable and understanding to varying viewpoints. Seeing each other's perspectives is important social skill.

Carrie M.

2024-03-02 19:56:30 UTC

With social/emotional issues on the rise in our youth, diversity and inclusion is a tool to empower all students. Books that represent all will teach students many valuable social skills such as empathy, compassion, confidence, perseverance, and many more. Improved social skills will result in improved learning outcomes.

Lily K.

2024-03-02 21:08:33 UTC

50% of children's books being published in 2018 featured depicted white characters, an overwhelming majority compared to characters of diverse backgrounds. The most disheartening observation about this is that, when adding up the percentages, the data showcased in this graphic indicates that books depicting characters from diverse backgrounds make up roughly 23% of books published in 2018 in total, while books depicting animal characters outweigh this percentage at 27%. This data is upsetting to say the least and showcases an unfortunate lack of representation that needs to be considered in making efforts towards providing children with literature that showcases diverse perspectives and allows children to see themselves in the stories they read.

Lily K.

2024-03-02 21:20:17 UTC

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.

Lily K.

2024-03-02 21:52:55 UTC

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.

Arianna T.

2024-03-03 00:08:48 UTC

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.

Arianna T.

2024-03-03 00:10:45 UTC

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.

Arianna T.

2024-03-03 00:18:08 UTC

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.

Olivia Reinkraut

2024-03-03 03:20:03 UTC

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!

Olivia Reinkraut

2024-03-03 03:21:48 UTC

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.

Olivia Reinkraut

2024-03-03 03:23:42 UTC

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.

Emma H

2024-03-03 05:54:53 UTC

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.

Emma H

2024-03-03 06:01:34 UTC

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.

Christine C.

2024-03-03 20:06:26 UTC

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.

Christine C.

2024-03-03 20:16:47 UTC

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.

Christine C.

2024-03-03 20:24:37 UTC

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.

Rachel Brill

2024-03-03 23:38:01 UTC

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.

Rachel Brill

2024-03-03 23:42:11 UTC

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.

Rachel Brill

2024-03-03 23:50:51 UTC

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.

Molly B

2024-03-04 18:48:24 UTC

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.

Molly B

2024-03-04 18:52:24 UTC

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!

Molly B

2024-03-04 18:57:09 UTC

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.

Allison B.

2024-03-10 23:36:46 UTC

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.

Caroline C.

2024-03-11 00:38:19 UTC

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!

Caroline C.

2024-03-11 00:59:58 UTC

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.

Caroline C.

2024-03-11 01:13:34 UTC

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.

Allison B.

2024-03-11 03:28:57 UTC

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.

Allison B.

2024-03-11 03:52:29 UTC

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.

Amanda U.

2024-09-16 17:24:44 UTC

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?

Amanda U.

2024-09-16 17:44:07 UTC

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.

Amanda U.

2024-09-16 17:56:28 UTC

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.

Beth Katzmaier

2024-09-17 14:56:25 UTC

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.

Representation

2024-09-17 14:59:27 UTC

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.

Weed and seed

2024-09-17 15:07:08 UTC

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.

Lack of Representation - Jessica Post

2024-09-17 15:12:00 UTC

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.

Connection, Sliding glass doors - Jessica Post

2024-09-17 15:53:28 UTC

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.

Windows and Mirrors for the Library - Jessica Post

2024-09-17 16:10:29 UTC

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.

More Animals than Children of Color (Kailey V)

2024-09-18 14:44:50 UTC

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.

We are Diverse People (Kailey V)

2024-09-18 14:50:46 UTC

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?

What’s Best for our Community (Kailey V)

2024-09-18 15:02:04 UTC

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.

Megan Marchese

2024-09-18 16:46:42 UTC

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.

Ana Ruiz

anaruiz71 — 2024-09-18 16:51:46 UTC

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.

Megan Marchese

2024-09-18 16:56:17 UTC

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.

Ana Ruiz

anaruiz71 — 2024-09-18 17:03:32 UTC

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.

Megan Marchese

2024-09-18 17:03:36 UTC

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.

Ana Ruiz

anaruiz71 — 2024-09-18 17:16:42 UTC

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.

Rachel R

2024-09-18 17:58:57 UTC

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.

Rachel R

2024-09-18 18:06:33 UTC

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.

Rachel R

2024-09-18 19:09:59 UTC

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.

Colleen S.

2024-09-18 23:27:22 UTC

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.

