Throw-It Thursday - Culturally Inapprorpriate Material

Ashley Borman is the Technical Services Librarian at the Clintonville (WI) Public Library

Culturally inappropriate materials have been a hot topic in the library world in recent years. Many
people think that there are many books that should not be available, even if they are considered
classics, due to the way they portray thoughts and ideas about people of color. Other people see
nothing wrong with these same titles, and cite the historical importance of those same materials. 

I will admit that I have not paid as much attention to this as I should have until somewhat more recently. I will not try to tell you what is the right or wrong thing to do. I am still trying to learn and understand the thoughts and reasonings behind some of the claims and statements I have seen and heard. 

I do hope that you consider what is best for your library and your patrons, before doing anything drastic. 

There are many articles out there that talk about racist and culturally inappropriate materials on both sides of this issue. I have included several of the articles I have read that may be of interest if you are trying to learn more about either side of the issue. These are by no means the best or most informative articles on the topic, but they do provide a bit of variety in people’s thoughts and ideas on the subject.

Resource Articles

• Cooperative Children’s Book Center  - Weeding or Censorship

• Don’t You Shush Me (Blog of a high school librarian) - Addressing Problematic/Harmful Books in the School Library

• Horn Book  - Beyond the Pluto Problem

• National Coalition Against Censorship  - Statement on Removal of Dr. Seuss Books From Publication

• School Library Journal  - Weeding Out Racis's Invisible Roots: Rethinking Children's Classics

Evaluating Children's Books About Police

In an opinion piece posted today on SLJ.com, Amy Martin from Oakland Public Library revisited the evaluation of police picture books.  In many, many cases, the representation is completely one-sided, depicting the police as community helpers and someone to be called upon for help.  While this is true for some police officers, it's not always the case and these books do a disservice to children and their families who have had very different interactions with law enforcement, invalidating their experiences.  "Presenting police as community helpers without a counterpoint available—that police might harm them—is gaslighting for children who see police brutality in their home, in their neighborhood, on TV, and on their parents’ phones."

Looking to make sure your police collection represents a wide range of experiences?  Consider utilizing Evaluating Children's Books about Police, a 2017 toolkit from Oakland Public Library.  

 

Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries

prettygooddesign.org

There is always more work to be done by each and every one of us to create a safe and bias-free world for all our communities. This work doesn't start or stop when there is injustice and unrest because that has been ever-present - not just historically but for every single day of your and my lived life. Every. Day. Until we commit to fighting injustice and racism every day, no matter who we are or where we are from, we can't make this change happen. Let's all be that change. 

The following resources on this blog post will be updated as links and resources come to our attention. Please feel free to share any you run across in the comments.

KidLit Rally 4 Black Lives: Anti-Racist Resources for Children, Families and Educators. The Brown Bookshelf. Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. 6/4/20

Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk About Race  prettygooddesign blog

Talking Race with Young Children. NPR 4/26/19

Black Lives Matter Instructional Library - clickable links to read-alouds for kids

ALSC Supporting Diverse Communities Toolkit
Families of diverse backgrounds are facing increased uncertainty and are turning to their public libraries as a resource for information on navigating issues in our changing times. The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has compiled a list of resources to help librarians support children and families through times of unrest and uncertainty. ALSC’s Core Values include Responsiveness, Inclusiveness, Integrity and Respect. Therefore, when many are feeling vulnerable, disenfranchised, or wary of what the future holds, librarians and ALSC members stand resolute in their commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion

Let's Talk About Race (13:01 minute video) - The Tutu Teacher
I made this video for the kindergarten students at my school. I realize this might be a helpful video for non Black children to also watch. In the video I discuss what racism is and how it’s impacted the lives of Black and Brown people. I also read aloud the story Let’s Talk about Race. Finally, I encourage young people to think about what actions they can take to use their voice to speak out against injustices. You have my permission to share.You can find the video by tapping the link in my bio or going to https://bit.ly/videotutu

Talking About Race and Anti-Racism with Children  Ramsey County (MN) Library.  5/29/20

Anti-Racism Resources Padlet -  Compiled by Dr. Nicole Cooke

Anti-Racism Resources . Compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein. May 2020

This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Because several folks keep asking for a reading list for children (0-12) - Compiled by Sujei Lugo Vázquez (@sujeilugo)  + Alia Jones (@readitrealgood) 6/1/20

Talking About Race web portal. National Museum of  African American History and Culture. 5/31/20

An online portal designed to help individuals, families, and communities talk about racism, racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture. The online portal provides digital tools, online exercises, video instructions, scholarly articles and more than 100 multi-media resources tailored for educators, parents and caregivers—and individuals committed to racial equality.  

