Building a Diverse Book Collection: Providing Windows, Mirrors, Sliding Glass Doors, and Beyond
Building a diverse collection of fiction, nonfiction, novels in verse, graphic novels, and biographies can be an overwhelming task. The books need to appeal to a wide variety of students that turn over every few years. Knowing how to spend your budget can be quite daunting.
Having diverse literature available helps to create a culture of understanding each other and provides powerful tools for teaching students about social justice. The need for diverse books extends beyond the school library; English and civics classrooms need access to a variety of texts to go beyond the single story and celebrate cultural diversity.
So how do we build a diverse collection? We learn about and implement the following guidelines:
1. Find Windows, Mirrors, Sliding Glass Doors, and Beyond.
2. Avoid the Single Story
3. #OwnVoices
4. Explore the Human Experience
Click here to learn more about the 4 essential guidelines for building a rich, diverse school and classroom libraries for your students.
