Report emphasizes importance of diversity in library services for children

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has released a new report, “The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children.”

Written for ALSC by Jamie Campbell Naidoo, PhD, the report argues that “Stories help children understand how society perceives their culture as well as the cultures of their classmates, teachers, caregivers, and others, thereby influencing their social and identity development ... Through its materials collections and programs, the library introduces children to many stories, starting at a very young age.”

The report places importance upon accurate portrayals and warns about the damaging influence upon children by “inaccurate, stereotyped depictions.”

Similarly, “The absence of a child’s culture from the stories in print and digital media can also be problematic. When children never see their culture represented in a library storytime or in materials on the library shelves, they receive a resounding message that the librarian does not think their culture is important enough to feature in the library.”