Diversity

Professional development activity: Find, read and analyze a peer-reviewed journal article
Topic: Diversity

Jorgenson, S., & Burress, R. (2020). Analyzing the diversity of a high school library collection. Knowledge Quest , 48(5), 48–53. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1252581.pdf.

The co-authors, Sarah and Rene, propose that school library collections should reflect a variety of identifiers as well as the diversity of experience and opinions found across the country and around the world.  The modern school library should strive to regularly add a diverse selection of titles to its collection so that all students feel represented and can find and read books that are relevant to them (Jorgenson & Burress, 2020).  This is made more difficult by the fact that the female profession necessitates self-awareness and critical appraisal, which drives school librarians to diversify the library collection and ensure its utilization in order to normalize diversity in all of its manifestations.

After reading the article, I learned how school librarian can carry out a simple evaluation the collections to ensure all students have access to high interest, high quality resources representative of their lives and their communities and encourage critical thinking.

1. Run a report of the top 100 circulating titles.
2. Determine the date range of the report.
3. Create a spreadsheet and break down the top 100 titles by main character and author.
4. Determine the main characters’ gender, race, and sexual orientation via multiple Internet sources.
5. Analyze the diversity of authors on the top 100 titles list.
6.Compare the results of the diversity collection analyses with the diversity of the student population of the school.

While researching the topic, I came across a new term called Diversity Auditing.  It is neither straightforward nor a one-time activity.  As the school librarian at an international school with students from over 20 countries, I am continuously working to develop a collection and library program that is relevant to students and encourages them to think critically.  The initial audit may focus on matching the collection to the demographics of the school.  Additional collecting analysis includes looking for gaps connected to additional identification markers and putting ideas and information into a broader context (Moreillon. 2021).  I also review fiction and nonfiction resources for students, their families, and classroom teachers on a regular basis (Gaston, 2021).  Students and other educators participating in the collection’s construction, auditing, and maintenance results in not only a stronger, more valuable collection, but also connections (Kirkland, Jeffery & Koechlin, n.d.).  These connections are essential for a successful school library program because they ensure that the collection is aware of and used to help students learn.  There are some questions I refer from Gaston’s blog for reviewing:

1. 1. 1. 1. Does the collection include books with main characters of different racial, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds? LGBTQIA+? Differently-abled?
         2. Does the collection include books written or illustrated by a person from a different racial, ethnic, or cultural background? Of different nationalities, religions or sexual preference?
         3. Are there any books with a person from a different racial, ethnic, or cultural background on the cover? Do the characters on the book covers accurately reflect the characters in the book?
         4. Does the collection provide a mix of mirror books for the students, in which they can see themselves reflected and books in which they can learn about others?

From this activity, I have new understanding of S.R. Ranganathan, the ‘father’ of library science, “Every book its reader, and every reader their book”.  Many readings have empharized that students need to see themselves in what they read (D’Elia, 2021; Kirkland, Jeffery & Koechlin, n.d.; Gaston, 2021; Moreillon. 2021) .

In order to fill the gap, I need to keep advocate and promote more titles to The Golden Dragon Book Awards and The Battle of the Books.  These organizations are managed locally and devoted to promote diversity collection.  I also keep reviewing the collection and declutter in order to have relevant collection (D’Elia, 2021).  Lastly, I will visit for librarians blog for ideas, activity and programs to make the collection more visible and reachable.

 

References

D’Elia, L. B. (2021). What does a diverse collection look like? Diverse BookFinder.  https://diversebookfinder.org/news-views/what-does-a-diverse-collection-look-like/

Gaston, N. (2021). Diverse schools need diverse collections. National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa. https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/diverse-schools-need-diverse-collections