As library and library-adjacent staff, we all probably have a shared mission of making a positive impact on our communities in equitable and inclusive ways. However, how do we ensure that all of our programs, outreach, and services are as equitable as we can make them? Last month, members of the Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers Committee, Georgette Spratling and Ewa Wojciechowska, shared how to grow with your community. As you listen to community members and actively engage with families, there may be opportunities for larger projects and more partnerships to make them possible. This is a great time to ask yourself and your team questions to ensure that the overall approach will bring the largest impact you can make on those who could benefit the most. Big Picture: Is this program reaching an underserved community where they are? Example: A library is hosting bilingual Spanish storytime…
Tag: diversity and inclusion
Creating a Diversi-TEAM at #alaac23
No matter the size of your library or your community, diversity is an important part of our experiences. This session was presented by Joselyn Williams and Chris Robinson. Their key idea: No one should be made to feel less than, unwelcomed, or judged. No characteristic or trait should outweigh your worth as a person. Examples included gender, race, ethnicity, age, cultural background, religion, political views, native language, sexual orientation, disabilities, education, and more. The Diversi-TEAM concept combines two elements: diversity and team. In this case, TEAM stands for Through Education Achieve More. This underscores the importance of education in addressing problems with insensitivity and microaggressions. Often, we aren’t aware of our microaggressions. The first step: being aware of our biases and understanding what counts as a microaggression. As an individual and as a leader, you can be the first example. By doing the hard work to recognize your biases and…
Changes to Roald Dahl’s Works Spark Controversy. Is it Right or Wrong?
The Roald Dahl Story Company, recently purchased by Netflix, has agreed to change the wording in 17 of Roald Dahl’s written works, after suggestions by consultants from Inclusive Minds, an organization that aims to represent a diverse society through books that foster “inclusivity, diversity, equality, and accessibility in children’s literature.” [Article here.]
Intellectual Freedom & Information Literacy in Valentine’s Day Programs
It’s February, and with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, some of us are preparing for storytimes and programs that either celebrate the day itself, or look at concepts of love, family and friendship. ALSC’s Intellectual Freedom Committee recently released the Intellectual Freedom Programming Toolkit, created to help you incorporate concepts of intellectual freedom and information literacy into staple programs like these. Here’s 3 ideas inspired by the toolkit that you can use to incorporate these principles into your existing Valentine’s Day storytimes.
Overwhelmed by: Outreach to Migrant Communities
Outreach to underserved communities is an overwhelming endeavor. Our committee does not want to make it look easy because it truly is not. However, we truly believe that all library staff can do this type of work with the right tools and support. This is why one of our focuses this year is to bridge the gap between tangible resources (like our existing toolkits) and how to get started. Melody Leung and Marika Jeffrey wrote an article in this summer’s issue of Children and Libraries with some guiding questions to help evaluate your community, develop fruitful partnerships, and implement programs and outreach with specific communities in mind. Guiding questions can be helpful but specific examples might help bring those concepts to life. Here is a specific example about reaching out to a migrant community: Getting Started Four years ago, I started working in a rural community in Washington State. To…
How to Conduct a Diversity Audit
I learned about the concept of a diversity audit from a School Library Journal article by Karen Jensen. In a diversity audit, you evaluate an existing collection or service provided by your library to get hard numbers on how diverse your collection or service truly is. This can cover anything from seeing what percentage of your board books feature non-white characters, to how many LGBTQ+ titles are written by Own Voices authors, or evaluating the performers you’ve hired over the last year to see if they are representing diverse cultures.
#alavirtual20 National Associations of Librarians of Color (NALCo)
The National Associations of Librarians of Color (NALCo) presented several dynamic programs during #alavirtual20. NALCo members also co-presented and served as panelists for other programs throughout the duration of the Virtual Event. Programs included but were not limited to: AILA President’s Program: Honouring and Respecting Relationship: Rethinking Library Praxis Behind the Wires: American Concentration Camps Then and Now (APALA LIVE) E. J. Josey’s 1964 Charge: ‘Keep on Pushing’ (BCALA LIVE) Treasure Hunters at Libraries? Why Not!! (CALA LIVE) Juntos: Latinx Family Engagement at Your Library ALA President, Julius C. Jefferson, Jr , recently released a statement: ALA takes responsibility for past racism, pledges a more equitable association. As libraries work to become more intentional about improving internal and external relationships, reexamine outreach efforts, and reevaluate services provided to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, they can look to the work of NALCo for examples of best practices, positive…
Serving the Underserved during the Pandemic
In the current changing landscape for families and libraries affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, librarians are suddenly tasked with providing resources and activities in a digital environment. Providing robust programs for marginalized or underserved populations is especially a challenge, and we wanted to provide resources for librarians that may assist in addressing the needs of these populations.