Resources For Inclusive Libraries
Practical Conversations about Diversity, Inclusion, Intellectual Freedom and Our Role in Social Justice Work
Notes from a wide-ranging double session of panels at the 2017 NJLA Conference.
Program Description: Colleagues in librarianship and publishing will discuss issues pertaining to intellectual freedom, collection development, and access, particularly as both professions address improving access to materials that are culturally diverse and inclusive. Librarians and book reviewers are playing an increasingly important role as their work intersects with social justice work like We Need Diverse Books and Black Lives Matter. How do we weave together our commitments to social justice and intellectual freedom in our collections, services, and programs? What steps can we take to identify and dismantle personal biases? And how can we bring colleagues along in these ongoing conversations?
Panelists & Links To Their Work
- Anna Coats, Head of Youth Services, Livingston Public Library
- Justina Ireland, writer
- Sujei Lugo, librarian and book critic
- Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, Assistant Professor (University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education) and writer
- Moderator: Sophie Brookover, Program Coordinator & Social Media Manager, LibraryLinkNJ
Panel Two: Increasingly, librarians are participating actively in social justice movements such as WNDB & Black Lives Matter. Do real, or perceived, tensions exist between our collection goals and intellectual freedom principles? How do we encourage open and productive conversations about these tensions? What are some ways we can merge these core values in our profession?
- Kay Cassell, Assistant Teaching Professor of Library and Information Science (Rutgers University-SCI)
- Pham Condello, Managing Librarian, Youth Services, Old Bridge Public Library
- Kiera Parrott, Reviews Director, School Library Journal & Library Journal
- Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Consultant, NJ State Library
- Moderator: Eileen Palmer, Executive Director, LMxAC
Thanks to Liz Hoens, Children's Librarian at Rahway Public Library, for her session notes in Google Docs!
Setting The Table
Review Resources
Looking for high quality reviews to supplement SLJ, Booklist & Kirkus? Start here.
Reading While WhiteAmerican Indians in Children's Literature
Malinda Lo's Writing With Diversity Resources Round-Up
Book Awards: Looking Way Beyond Newbery
Children's Book Awards from organizations outside of ALA
Mildred L. Batchelder Book Award
National Jewish Book Award Winners (going back to 1949)
Schneider Family Book AwardALA Ethnic Caucus Book Awards
American Indian Youth Literature Award
Asian/Pacific Islander Awards for Literature
More Great Resources
Many smaller publishing houses offer newsletters & discussion guides, too.
Arte Publico educator resources
Cinco Puntos newsletterLee & Low newsletter (sign up on their homepage), educator resources and blog
Towards a Less Normative Future in Library Services to Teens & Children, a presentation at ALA Midwinter Meeting 2017 by Angie Manfredi (also linked above)
Walter Dean Myers Book Award
The Mash-Up Americans
Think Outside the Stacks
Intellectual Freedom & Library Neutrality
A selection of varied opinions on this cornerstone philosophical & practical issue in librarianship.
- Intellectual Freedom is Not Social Justice, by Kyle Shockey
- Libraries are not Neutral, by Cory Eckert
- Political Ethics: Keeping Your Library Neutral, by Andrew Hart
- Questioning Library Neutrality, Introduction by Alison M. Lewis
- Should Libraries Be Neutral? An Examination of Library Neutrality in the age of Black Lives Matter, by Malcolm Teller
- Talking About Milo: Three Perspectives from the IF Community
LibraryLinkNJ - The New Jersey Library Cooperative
Email: sbrookover@librarylinknj.org
Website: librarylinknj.org
Location: 44 Stelton Road, Piscataway Township, NJ, United States
Phone: (732) 752-7720
Facebook: facebook.com/LibraryLinkNJ
Twitter: @librarylinknj