An Antiracist Reading List. Ibram X. Kendi. NYTimes  5/29/20

Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide. Wisconsin Dept of Public Instruction. 6/19.

Evaluating Children's Books About Police: a toolkit for librarians and other evaluators of children's literature. Oakland Public Library. 12/17.

Race, Police and Justice: Recommended Reading for Children  Fountaindale (IL) Public Library District    5/28/20

31 Books to Support Conversations on Race, Racism and Resistance. The Conscious Kid 4/29/19

Project Ready: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth: a free online professional development curriculum. "This site hosts a series of free, online professional development modules for school and public youth services librarians, library administrators, and others interested in improving their knowledge about race and racism, racial equity, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. The primary focus of the Project READY curriculum is on improving relationships with, services to, and resources for youth of color and Native youth."

Because Black Lives Matter, A Collection of Anti-Racist Reading Lists. Karen Jensen. Teen Librarian Toolbox. SLJ  6/1/2020

Because Black Lives Matter, a Collection of Resources. Karen Jensen. Teen Librarian Toolbox. 6/5/20

Black Lives Matter: a Collection of Intersectionality Resources. Karen Jensen. Teen Librarian Toolbox. 6/8/20

A Roundup of Books on Activism, Social Justice and the Histories of Protest. Amanda McGregor. Teen Librarian Toolbox. 6/9/20

Talking to Kids about Race in Storytime and Let's Talk About Race Toolkit  Jbrary 4/28/18

Embrace Race website - links, webinars, booklists, articles and resources to teach children about race and systemic racism.

Unity and Justice Booklists. ALSC

Summer Reading List 2020. We are Kid Lit Collective.  5/28/2020

We Need Diverse Books website - booklists, resources, links

10 Books About Race To Read Instead Of Asking A Person Of Color To Explain Things To You

Bustle. 3/20/18

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice. Corinne Shutack. Medium.  8/13/17

Anti-Racism Resource List. Cissy White.  Aces Connections.  6/9/20

For more information on anti-racism and activism resources, please see these additional YSS posts:

• Race, Justice, Kids and Libraries   5/28/20
• CCBC - Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance  6/19/20
• CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens  6/19/20
• DPI- Race and Anti-Racism Resources for WI Libraries   6/22/20
• Antiracism Work with Preschoolers  6/24/20

Free Webinar Alert! Confronting Xenophobia and Supporting Asian and Asian/Pacific American Communities during COVID-19

Check out this amazing upcoming free webinar from ALA and APALA!

"Please find information of our upcoming free webinar in partnership with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA).

Please note that the webinar platform has a limit of 100 attendees per webinar; however, if you register, you will receive a link to the archived recording.

Title: Confronting Xenophobia and Supporting Asian and Asian/Pacific American Communities during COVID-19

Date: Friday, May 1 at 12 p.m. CST

Description: In light of the outbreak of COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus), cases of racism and xenophobia against Asians and Asian/Pacific Americans have surged across the world. In the United States, there has always been a deep history of xenophobia towards Asians. This webinar will feature two experts to discuss the issue of Anti-Asian sentiment, and will also focus on teaching resources in countering xenophobia.

Registration: https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9EgM9sV4TgWdV1ZcjteBAw

Webinar Speakers

Dr. Erika Lee

Dr. Erika Lee is a Regents Professor, the Rudolph J. Vecoli Chair in Immigration History, director of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota, and Andrew Carnegie Fellow. The author of America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States, The Making of Asian America and other award-winning books, Lee lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen

Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen is an associate professor in the Master of Library and Information Science Program at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her research interests include representations of the Korean diaspora in children's literature, children's librarianship, and transracial adoption. She co-founded and co-edits Research on Diversity in Youth Literature and co-created the 2018 Diversity in Children’s Books infographic."

For more information on learning opportunities/webinars, please see earlier posts in our 

Professional Development YSS COVID-19 series:

Webinar - Summer Learning Through Our Public Libraries in a Time of COVID-19  5/18/20

Confronting Xenophobia and Supporting Asian and Asian/Pacific Communities Webinar 4/21/20

Working From Home During COVID-19 4/19/20

Need to Keep Up? Free Online Professional Development  3/21/20

Webinar -Remote and Online Services & Resources for Youth Librarians  3/25/20

Free Children’s/Teen Professional Journal Access 3/28/20

Creating Accessibility in Your Online Programming 4/15/20; updated 4/23/20

Talking with Kids about Race and Racism at Oakland Public Library

Panelists at Oakland PL

Miriam Medow of Oakland Public Library just hosted a fabulous panel discussion on talking with kids about race and racism.  Might this be of interest in your own community?
Read more about it here!