Youth Services Shout-Out: YSS Blog: David Huyck

Monday, June 24, 2019

How Diverse WERE Kid's Books Published in 2018?

It is always great news when Sarah Park Dahlen and David Huyck collaborate to produce a clear infographic of how diverse books published for youth are. Their stats are based on the great work of our Cooperative Children's Book Center at UW-Madison School of Education. The inventory the CCBC does is based on 3, 134 books published in 2018.

There were significant changes from the first iteration of this infographic in 2015 but IMHO, there is a long way to go.

What can we do as youth library staff to help increase the number of diverse youth books?

Buy them
Highlight, display, booktalk them and use them consistently in programs
Promote them at every opportunity with colleagues in your networks
Be vocal in demanding from publishers and jobbers more #ownvoices #weneeddiversebooks titles

We all can play an important part in this work!

To access this infographic and read more about the work, please stop by Sarah Park Dahlen's blog.

Youth Services Section

The Wisconsin Library Association's Youth Services Section (YSS) advocates for professional empowerment, collaboration, and innovative, inclusive, and intentional service. To that end, YSS provides a forum and resources for people in Wisconsin's libraries who share a commitment to serving children and young adults, their parents, caregivers, and teachers.

It is a vital, dynamic group whose interests focus on providing quality library service and encouraging literacy and library use. YSS members include public and school library staff, library trustees and library supporters who work together to benefit youth in Wisconsin.