CCBC Releases Newest Diversity Stats for 2023

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) has updated its annual Diversity Statistics to include data on the 3,491 books for children and teens received by the CCBC that were published in 2023.*

The CCBC has been documenting books for children and teens it receives annually by and about Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) since 1994. Between 1985 and 1993, the CCBC documented books by and about Black people only.

In 2018, the CCBC began to document additional aspects of identity in its analysis, including disability, LGBTQ+, and religion.

Following a long period of relative stagnancy, around 2015 the number of children’s books the CCBC received by BIPOC creators and about BIPOC characters began to increase. By 2020 — only five years later — the number of books the CCBC received that were by or about a person of color had tripled.

While the statistics in 2022 showed a continuation of this rising trend, 2023 showed little change. “We are glad things are not decreasing,” says CCBC Director Tessa Michaelson Schmidt. “However, it’s disappointing there hasn’t been more movement in an upward direction.”

The CCBC did note a modest increase in the share of books including significant BIPOC content in 2023 — meaning they have a primary or significant secondary character or human subject who is BIPOC, or the setting or topic of the book relates to BIPOC people or history. In 2023, 49 percent of the books the CCBC documented had significant BIPOC content (up from 46 percent in 2022), and 40 percent had at least one BIPOC primary character (up from 39 percent in 2022).

In 2023, 49 percent of the books the CCBC documented have
significant BIPOC content — up from 46 percent in 2022.

On the other hand, the share of books having at least one creator (e.g., author, illustrator, or compiler) who is BIPOC was nearly identical to 2022. Forty percent of the books the CCBC received in 2023 were by a person of color. This includes 18 percent that had at least one Asian creator, 13 percent that had at least one Black creator, and 11 percent that had at least one Latine creator. By comparison, 70 percent of the books the CCBC received had at least one white creator.

In recent years, the CCBC has seen more books that reflect the multifaceted complexity of individual lives when it comes to identity — for example, books in which characters are multiracial/multiethnic; that reveal intersectional identities; or that portray other dimensions of identity, including disability, LGBTQ+, and minority (non-Christian) religions.

Of the books the CCBC received in 2023, 7 percent featured a primary or significant secondary character/human subject with a disability or were about one or more disabilities, 7 percent featured LGBTQ+ themes or characters, and 4 percent featured a minority religion.

The CCBC notes that books with multiple primary characters and/or subjects or primary characters/subjects with multiracial or intersectional identities are counted in all applicable categories. Percentages are not mutually exclusive and cannot be combined to calculate a total of the whole.

As the number of books reflecting the lives and complex identities of children, teens, and families today continues to grow, they are having greater visibility in libraries and classrooms, and in the lives of children and teens. Schmidt

“The CCBC Diversity Statistics focus on quantity, not quality. But what we know from our work recommending books in our annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices, is that greater numbers inevitably mean more outstanding choices among the books published,” says Schmidt. “Librarians, teachers, parents, and other adults who care for children have more high-quality books to choose from when selecting and recommending books for young readers and listeners that reflect and validate dimensions of their identities and their place in our global society.”

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) is a unique examination, study, and research library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The CCBC is also funded by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction through the Division for Libraries and Technology.

*The statistics about books by and/or about Black, Indigenous and people of color are periodically updated online. This online data includes more detailed percentages, and the number of books represented by each percentage.

By Kari Dickinson

Here are links to the above news release and media kit which includes visual images

Diversity Increases in US Children's Books

Alison Flood over at The Guardian has shared some inspiring and hopeful news: US children's books are seeing increases in POC representations and voices. Flood notes:

Figures from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison show that the number of children’s books featuring African or African-American characters rose from 172 out of a total of 3,000 received by the CCBC in 2008, to 401 out of a total of 3,617 in 2018. The number of books by African or African American authors also increased, from 83 in 2008 to 202 in 2018.

While this seems like a cause for celebration, the article warns against using one year of data to inform our understanding of the publishing industry's priorities.

Check out the entire article HERE.

YSS: Support In Numbers - 2018 in Review

2018 was another great year for YSS!  Take a gander at these fine lookin' stats!

           127 Responses!
           71 YSS Members                                                               

          56 Non-members     
                                                                            

 16 WLA conference room monitors!

  Author Luncheon: Chris Grabenstein

New York Times Best Selling Author!

 

  246 ideas & resources shared!

                                              

"I find the YSS resources and group to be invaluable to my work. I love the opportunity to travel to different parts of the state for the regional meet-ups, the blog gives me and my staff a ton of ideas, and the social times at conferences are always a blast. It's definitely an awesome resource to have in our state!" -survey feedback

Completed Projects:

●     YSS Member and Non-member Surveys - a multi-year effort culminated in rich information this year. The survey was conducted, assessed and analyzed after surveys were finalized in late spring. Data will be used to strategically plan YSS annual and long-term goals in accordance with WLA priorities and member needs. This project was launched several years ago and will inform YSS leadership plan and execute efforts.

