Hubschman, Amy
Resource:
Agosto, D. E. (2007). Building a multicultural school library: Issues and challenges. Teacher Librarian, 34(3), 27-31.
Summary:
This article discusses the many problems, issues, and obstacles that libraries encounter when developing a collection that can properly meet the needs of a culturally diverse community. The author suggests there are a set of five specific criteria to use when developing a collection for a multicultural community. The author further suggests that librarians should follow the criteria to ensure that ELL patrons feel connected and correctly represented in the library.
This article discusses the many problems, issues, and obstacles that libraries encounter when developing a collection that can properly meet the needs of a culturally diverse community. The author suggests there are a set of five specific criteria to use when developing a collection for a multicultural community. The author further suggests that librarians should follow the criteria to ensure that ELL patrons feel connected and correctly represented in the library.
Evaluation:
Living in a central suburb area of Texas I found this article extremely helpful and relevant to me on a personal level. I don’t speak Spanish and considering many of the patrons I will eventually encounter do I find it very important to understand their needs in developing a library collection. ELL patrons should be adequately represented in my future library and understanding the specific issues one might encounter when obtaining materials for them is important to be aware of.
One of the five criteria listed by the author was “accuracy”. Spanish is not always the same. The Spanish speaking world is very diverse. Teaching at a school with a high Hispanic enrollment I've already seen the struggles our librarian has faced trying to find accurate materials. She has to know the students, know where they come from, and know which forms of Spanish they speak and which forms they read. Do the students speak Latin American Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Trade Winds Spanish, or another form?
It’s important for students to be properly represented in their libraries. Without an accurate representation of themselves the students will have a much harder time developing a sense of ownership and belonging to their libraries.
One of the five criteria listed by the author was “accuracy”. Spanish is not always the same. The Spanish speaking world is very diverse. Teaching at a school with a high Hispanic enrollment I've already seen the struggles our librarian has faced trying to find accurate materials. She has to know the students, know where they come from, and know which forms of Spanish they speak and which forms they read. Do the students speak Latin American Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Trade Winds Spanish, or another form?
It’s important for students to be properly represented in their libraries. Without an accurate representation of themselves the students will have a much harder time developing a sense of ownership and belonging to their libraries.
I also read this article and believe the criteria for selecting quality materials with attention to issues of stereotyping, tone, and power was very insightful especially for librarians who represent the majority and may have little experience with selecting materials for other cultures. Benefits of developing a collection that reflects diversity in a school setting were also highlighted and include: promoting a sense of belonging for non-native English speakers, and identity formation through illustrations in literature, facilitating student learning by including familiar cultural concepts, images, and integrating different collaborative learning ideas, fostering empathy, appreciation and acceptance of other cultures and ways of life, and increasing student knowledge of the cultures of the world and how culture influences an individual's interpretation and perspective on issues.
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