Include all families in your storytimes by making sure that you’re including LGBT books in storytime. According to Family Equality, between 2 million to 3.7 million American children under age 18 have an LGBTQ+ parent. An estimated 29% of LGBTQ+ adults are raising a child and many more than that have nieces, nephews, or other children in their lives. Chances are, you have a family coming to your storytimes that would appreciate seeing themselves or their family member represented! But what do you read?
Author: abbylibrarian
I'm the Children's Services Manager at the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library in Southern Indiana.
You Don’t Need to Set a Reading Goal
Happy New Year! It’s that time of year again, when folks wrap up their previous reading year, recommend the best books they read, and set reading goals for the new year. Do YOU set a reading goal or reading resolutions? It’s great if you do! But, though there might be a lot of pressure to set one, you don’t have to.
Evaluating Native American Books
It’s November. Depending on your community, this may be a time when teachers and patrons were clamoring for books about Native American nations. I blogged earlier this month about Thanksgiving books, and now the holiday is over and Native American Heritage Month is drawing to a close. As books come back onto your shelves, it’s the perfect time for evaluating Native American books in your collection. Here are some areas to take a look at.
Thanksgiving Books Without the Myth
Thanksgiving books are probably the most sought-after holiday books in my library. As a white librarian who strives to do less harm, Thanksgiving books give me pause. Children are still being taught the Thanksgiving myth, while some people consider Thanksgiving a day of mourning. We serve all of them as members of our community. How can we fulfill the demand for books while avoiding harmful stereotypes and misinformation?
LGBT History Month at Your Library
Did you know that October is LGBT History Month? High school teacher Rodney Wilson, the first openly gay K-12 teacher in Missouri, started this annual observance in 1994. Why October? It’s a month schools are in session, the first national march for gay and lesbian rights was held in October 1979, and National Coming Out Day has been held on October 11 since 1988. (Source: https://lgbthistorymonth.com/ ) Celebrate this significant month by displaying or featuring books about LGBT history. Not sure where to start? Read on for suggestions!
2017 Eclipse: Never Forget
TW: eclipse glasses If you were working in an American public library* in August of 2017, you likely remember the solar eclipse of August 2017. The five-year anniversary of the 2017 eclipse just passed us, so let’s take a moment to reflect and debrief. After all, another solar eclipse is coming in 2024.
Inclusive Back to School Books
I know that much of the country is not in back to school mode yet, but in Southern Indiana our students started back to school last week. And as families have geared up, our back to school books have been flying off the shelves. I’ve been keeping a close eye on this display to fill it back up. And I always try to make it as inclusive as possible. Keep this in mind as you’re building yours. Consider some of the books below to make your display more inclusive!
Celebrating Our Library Pride
We just wrapped up our first big library Pride month! We’ve put up book displays for years, but this year we really wanted to add programming and more. I posted some resources last month, but here’s how we approached our first Pride month.