Foundations for Building a Strong Collection
Describe and evaluate current offerings on given mental health topics, with an eye toward describing the lay of the land for librarians working on collections and pointing out strengths and weaknesses or gaps in what publishers are currently providing;
Provide guidance in evaluating children’s literature on a particular mental health topic, including how to select titles for a collection or for recommendations to families, with examples of stronger and weaker selections.
Sharing and Using Books with Families and Groups
Consider ways in which librarians and other educational professionals can responsibly and ethically share and recommend titles dealing with particular mental health topics or how they might partner with counselors in these efforts;
Discuss and offer examples of ways that children’s literature can be used in libraries, schools, and other settings to foster social and emotional learning through storytime, library programming and/or lesson plans.
Issues of Advocacy and Access
Explore the ways in which children’s literature is cataloged and classified and the ways in which these decisions affect access and use of these items;
Consider cases in which titles on mental health have been challenged or banned, and suggest ways librarians can advocate for the inclusion of these titles in the collection;
Explore particular dimensions of children’s literature focused on mental health issues--such as, for example, analyzing visual imagery for common themes or the racial and/or cultural backgrounds of featured characters--and discuss the implications of these findings and their impact on the work of librarians and on access to mental health topics for all populations.