We understand that not all parents and teachers have the budget to buy new books to bring into their homes or classrooms. So, here are a few ways to bring inclusive books to your kiddos with little to no money being spent.

1. Get library cards to your local libraries

By getting a library card, you have access to hundreds even thousands of books that you can check out and take to the classroom or to your home. Some libraries even have free online subscriptions to different online book libraries, so you do not need to go to the library to check out the book. Instead, you can pull it up on a computer or other device. This can allow teachers to project the story on the board, so all the students can see the pictures and words. The online subscription also usually offers different books than the library itself, so if your library has slim pickings for diverse books, the online resources might be the way to go.

2. Read-Alouds on YouTube

There are many YouTubers that have storytime in which they read aloud a children's book. These read-alouds can be shared in the classroom or at home as long as you have access to the internet. Many of the books that are mentioned on this site have a link to a read-aloud on YouTube.

3. Ask for books as gifts

As a teacher, during holidays or occasions when parents often give gifts to teachers, you can make a list of inclusive books that you would like brought into your classroom. This way parents or guardians are buying something that you will use, and something that benefits the students as well.

As a parent or guardian, you can make a list of books that you and your kiddo are interested in. When it is time for a holiday or child's birthday, you can send out the list of optional gifts. I have also seen people request a book be given to their child instead of a card. This is typically done for younger age groups.

Finding In the Rohnert Park Library, reflected the demographics rather closely, except for the Hispanic portion. However, this could be explained due to the sections that were evaluated. There was a specific section designated for bilingual books which would have greatly increased the number of Hispanic and inclusive books. If we would have gotten to that portion, the data would most likely better reflect the population.