Name: Sharylyn McHenry
Citation: Navarro, Michelle. "Book Review: Curating Community Collections: A Holistic Approach to Diverse Collection Development." Library Resources & Technical Services, vol. 69, no. 1 2025. ProQuest; eLibrary, https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/3171896359?accountid=617, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/lrts.69n1.8382.
Summary:
In her review of Curating Community Collections: A Holistic Approach to Diverse Collection Development, Michelle Navarro explains that the book is important because libraries today are focusing more on diversity and inclusion. She says the authors give clear, practical advice on how to build library collections that better represent different groups in a community. Instead of just checking what is already on the shelves, the book shows librarians how to make long-term plans and use helpful tools and worksheets. Navarro also describes the idea of “community collections,” which are special groups of books and materials chosen to support the needs of specific populations. She likes that the book is easy to understand and can help librarians in any type of library. Overall, Navarro believes the book is a useful guide that helps librarians think about how they can make their collections fairer and more reflective of the people they serve.
Evaluation:
This article is helpful because it shows how important it is for libraries to include books that represent many different people and experiences. Middle school students benefit when they can find books that reflect who they are and also let them learn about others. I think the author makes a good point that librarians should listen to their communities, including kids, when choosing what to buy. The book reviewed seems useful because it gives real steps for making collections more fair and diverse. Overall, I believe this kind of work helps create libraries where every student feels welcome.
