Welcome to our senior project!
Throughout our time in the Hutchins program, we have learned about the lack of diversity in children’s literature and the importance of having diversity in our children’s books. To address this issue, we first evaluated three libraries to find out how inclusive their picture book sections were. These three libraries were the Sonoma State University Children’s Library, the Rohnert Park Public Library, and the Springtown Library in Vallejo. Based upon the information gathered, we made an online resource for teachers, parents, and caregivers that will provide a list of inclusive literature, ideas of ways to access diverse literature on a budget, and information on why inclusion and diversity are important in the literature. Although this project helps to educate about inclusion in children’s literature, there is still more work that needs to be done in creating more quality children’s books that reflect the diversity that we see in our communities. The following books that we have compiled into our website can be found in either Sonoma State University Children’s Library, the Rohnert Park Public Library, and the Springtown Library in Vallejo.
Happy reading! :)