Lynn Lawrence-Brown
Why Diversity Matters in Library Collections & School Resources, Diversifying & What to do with Books with Misrepresentation
In my presentation, “Why Diversity Matters in Library Collections, Diversifying & What to do with Books with Misrepresentation,” I will discuss the inequities in the English publishing industry and what that translates into the books that we see on international school library shelves and classroom text resources. I will also share why representation and diversity matter in library and classroom resources, how librarians and schools can evaluate the issue and de-center whiteness, and what librarians and schools can do with books with misrepresentation. I strongly believe that librarians and school administrators can work together to be agents of social change and that libraries can be the center to drive this change. I will speak to first-hand examples of what I have been doing to de-center whiteness and diversify HKA’s library collection for greater representation and to foster a wider sense of belonging for students at Hong Kong Academy.