●     WAPL & WLA Conferences - YSS fielded full schedules of programs at each and worked closely with the conference committees to coordinate them. YSS Social at WLA was well-attended with several groups participating in the escape room. Chris Grabenstein, the YSS Luncheon speaker, drew attendees and was hailed as an excellent choice.

●     12 Months of Coding in final stages before launch somewhat behind deadline. Several rounds of soliciting content providers was necessary to achieve 3 levels of programming for each month.

●     Regional Meet-ups took place in Waupaca and in Northwest WI (Rice Lake and Bloomer) took place last year. YSS aims to provide opportunities for professional development and networking at these face to face events open to members and potential members.

●     YSS Youth Services Shout-out Blog continues to offer value and news to readers with content posted generally five days per week.

●     YSS Powerhouse Presents struggled in 2018. Two webinars were presented last year, one in February on Teen Outreach Dos and Don’ts and one in December on Breaking Down Barriers: Girls Who Code. The 2019 Board will be discussing ways to improve the brand and the offerings this year with mentorship for its committee members from previous successful committee chairs.

●     YSS Web Page committee met twice in 2018 by GoToMeeting and formalized plan for current and archived content. Page was edited to essentials, will reference out to the YSS Blog, and archive content in the WLA Dropbox.

●     YSS Children’s Book Award Committee selected three candidates to fill openings for 2019 from large and small, urban and rural libraries from around the state. Emphasis on improving the ability of authors and illustrators to nominate their work for consideration and on the committee member application via online forms is a priority for 2019.

●     YSS Nominations Committee fielded a competitive ballot for 2018 and is already beginning the process for 2019, as well as planning for the election of a WLA Board Liaison in the 2020 ballot.

●     YSS Marketing Committee was formed at the WLA Conference. The marketing committee will assess and utilize various channels of communication, promotion, and strategic marketing to advance the goals of YSS and WLA; such as value to members, resources available, professional development, conference attendance and offerings, volunteer opportunities and email blasts.

2018 Board Members:

●     Sarah Cournoyer, Chair

●     Terry Ehle, Past Chair

●     Katie Kiekhaefer, Chair-elect

●     Julie Kinney, Secretary

●     Caitlin Shaffer, Director at Large

●     Elizabeth Timmins, Director at Large

●     Claire Parrish, Director at Large

●     Emily Sanders, Director at Large

●     Sue Abrahamson, WLA Board Liaison

Current and Ongoing YSS Committees:

●     YSS Membership Committee: Linda Jerome, Chair

●     YSS WAPL Committee: Elizabeth Timmins & Emily Sanders, Co-chairs

●     YSS WLA Committee: Claire Parrish & Caitlin Shaffer, Co-chairs

●     YSS 12 Months of Coding Resource Committee: Julie Kinney & Caitlin Shaffer, Co-chairs

●     YSS Powerhouse Presents Webinar Committee, Julie Kinney, Chair 2018

●     YSS Blog Committee: Aimee Schreiber, Chair

●     YSS Webpage Committee: Jeni Schomber, Webmaster

●     YSS Children’s Book Award Committee: Judy Jones, Chair 2018; Abby Bussen, Chair 2019

●     YSS Nominations Committee: Terry Ehle, Chair 2018, Sarah Cournoyer, Chair 2019

●     YSS Marketing Committee (newly formed in October 2018), members include Anne Hamland, Sarah Cournoyer, Terry Ehle

**Shout out to the ever-rad Anne Hamland 

for compiling and creating this Year in Review report!**

Want to join in the fun for 2019?  

Click HERE to take the 2019 YSS Volunteer Survey and we'll connect you with an assortment of fabulous volunteer opportunities, ranging from a one-time commitment to serving a term on a committee!

Share your skills, learn some new ones,
and make professional connections around the state!

Are We Relying Too Much on Circ Stats?

Karen Jensen over at Teen Librarian Toolbox blog has a thought-provoking post about our over-reliance on circulation stats to measure our success. She makes a cogent case for what those stats don't tell and begins the discussion of other ways to consider the library's value.

Read about it here

Kids Count Data Center

 

 Here's another great resource for understanding kids and families in our communities!  KIDS COUNT is a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation to track the well-being of children in the United States. By providing high-quality data and trend analysis through its KIDS COUNT Data Center, the Foundation seeks to enrich local, state and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children - and to raise the visibility of children's issues.

Librarians can use this powerful database  to search demographic information by age, race, and location.  The data can be broken down by county/school district/city/region and into a number of topic areas, including: demographics, economic well-being, education, family & community, health, and more.  KIDS COUNT is easy to navigate, offers a wealth of information to librarians, and can be a go-to for data regarding local communities.  Visit the site HERE.