This content reflects work done as part of the Indigenous Perspectives in School Librarianship (IPSL) grant funded by IMLS (RE-246303-OLS-20). Actual assignments may vary.

Module Objectives

  • Identify opportunities for collaboration in collection development to ensure an equitable access environment.
  • Identify strategies to avoid self-censorship.

Think

  • American Library Association. (2021). Children and youth. In M. Garnar (ed.), Intellectual freedom manual (10th edition, pp. 125-146). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.
  • American Library Association. (2021). Collection development and management. In M. Garnar (ed.), Intellectual freedom manual (10th edition, pp. 147-160). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.
  • Dillard, C., & C. Keels. (2022). Debbie Reese on book bans and Native representation. Learning for Justice, 2.
  • Baillie, A.M. (2017). Protection versus first amendment violation: Self-censorship as it relates to youth and young adult services. SLIS Connecting, 6(2). DOI: 10.18785/slis.0602.06
  • Hughes-Hassell, S. (2020). Models of collection management. In Collection management for youth: Equity, inclusion, and learning (2nd edition, pp. 33-40).

Create

Identify five individuals / groups that would be a positive addition to a library advisory board. Consider people in the community who are leaders and other organizations that work with youth (e.g., tribal Elders, youth homeless shelter, bilingual bookstore, or resource agency). Make sure to include diverse perspectives. For each person / group / organization you identify, answer the following questions. You do not need to interview these people or invite them to an actual advisory board. This is a thought exercise:

  • What do you think your audience knows about the library right now?
  • What do you believe they think of the library right now? Positive? Negative? Neutral? Explain.
  • What would they need to know to contribute to the library advisory board?
  • How would they be better off by participating?
  • What might be the best ways to communicate with them?

Share

Part I: In the #module3 Slack channel, address the following, then respond to at least two of your classmates:

  • Share the list of potential partners you identified, along with a brief introduction that describes your community. How will having teams and partnerships help you in developing the library collection? Why are they important?
  • Why is it important to have a diverse collection?
  • Based on the interview with Debbie Reese that you read, and your own experience, why do you think people try to ban books?
  • What’s the difference between selection and self-censorship? Why does self-censorship occur; and why is it dangerous to intellectual freedom and equitable access to materials?
  • What are three things you can do to avoid self-censorship?

Part II: Select at least one of the scenarios in the #collections channel and add to the conversation for that discussion thread:

  • I want to diversify my collection, but I live in a religious / conservative / liberal / etc. community. I am afraid I will get pushback if I add certain resources to the collection. What should I do?
  • Seuss’s estate has chosen to discontinue publication of 6 of his children’s books due to racist imagery and content. This has sparked debate and outrage on social media. I would like to pull two of these books from our collection, but my administrator says that’s censorship. Is it? What should I do?
  • I work in a K-8 library. This year, we have a transgender student. We also have several other LGBTQIA+ students. I’ve noticed that are very few books that reflect the experiences of these students. I would like to add more materials to support these learners, but my administrator has stated that these materials are not necessary in a K-8 library, and that the potential parent complaints are not worth it. What should I do?
  • I am new to this school, which uses Accelerated Reader. The books are labeled with the AR reading level and points on the spine. Do these labels help or hinder student learning? Are they ethical?
  • A parent has complained about a book in the library saying it is inappropriate. I have checked the ratings in professional journals, and it is considered appropriate for the age group of my students. What should I do?
  • I had a parent complain that the book on Christopher Columbus their child brought home portrays him as a hero. They want their child to know how he treated the native population with violence, forced Christianity conversion, slavery, and exposed them to diseases. How should I respond to the parent? Should I do anything particular with the book or the library’s collection?

Grow

Write a reflection on the module. Use the following questions as inspiration. What did you learn this week? What made you wonder? How do you feel about the module’s content and process? How will what you learned this week make you a better librarian? How do you feel about your progress in the course? What questions do you have?