Colleen S.

2024-09-18 23:59:50 UTC

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.

Colleen S.

2024-09-19 00:07:00 UTC

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.

Maxine W Reflection 2018 Book

2024-09-19 02:25:48 UTC

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.

Maxine W Justification

2024-09-19 02:45:04 UTC

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.

Kristina M.

2024-09-19 14:23:48 UTC

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).

Kristina M.

2024-09-19 14:31:42 UTC

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.

Kristina M.

2024-09-19 14:53:54 UTC

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.

Emma R - Reflection

2024-09-19 15:36:26 UTC

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.

Emma R - Budgest Increase

2024-09-19 16:45:17 UTC

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.

Joslin M. - Children's Books in 2018

joslinmo — 2024-09-19 21:41:20 UTC

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.

Sarah H. - Children's books published in 2018

2024-09-19 22:42:32 UTC

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.

Sarah H. - Access to diverse literature

2024-09-19 22:51:47 UTC

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.

Sarah H. - More diverse books!

2024-09-19 23:00:16 UTC

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.

Joslin M. - Access to Diverse Literature

joslinmo — 2024-09-20 12:28:52 UTC

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.

Joslin M. - Justifying Diverse Books to Admin

joslinmo — 2024-09-20 12:40:35 UTC

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.

Children's Books in 2018

2024-09-20 14:04:54 UTC

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.

Empowerment and Reflection

2024-09-20 14:25:31 UTC

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.

Statistics & Diversity Auditing

2024-09-20 14:39:44 UTC

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.

Lizzy S.- Children's Books in 2018

2024-09-20 18:06:33 UTC

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.

Lizzy S.- Diverse Literature

2024-09-20 18:22:07 UTC

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.

Lizzy S.-Justifying more Diverse Books

2024-09-20 18:46:32 UTC

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.

Riley R Children's Books in 2018

2024-09-20 20:19:29 UTC

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.)

Riley Ruppert - Access to Diverse Literature

2024-09-20 21:09:01 UTC

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.

Justifying Budget For Diverse Books - Riley R

2024-09-20 21:42:55 UTC

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.

Annie Rosa Children's Books in 2018

2024-09-21 00:04:46 UTC

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.

Disparity

2024-09-21 11:40:58 UTC

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.

Many Windows, Many Mirrors

2024-09-21 12:18:56 UTC

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.

Collection justification

2024-09-21 12:27:44 UTC

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.

Diversity in 2018 Children's Literature

2024-09-21 13:02:33 UTC

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.

Admin Diversity Proposal

2024-09-21 14:07:41 UTC

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.

Ryan D- Reflection

2024-09-21 15:00:13 UTC

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.

Ryan D- Diverse literatures importance

2024-09-21 15:22:14 UTC

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.

Ryan D Including more diverse books

2024-09-21 15:43:47 UTC

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.

Ana M-Diversity

2024-09-21 18:12:00 UTC

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.

Ana M-Diverse Literature

2024-09-21 18:15:36 UTC

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.

Ana M-Budget

2024-09-21 18:16:50 UTC

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.

Michael P- Reflection

2024-09-21 18:21:32 UTC

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.

Michael P- Diverse Literature

2024-09-21 18:36:50 UTC

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.

Michael P- Improving Diverse Collection

2024-09-21 18:51:04 UTC

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.

Belle R Reflection

2024-09-21 19:20:55 UTC

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!

Belle R Reflection

2024-09-21 20:12:22 UTC

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.

Belle R Reflection

2024-09-21 20:17:50 UTC

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.

Joe Brondo Reflection

2024-09-22 00:47:49 UTC

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.

Joe Brondo Reflection

2024-09-22 00:56:36 UTC

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.

Joe Brondo Reflection

2024-09-22 01:01:20 UTC

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.

Eliana Dermody Reflection

2024-09-23 01:08:57 UTC

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%.

Eliana Dermody - Increasing Diversity Book Budget

2024-09-23 01:17:08 UTC

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.

Anne D Reflection

2024-09-23 01:27:44 UTC

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.

Anne D Reflection

2024-09-23 02:04:58 UTC

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.

Anne D Reflection

2024-09-23 02:25:53 UTC

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.

XING Li

2024-09-28 16:20:46 UTC

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

Xing Li

2024-09-28 16:29:10 UTC

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.

Xing Li

2024-09-28 16:56:49 UTC

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.