Professional Development Activity: Nancy Booker Honour Lecture, 2018
The Nancy Booker Honour Lecture is a biannual lecture instituted by the Australian Library and Information Association’s (ALIA) Children’s and Youth Services group (CYS). Nancy Booker was a pioneer of library services for children, and the Honour Lecture is a “forum for children’s and youth librarians and others concerned with the promotion of high quality children’s literature and professional development in the field of children’s and youth librarianship” (ALIA, n.d., para 1). The 2018 lecture was presented by Australian author Will Kostakis speaking on the topic of Inclusivity and Diversity in Young Adult (YA) Literature.
Firstly, I must say that if you haven’t watched this lecture – DO IT NOW. Will Kostakis is an amazing speaker and a fantastic advocate for diversity and inclusivity in library collections. Diversity relates to all forms of differences – race, gender, socio-economic background, cultural beliefs, sexual preference, disability, or religion. As a Greek Australian who is a member of the LGBTQI community, Will is someone who knows the value of seeing yourself in the books you read. He relayed a story of his friend who died when they were at school and how he wished they both could have seen themselves in the books they were reading (Kostakis, 2018, 29:15-30:05). This story really hit home for me how important it is for libraries to hold diverse collections. Will also spoke of a young participant at one of his talks to a school group and how she enjoyed his story as it helped her to better understand her best friend (Kostakis, 2018, 15:00-15:15).
These two stories of firsthand experience show the reason we need diverse YA collections. Firstly, so that all young people can see themselves in the books they are reading and secondly, so that we can gain insight into experiences that are different to our own. This can be defined as literature being either a mirror or a window (Williams and Deyoe, 2014, p. 98). Books can reflect our own lives, reassuring the reader they are not alone, or they can be a window into the lives of others, allowing us to experience different challenges and beliefs and hopefully gain empathy.
Library collections should be diverse, and this is something that has been advocated for many years. In 1953 the American Library Association (ALA) adopted the Freedom to Read Statement, encouraging libraries to retain collections that are diverse (ALA, 2004). A diverse collection “reaffirms young people’s sense of self and the value of their culture while providing opportunities to expand their awareness and understanding of other viewpoints and cultures” (Williams and Deyoe, 2014, p. 98.). In their Collection Development Policy, my local library, Port Macquarie-Hastings Library Service, declares the collection must “fearlessly represent all views” (2019, p. 11). This statement invokes an image of a superhero “fearlessly” advocating for diversity in the library collection, standing up to all objectors.
Watching Will Kostakis’s Nancy Booker Honour Lecture was a valuable experience. My views on library collections were already aligned with Will’s but hearing from him has reinforced my beliefs and stressed how important diversity really is.
References
American Library Association. (2004). The Freedom to Read Statement. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement
Australian Library and Information Association. (n.d.). Nancy Booker Honour Lecture. https://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/awards-and-grants/365/nancy-booker-honour-lecture
Kostakis, W. (2018, September 17). The Nancy Booker Honour Lecture: Inclusivity and Diversity in YA Lit. [Video] https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/8264129898996551179
Port Macquarie-Hastings Library Service. (2019). Collection Development Policy. https://mnclibrary.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/COLLECTION-Development-Policy.pdf
Williams, V. K., & Deyoe, N. (2014). Diverse Population, Diverse Collection? Youth Collections in the United States. Technical Services Quarterly, 31(2), 97-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317131.2014.875373