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Honestly, we never set out to do this. It started with Krista’s 2010 research on Cross-Group books. I was invited in as a community advisor, with author Margy Burns Knight, to create the titles for the study. Krista’s and my next step was offering workshops, “Books as Bridges,” for educators and parents on how children ...continue reading "The Diverse BookFinder Vision & Mission: An Evolution"

Since summertime is the perfect time to look back on a year’s worth of work, I’d like to reflect on the professional goal that I set for myself where I asked, “What if the picture books and picture book biographies I buy for my K-3 collection only featured characters of color?” I started this journey ...continue reading "An Experiment with Inclusive Literature, Part III: One White Elementary Librarian’s Endeavor to Diversify Her Picture Book Collection"

By Alice Levine Alice Levine works as a consultant in the fields of math and literacy for adult learners, and assisting parents in supporting their children’s learning. She lives in Easthampton, MA. —————- “This is our book!” said a mother in a literacy class in Guatemala City as she hugged the book to her heart. The ...continue reading "A New Excitement about Books Among Immigrant and Refugee Parents"

As some of you may remember, I started this year by writing a blog post about a collection development experiment I decided to undertake that was focused by this question: What if the only picture books and picture book biographies I buy for my K-3 collection only featured characters of color? It is now late-February ...continue reading "An Experiment with Inclusive Literature, Part II: One White Elementary Librarian’s Endeavor to Diversify Her Picture Book Collection"

In May 2017, I was invited by Anne Sibley O’Brien, author and illustrator, and by Dr. Krista Aronson, psychology professor at Bates College in Maine, to participate in the Diverse BookFinder Advisory Council. The Diverse BookFinder is an online comprehensive source that parents, teachers, librarians, authors, and publishers can use to locate picture books featuring ...continue reading "An Experiment with Inclusive Literature: One White Elementary Librarian’s Endeavor to Diversify Her Picture Book Collection"

Luis is the Manager of the Courtland S. Wilson branch of the New Haven Public Library in Connecticut. He is a member of the Diverse BookFinder Advisory Council. I was first introduced to the Diverse BookFinder when I met co-founder Anne Sibley O’Brien at a workshop in March 2018. The workshop was sponsored by the ...continue reading "Why Diversifying Your Library’s Youth Collection is “Worth the Money”"

Last week we celebrated the two-month anniversary of our digital launch with an update on the feedback and responses we’ve received, and how the project will continue to evolve to better serve our readers. One of the issues we discussed was the need to help casual Diverse BookFinder users better understand some of the cultural ...continue reading "Identifying Problematic Titles"

As of today, it's been two months since the launch of the Diverse BookFinder website. In that time we’ve achieved much—in large part thanks to all of you who’ve used the site and who’ve shared your thoughts. You’ve helped us learn and grow and more clearly define what the Diverse BookFinder is and does (critical ...continue reading "A Work in Progress: Gratitude and Collaboration"
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