A/N: You can find this activity here: https://archerslibrary.com/2023/05/24/pd-missing-imagination-diversity-in-childrens-literature/

You can find all my professional development activities here: https://archerslibrary.com/librarianship/

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Description of Activity

For my professional development on the topic of diversity, I watched a TED Talk by Dr Brynn Welch about Missing adventures: Diversity and children’s literature. I listened critically and carefully to her speech and took thorough notes. It is important for children’s librarians to understand and provide for diversity in their communities (Rankin, 2018). Diversity can refer to “race, ethnicity, ancestry, orientation, citizenship status, language fluency, domicile, socioeconomic status, religious preference, and age” among other identifiers (Naidoo, 2019). Dr Welch (2016) focuses mostly on race in her lecture but leaves room for her message to apply to other types of diversity.

What did I learn?

Welch (2016) argued that users of children’s and young adult books need to “notice whose adventures are missing” and recognise that there is a dearth of children’s books that are about people of colour (POC). Only around 8% of children’s books published in 2015 in the US were about POC (Welch, 2016). It is important who children see and what they are doing when they are seen (Welch, 2016). The Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) fields recognised this long ago for gender equality and have been showcasing women in STEM related programs, including those at libraries (Pandora & Frederick, 2017). However, the same cannot be said for media and literature regarding POC, such as the criticism of the 2014 film adaptation of Annie starring Quvenzhané Wallis that said ‘the black angle was neutered’ (Welch, 2016). In other words, characters are seen as needing a reason to be black, and in having a POC character, their colour becomes the focus and the person is lost (Welch, 2016). Thus, it is important to normalise diversity.

How was the activity relevant to my professional practice working with children/young adults?

It was relevant as I learned a method for improving diversity in children’s collections – buying children’s books that are about POC (Welch, 2016). Although it may sound simple, increasing sales of POC literature will encourage the production of more POC literature and increase the visibility of diverse peoples for library users (Welch, 2016). It is important to show literature that has diverse peoples being treated as equals, so readers can internalise that it is okay to be different (Harris & White, 2018; Welch, 2016). The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has joined the United Nations (UN) in pursuing the 17 sustainable development goals, which includes equality and diversity (ALIA, 2021). Through this professional development activity, I learned how to work towards this goal and improve diversity in children’s collections in the library efficiently and effectively.

What gaps in my knowledge were revealed and how might they be filled?

I noticed gaps in my knowledge such as how to include diverse peoples whose identities are matters of contemporary political or social tension. I have been reviewing resources on collecting for diversity and have noticed a growing focus on literature featuring LGBT+ characters. Betts-Green (2020), Escobar (2020), Chapman & Birdi (2016), Vincent (2015), and Chapman (2013) all discuss the positives for diverse peoples that result from having LGBT+ books in the library. Inspired by Dr Welch’s (2016) advice to ‘vote with dollars’, I will continue to look into how to collect diverse literature for the children’s and young adult’s collections.

References

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). (2021). Sustainable development goals: Stretch targets for Australian libraries 2020-2030. https://read.alia.org.au/sustainable-development-goals-stretch-targets-australian-libraries-2020-2030

Betts-Green, D. (2020). “We could do better”: Librarian engagement in LGBTQ collection development in small and rural public libraries in the Southern U.S. Public Library Quarterly, 39(6), 510–536. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2020.1737493 

Chapman, E. L. (2013). No more controversial than a gardening display?: Provision of LGBT-related fiction to children and young people in U.K. public libraries. Library Trends, 61(3), 542–568. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2013.0010 

Chapman, E. L., & Birdi, B. (2016). “It’s woefully inadequate”: Collections of LGBTQ* fiction for teens in English public library services. Journal of Research on Libraries & Young Adults, 7. http://www.yalsa.ala.org/jrlya/2016/03/its-woefully-inadequate-collections-of-lgbtq-fiction-for-teens-in-english-public-library-services/

Escobar, K. (2020). “It’s okay to be confused”: LGBTQAI+ teen novels as sexuality and sexual health information resources. Journal of Research on Libraries & Young Adults, 11(1). http://www.yalsa.ala.org/jrlya/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/LGBTQAI_Escobar_FINAL.pdf

Harris, J., & White, V. (2018). A Dictionary of Social Work and Social Care (2^nd ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780198796688.001.0001

Naidoo, J. (2019). When all really means all: Creating library programs for children and teens that embrace all types of diversity. In Mills, J.E., & K. Campana (eds.), Create, innovate, and serve: A radical approach to children’s and youth programming. American Library Association. https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Create_Innovate_and_Serve/7MbVDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Create,+Innovate,+and+Serve:+A+Radical+Approach+to+Children%27s+and+Youth+Programming&printsec=frontcover

Pandora, C. P., & Fredrick, K. (2017). Full STEAM ahead: science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics in library programs and collections. Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC.

Rankin, C. (2018). Guidelines for Library Services to Children Aged 0-18. 2nd ed. IFLA Children and Young Adults Section. http://ifla.org/publications/node/67343?og=51 

Vincent, J. (2015). Why do we need to bother?: Public library services for LGBTQI people. Library Trends, 64(2), 285–298. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2015.0050

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You can find this activity here: https://archerslibrary.com/2023/05/24/pd-missing-imagination-diversity-in-childrens-literature/

You can find all my professional development activities here: https://archerslibrary.com/librarianship/