How Do You Find Diverse Books Without a Hashtag

Photo by Abby Johnson

In a recent blog post we shared the announcement from We Need Diverse Books on why they were no longer using the hashtag #ownvoices.

The ever-fabulous and thoughtful ALSC blogger Abby Johnson, who does collection development work for her library system, then wrote a very helpful post on ways to continue to add books by book creators from marginalized and underrepresented communities.

Abby writes: "I know many librarians and teachers had come to rely on the hashtag to identify diverse books by creators that have authentic experience and expertise. So… now what? Rather than using the vague term #OwnVoices, We Need Diverse Books is advocating for describing authors and their characters in more specific terms and using the language that authors choose for themselves. But what if you’ve been relying on the hashtag #OwnVoices to seek out authentic books by and about marginalized communities? Don’t worry, you have options. 

Here are things I do and I’d love to have suggestions in comments. How do you keep track of diverse and inclusive titles and how do you promote them with your patrons and students?"

Check out her practical tips here at the ALSC blog.