Cultural Humility and Our Programming

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Many times we tap into other cultures to share insight and information in our programming. But when does our work there stray into cultural appropriation and/or straying into misinformation or cultural stereotypes? A recent Teen Services Underground blog post has some thoughtful tips to help you in your program planning.

Portia Carryer, a San Francisco Bay area-based teen librarian writes: "We want to share a wide, diverse world with our patrons. Diverse programming helps to create what Rudine Sims Bishop called “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors”: opportunities for our patrons to see their experiences validated, to understand experiences that are different than theirs, and to participate in the wider world. So we develop programming that explores cultures and histories beyond our own lived experiences.

But when we program outside of our lived experiences, we must be aware of the ways we can get things wrong and the ways in which our mistakes might harm our patrons or community."

Read the full post which includes practical tips on how to program more thoughtfully at: Cultural Humility & Program Planning. Portia Carryer. Teen Services Underground. Nov 30, 2021