PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GOAL
I will increase multicultural awareness in the library. I will analyze the library collection for diversity. In my analysis I will look for diverse authors and subject matter, and the representation of as many cultures as possible. I will further analyze the collection to see if the WMS student population sees itself reflected. I will present diverse titles to students in a variety of ways. Based on the analysis, I will make decisions about what is in the current collection, keeping some titles and weeding some titles to provide the most relevant collection for the students. Books will be ordered as funds permit this year and titles will be selected for ordering next school year. Going forward, I will keep abreast of new media so that the collection will be continually updated. At the end of the year, this initiative will be assessed by an analysis of the multicultural collection to further identify what is here, what is needed and how circulation has been affected by the actions taken. In year two, the students will participate in surveys and focus groups to assess their involvement and interest in the multicultural materials.
Timeline and Action Plan
Indicator II-C: Cultural Proficiency: Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected.
Element: II-C-1 Respects Differences: Consistently uses strategies and practices that are likely to enable students to demonstrate respect for and affirm their own and others’ differences related to background, identity, language, strengths, and challenges.
Timeline and Action Plan
- Library collection of print and audio resources is evaluated to assess diversity of authors and content looking at race, religion, gender, disabilities, high/low reading levels, etc. (November/December 2015)
- Informal conversations take place between librarian and colleagues to explore what is missing from the collection and should or would be desireable to be added. (November 2015-March 2016)
- Librarian explores multicultural curriculum connections in written curriculum documents and through collaboration with teachers. (November 2015-May 2016)
- Librarian keeps track of what resources should be removed from collection using a variety of assessment tools (weeding websites, etc.) (November 2015 on)
- Librarian creates book and bulletin board displays, and updates library website with booklists and trailers highlighting books about diverse communities (racial, gender, religious, etc.). Teachers are made aware of the displays and website additions and invited to bring their students to use the resources. (December 2015-June 2016)
- Analyze circulation of identified multicultural titles in the collection as soon as they can be identified and again at the end of the 2015/2016 school year, and 2016/2017 school year. (December 2015, May 2016, May 2017)
- Diversity book award lists (such as the Coretta Scott King Award) are evaluated for additions to the collection. (January/February 2016)
- Librarian attends workshop or webinar to learn about new diverse books and multimedia resources being released. (by March 2016)
Indicator II-C: Cultural Proficiency: Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected.
Element: II-C-1 Respects Differences: Consistently uses strategies and practices that are likely to enable students to demonstrate respect for and affirm their own and others’ differences related to background, identity, language, strengths, and challenges.
IMPLEMENTATION OF GOAL
Collection Analysis
In order to analyze the library collection for diversity, I ran searches using a variety of keywords. The results (below) showed a significant lacking in books with keywords: "Latino," "Asian," "GBLTQ," and "Middle Eastern." That being said, the collection showed reasonable resources when searched with keywords that fit within the larger topics or were synonyms (i.e. Hispanic for Latino, specific countries in Asian, rather than Asian, Muslim for Middle Eastern, and GBLTQ, which has a very poor showing, whereas Gay and Lesbian are well represented.)
The results of this collection analysis was taken into consideration when deciding what to order over the next few months.
In order to analyze the library collection for diversity, I ran searches using a variety of keywords. The results (below) showed a significant lacking in books with keywords: "Latino," "Asian," "GBLTQ," and "Middle Eastern." That being said, the collection showed reasonable resources when searched with keywords that fit within the larger topics or were synonyms (i.e. Hispanic for Latino, specific countries in Asian, rather than Asian, Muslim for Middle Eastern, and GBLTQ, which has a very poor showing, whereas Gay and Lesbian are well represented.)
The results of this collection analysis was taken into consideration when deciding what to order over the next few months.
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Conversations with Faculty and Staff
In addition to analyzing the collection, I have engaged in numerous conversations with faculty and staff in the building to discuss what they saw as lacking in our collection. Two areas that are being highly discussed in the building this year are racial diversity and gender identity. I've been able to communicate with MJ Craig, a TA who is active in the Transgender community, to discuss book ideas and ways to better support students and teachers around this topic. He has provided me with specific book-ordering ideas, as well as been incredibly informative on the topic. |
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Supporting Curriulum
Throughout the year, I have been able to communicate with teachers about how best to support their curricula with multicultural resources. Below is an email exchange I had with a seventh grade ELA teacher who wanted to use picture books to introduce topics surrounding racism and segregation.
Throughout the year, I have been able to communicate with teachers about how best to support their curricula with multicultural resources. Below is an email exchange I had with a seventh grade ELA teacher who wanted to use picture books to introduce topics surrounding racism and segregation.
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Displays
In the library, we have displayed books highlighting one particular group of people. We began with books related to Islam and Muslims right after the Paris bombings in the fall of 2015. The idea behind that display was to education people on the many different areas of Islamic culture. We followed that with a display on Hispanic cultures. We are currently displaying books about Asian cultures and Asian-American experiences.
In the library, we have displayed books highlighting one particular group of people. We began with books related to Islam and Muslims right after the Paris bombings in the fall of 2015. The idea behind that display was to education people on the many different areas of Islamic culture. We followed that with a display on Hispanic cultures. We are currently displaying books about Asian cultures and Asian-American experiences.
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Hispanic Culture Display
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Asian Culture Display
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Diversity Workshop Attendance
I was able to attend a workshop run by the Massachusetts Library System about supporting gender diversity in our libraries. The workshop was very rewarding and provided me with a number of resources, both for collection development, and supporting my school community in this area. I was able to purchase books to add to our collection based on what was learned at this workshop.
I was able to attend a workshop run by the Massachusetts Library System about supporting gender diversity in our libraries. The workshop was very rewarding and provided me with a number of resources, both for collection development, and supporting my school community in this area. I was able to purchase books to add to our collection based on what was learned at this workshop.
Books Ordered This Year
Using a variety of collection development tools (including those gained at the gender diversity workshop and the ALA award announcements), I have been able to add titles to the collection that help fill existing gaps and support the diversity of the collection.
This is a list of some of the titles that have been added to the collection this year:
Using a variety of collection development tools (including those gained at the gender diversity workshop and the ALA award announcements), I have been able to add titles to the collection that help fill existing gaps and support the diversity of the collection.
This is a list of some of the titles that have been added to the collection this year:
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Coretta Scott King Award Winners and Honor Books
Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia Hoodoo by Roland L. Smith All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds Pura Belpre Award Winners and Honor Books Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosin Winners of the Schneider Family Book Award The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Stonewall Book Award Honor Winner Better Nate than Ever by Tim Federle |
Another Kind of Hurricane by Tamara Ellis Smith
Auggie and Me by R.J. Palacio Caminar by Skila Brown Deenie by Judy Blume George by Alex Gino Gossip File by Anna Staniszewski Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick Cruisers: Oh, Snap by Walter Dean Myers Shark Girl by Kelly L. Bingham The Alliance by Gabriel Goosman Anything Could Happen by Will Walton Booked by Kwame Alexander The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds Coming Out by Jaime A. Seba Courage to Compete by Abbey Curran Five, Six, Seven, Nate! by Tim Federle Gay Power by Betsy Rohn Harvey Milk by Corinne Grinapol Letter Q by Sarah Moon I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel The Gender Book by Mel Reiff Hill and Jay Mays Trans Bodies; Trans Selves ed. by Laura Erickson-Schroth |
