Bias, Diversity, and Multiculturalism

Bias, Diversity, and Multiculturalism Narrative

1. Pansexuality is a term that I feel may be a little more modern and a term that would be suitable for using as a search term. Previously when I searched using the term homosexuality books for kids I was able to find 308 titles. However, when using the term pansexual books for kids as a search term on Amazon I found over 1,000 results. Therefore, I feel that pansexuality may be a better term to use than homosexuality. 

2. In my elementary school's library there are no displays that indicate diversity or that we live in a multicultural world. The entire library is decorated in a Harry Potter theme and does not contain any showcases or any other type of focus on diversity, other than multiple displays of Harry Potter books and memorabilia.  

3.  I currently do not have anything in my mission statement in regards to serving a diverse population. However, I feel that this component is very important and should be addressed in my mission statement. This will definitely be something I will add.

4. I feel that it is important to keep a diverse collection because we live in a diverse world. If we truly want to educate kids, then we need to educate them about the world around them. The world includes a very diverse population of people and I feel that it is important that children are exposed to diversity around the world. I believe that this is especially important for students who live in communities that are not very diverse to be taught and introduced to all people and cultures so that they can better understand the world around them. Derman-Sparks (2016) is an excellent source to help guide librarians in making book selections that represent all learners and help create a diverse collection. 

5. After reviewing my own showcase the collection project, I feel that most of the books in the collection have similar characters. There are books that contain characters of different races and abilities, however, I do feel that is limited. Also I included the book, The Indian in the Cupboard and this was one of the not recommended titles from Chang (2020) because of how it depicted Native Americans. I do feel that the book covers accurately reflect the characters in the book. The collection does contain a variety of male, female, and animal characters; in addition, to various settings and lifestyles. I believe that I could make some changes to the collection in order to show a more diverse collection. I feel that the collection may contain more "mirrors" than "windows" and I want my students to read and learn about characters who will teach them about the world around them and different cultures. After reading Ishizuka (2018) I got the idea to create a diversity showcase and the titles would include diverse characters from all around the world and I could even include cookbooks, fiction, nonfiction, and a variety of genres in the collection. I feel that it is important to find the right book for each reader. 

References: 

Chang, S. (2020, October 1). Kids’ books that share true stories of native peoples. Retrieved 12 July 2023, from https://www.parentmap.com/article/childrens-books-that-share-the-true-stories-of-native-peoples-in-america?fbclid=IwAR18fPOeVfYCK5M-taS_5nsOHOBsXWD5k0jQjlRgWQBwLpAVZO-iqPO4eTA 

Derman-Sparks, L. (2016). Guide for selecting anti-bias children's books. Retrieved 12 July 2023, from https://socialjusticebooks.org/guide-for-selecting-anti-bias-childrens-books/

Ishizuka, K. (2018). Can diverse books save us? In a divided world, librarians are on a mission. Retrieved 12 July 2023, from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=can-diverse-books-save-us