[aisle] Hit: Diversity Audits for books and materials (so far...😃)

[Neha Thakkar]

Here are the responses I received. Thank you all for your input! Also,
multiple people requested to start a Zoom or other discussion. If you are
interested, can you share your best time for June
<https://doodle.com/poll/5387mnedu5k6nir4?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link> (CST
time)? I'll review and send out a date, time, links once we have a
consensus in the poll.

My original query:
We are continuing our work around DEI and I'd like to start some
conversations and provide resources around a diversity audit. Any great
checklists, articles, podcasts, videos, etc? I know it was presented a
couple years ago at a ISACS conference/meeting, and I'd love updated
materials. Thank you!
---
---
I led one of those groups for LMAIS and I've learned so much since then.
School Library Journal has offered a series of classes: I learned so
much during the 15 hour class entitled, "Equity in Actions: Building
Diverse Collections," and it was extremely helpful. I had done one last
year on how to conduct a diversity audit. By the way, I didn't do the whole
diversity audit because I didn't feel it would be the best use of my time
with 3 days a week and no parents entering the building, even library
volunteers. I've developed what I feel is a really good collection of
diverse books by following School LIbrary Journals and articles, along with
author websites, but I'm sure you're all doing that, too. There have been
some especially good ones.
This site is amazing:
https://diversebooks.org/resources-old/where-to-find-diverse-books/
This site includes links to many other sites, and that is an understatement.

I get emails from Colors of Us and Brighty, but I don't recommend them. I
look at them, but they'll have amazing books interspersed with Berenstein
Bears and The Muppets and Little Golden Books. They aren't librarians, but
you can find interesting titles and find reviews in SLJ.

We did have people answer in a survey, "What languages other than English
are spoken in your home by adults or children?" ...  We now have at least
one book that represents each of 60 languages. Cataloging something I
couldn't read and trying to find Dewey numbers were challenging, but I'm
very pleased. Up until the pandemic, I had parents who spoke a particular
language, but, well, then there's the pandemic. I'll have them help as soon
as I can to add and clean up the records, but that means I am sitting with
them. In trying to find some of the languages, I've made some library
friends, too, like my Assyrian-speaking friend who sent me books for my
Assyrian speakers.

I am working with an 8th grade boy whom I've loved since he was a first
grader. He was chosen to receive a merit scholarship from the school which
required him to do a service project for the school. He chose to add more
banned books to the library and to update our classics section with new
copies. I should add that because we did a play called "The Enchanted
Bookshop" with a dozen literary characters, interest soared over Tom
Sawyer, Alice in Wonderland, etc, and this boy played Tom Sawyer. We're
trying to be culturally sensitive in the choices.
---
We have started planning to do a diversity audit and this blog has been
helpful to give some ideas on how to plan, where to start and what things
to keep in mind as you are auditing.

https://dontyoushushme.com/2020/06/15/diversity-audit-a-practical-guide/
---

If you have Destiny, and it's by no means perfect, you can use their DEI
and SEL audit.  It needs to be turned on with your rep.  We found it's a
good starting point.
---
https://diversebookfinder.org/

We used the above link as a starting point.
---
You can now run a diversity audit in Collection Analysis in Titlewave. It’s
not perfect – double counts books that are in multiple categories, but it
is a start.
---
I'd love to know what libraries are using as targets. How do you define a
diverse library? It is it in alignment to what is published? What your
school population is?

And would love to set up a Zoom to talk about the process (very
informally), and see if anyone has any tips or tricks.
---
I am really interested in this! I have set goals for both Elementary and
Middle/High School libraries to display and provide more diverse books. I
feel my goals are arbitrary sometimes. I am seeking a master's in
Diversity and Equity in Education and would love to be a part of this
meeting/ conversation!
---
Our goal was to have fiction books where the main character(s) were
traditionally underrepresented groups. We just wanted books that reflect
our society as a whole rather than just the makeup of an individual school.
---
I know that Mackin is providing materials for diversity audits.
---
Multiple requests for a hit =)



Neha Thakkar
M.Ed, MLIS, Pronouns: she/her/hers
630-452-5317
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